Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. New York, 25 May 2000

• Reference: IV-11-b

IV 11 B. HUMAN RIGHTS 1

11. b) Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the

involvement of children in armed conflict

New York, 25 May 2000

.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 12 February 2002, in accordance with article 10(1).

REGISTRATION: 12 February 2002, No. 27531.

STATUS: Signatories: 130. Parties: 171.

TEXT: United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2173, p. 222; Doc.A/RES/54/263; and

C.N.1031.2000.TREATIES-82 of 14 November 2000 [Rectification of the original of the

Protocol (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish authentic texts)];

C.N.865.2001.TREATIES-10 of 13 September 2001 [Rectification of the original of the

Protocol (Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish authentic texts)].

Note: The Optional Protocol was adopted by resolution A/RES/54/263 of 25 May 2000 at the fifty-fourth session of the

General Assembly of the United Nations. In accordance with its article 9 (1), the Optional Protocol will be open for signature

by any State that is a party to the Convention or has signed it.

.

Participant

Signature

Ratification,

Accession(a),

Succession(d)

Afghanistan..................................................

24 Sep 2003 a

Albania.........................................................

9 Dec 2008 a

Algeria .........................................................

6 May 2009 a

Andorra........................................................

7 Sep 2000

30 Apr 2001

Angola .........................................................

11 Oct 2007 a

Argentina .....................................................

15 Jun 2000

10 Sep 2002

Armenia .......................................................

24 Sep 2003

30 Sep 2005

Australia.......................................................

21 Oct 2002

26 Sep 2006

Austria .........................................................

6 Sep 2000

1 Feb 2002

Azerbaijan....................................................

8 Sep 2000

3 Jul 2002

Bahamas.......................................................

28 Sep 2015 a

Bahrain.........................................................

21 Sep 2004 a

Bangladesh...................................................

6 Sep 2000

6 Sep 2000

Belarus.........................................................

25 Jan 2006 a

Belgium1......................................................

6 Sep 2000

6 May 2002

Belize...........................................................

6 Sep 2000

1 Dec 2003

Benin............................................................

22 Feb 2001

31 Jan 2005

Bhutan..........................................................

15 Sep 2005

9 Dec 2009

Bolivia (Plurinational

State of)..................................................

22 Dec 2004 a

Bosnia and

Herzegovina...........................................

7 Sep 2000

10 Oct 2003

Botswana .....................................................

24 Sep 2003

4 Oct 2004

Brazil ...........................................................

6 Sep 2000

27 Jan 2004

Brunei Darussalam ......................................

17 May 2016 a

Bulgaria .......................................................

8 Jun 2001

12 Feb 2002

Burkina Faso................................................

16 Nov 2001

6 Jul 2007

Burundi ........................................................

13 Nov 2001

24 Jun 2008

Participant

Signature

Ratification,

Accession(a),

Succession(d)

Cabo Verde..................................................

10 May 2002 a

Cambodia.....................................................

27 Jun 2000

16 Jul 2004

Cameroon.....................................................

5 Oct 2001

4 Feb 2013

Canada .........................................................

5 Jun 2000

7 Jul 2000

Central African

Republic.................................................

27 Sep 2010

21 Sep 2017

Chad.............................................................

3 May 2002

28 Aug 2002

Chile.............................................................

15 Nov 2001

31 Jul 2003

China2,3 ........................................................

15 Mar 2001

20 Feb 2008

Colombia .....................................................

6 Sep 2000

25 May 2005

Congo...........................................................

24 Sep 2010 a

Costa Rica....................................................

7 Sep 2000

24 Jan 2003

Côte d'Ivoire ................................................

12 Mar 2012 a

Croatia .........................................................

8 May 2002

1 Nov 2002

Cuba.............................................................

13 Oct 2000

9 Feb 2007

Cyprus..........................................................

1 Jul 2008

2 Jul 2010

Czech Republic............................................

6 Sep 2000

30 Nov 2001

Democratic Republic of

the Congo...............................................

8 Sep 2000

11 Nov 2001

Denmark4.....................................................

