One hundred countries have now signed up to an international accord vowing to stop children from being forced to fight in armies, officials told a UN meeting on Monday. With hundreds of thousands of children said to be involved in armies and militia groups around the world, the five extra signatories for the Paris Commitments over the past week have been hailed as a landmark for the declaration.
Angola, Armenia, Bosnia, Costa Rica and San Marino signed up during the UN General Assembly, diplomats said. The new endorsements and support for action on child soldiers “show that the international community is mobilized to stop this unbearable phenomenon,” said Francois Zimeray, France’s ambassador for Human Rights.
