Morocco calls UN to endeavor to end children enrollment in army
Morocco-Regional, Local, 4/9/2001

Morocco urged the United Nations Organization to endeavor for an end to the enrollment of children by armed groups and called all countries in situation of war to respect international human rights and children conventions.

A delegate from the Moroccan foreign affairs and cooperation ministry, Leila Fala, told a conference in Amman on "ending children exploitation as soldiers," held by the Jordanian diplomatic institute and the UNICEF, it is the international community's duty to endeavor for the adoption of laws banning the enrollment of children aged below 18.

Citing the case of Morocco, she said recruitment by the Royal Armed Forces starts at 21 years. In addition, she went on, Morocco has signed several international covenants of human rights and children rights, mainly the convention 182 related to children labor and a protocol on children enrollment in armed conflicts.

The late king Hassan II and his successor, King Mohammed VI, have always showed a particular interest in the situation of children worldwide, she said, particularly in the occupied Palestinian territories. "Morocco is concerned by aggression and persecutions facing Palestinian children and will continue to work for a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region," she insisted.

The Amman conference, Apr.8-10, is the fifth conference of the kind after the ones of Maputo (Apr.1999), Montevideo (July 1999), Berlin (Oct.1999) and Katmandu (May 2000).

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