WASHINGTON / Islamabad: The US has added Pakistan along with 14 other countries in the list of children’s prevention laws that identify foreign governments that have armed groups supported by the government that recruits or uses children’s army, designation that can cause restrictions on certain security assistance and Commercial licensing military equipment.
The preventive law of US children’s soldiers (CSPA) requires publications in the annual trade in people (tip) to report a list of foreign governments that have recruited or used child soldiers during the previous year (April 1, 2020, until March 31, 2021).
Countries that have been added to the annual Tip list of the US State Department are Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government identified in the list is subject to restrictions, in the following fiscal year, on certain security assistance and commercial licensing military equipment.
The term “child warrior” means every person under 18 years who take part directly in hostility or has been mandatory recruited to become a government armed forces, police, or other security forces.
This also means every person under 15 years has voluntarily recruited to the government’s armed forces, police, or other security forces or anyone under 18 years that have been recruited or used in hostility by different armed forces from different armed forces from The armed forces of a country.
It also includes such people who serve in any capacity, including in supporting roles, such as “cooks, porter, messenger, medical, guards or sex slaves.” CSPA prohibits assistance to the government identified in the following list of authorities: International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, Excessive Defense Items, and Peace Maintenance Operations, with exceptions to several programs carried out in accordance with the operating authority of peace.
This also prohibits the issuance of licenses for direct commercial sales of military equipment to the government.
Starting October 1, 2021, and effectively throughout the Fiscal Year 2022, this restriction will apply to registered countries, absent the neglect of the President, applicable exceptions, or recovery of assistance in accordance with CSPA provisions.
Determination to include the Government in the CSPA list is informed by various sources, including direct observation by US government personnel and research and credible reporting of various UN entities, international organizations, local and international NGOs, and international and domestic media outlets.