7 Sep 2000

27 Aug 2002

Djibouti........................................................

14 Jun 2006

27 Apr 2011

Dominica .....................................................

20 Sep 2002 a

Dominican Republic....................................

9 May 2002

14 Oct 2014

Ecuador........................................................

6 Sep 2000

7 Jun 2004

Egypt............................................................

6 Feb 2007 a

El Salvador ..................................................

18 Sep 2000

18 Apr 2002

Eritrea ..........................................................

16 Feb 2005 a

Estonia .........................................................

24 Sep 2003

12 Feb 2014

IV 11 B. HUMAN RIGHTS 2

Participant

Signature

Ratification,

Accession(a),

Succession(d)

Eswatini .......................................................

24 Sep 2012 a

Ethiopia........................................................

28 Sep 2010

14 May 2014

Fiji ...............................................................

16 Sep 2005

29 Mar 2021

Finland.........................................................

7 Sep 2000

10 Apr 2002

France ..........................................................

6 Sep 2000

5 Feb 2003

Gabon...........................................................

8 Sep 2000

21 Sep 2010

Gambia.........................................................

21 Dec 2000

27 Sep 2019

Georgia ........................................................

3 Aug 2010 a

Germany ......................................................

6 Sep 2000

13 Dec 2004

Ghana...........................................................

24 Sep 2003

9 Dec 2014

Greece..........................................................

7 Sep 2000

22 Oct 2003

Grenada........................................................

6 Feb 2012 a

Guatemala....................................................

7 Sep 2000

9 May 2002

Guinea..........................................................

8 Apr 2016 a

Guinea-Bissau..............................................

8 Sep 2000

24 Sep 2014

Guyana.........................................................

11 Aug 2010 a

Haiti .............................................................

15 Aug 2002

Holy See ......................................................

10 Oct 2000

24 Oct 2001

Honduras......................................................

14 Aug 2002 a

Hungary .......................................................

11 Mar 2002

24 Feb 2010

Iceland .........................................................

7 Sep 2000

1 Oct 2001

India.............................................................

15 Nov 2004

30 Nov 2005

Indonesia......................................................

24 Sep 2001

24 Sep 2012

Iran (Islamic Republic

of)...........................................................

21 Sep 2010

Iraq...............................................................

24 Jun 2008 a

Ireland..........................................................

7 Sep 2000

18 Nov 2002

Israel ............................................................

14 Nov 2001

18 Jul 2005

Italy..............................................................

6 Sep 2000

9 May 2002

Jamaica ........................................................

8 Sep 2000

9 May 2002

Japan ............................................................

10 May 2002

2 Aug 2004

Jordan...........................................................

6 Sep 2000

23 May 2007

Kazakhstan...................................................

6 Sep 2000

10 Apr 2003

Kenya...........................................................

8 Sep 2000

28 Jan 2002

Kiribati.........................................................

16 Sep 2015 a

Kuwait .........................................................

26 Aug 2004 a

Kyrgyzstan...................................................

13 Aug 2003 a

Lao People's

Democratic

Republic.................................................

20 Sep 2006 a

Latvia...........................................................

1 Feb 2002

19 Dec 2005

Lebanon .......................................................

11 Feb 2002

Lesotho ........................................................

6 Sep 2000

24 Sep 2003

Liberia..........................................................

22 Sep 2004

Libya............................................................

29 Oct 2004 a

Participant

Signature

Ratification,

Accession(a),

Succession(d)

Liechtenstein................................................

8 Sep 2000

4 Feb 2005

Lithuania......................................................

13 Feb 2002

20 Feb 2003

Luxembourg.................................................

8 Sep 2000

4 Aug 2004

Madagascar..................................................

7 Sep 2000

22 Sep 2004

Malawi.........................................................

7 Sep 2000

21 Sep 2010

Malaysia.......................................................

12 Apr 2012 a

Maldives ......................................................

10 May 2002

29 Dec 2004

Mali..............................................................

8 Sep 2000

16 May 2002

Malta............................................................

7 Sep 2000

9 May 2002

Mauritius......................................................

11 Nov 2001

12 Feb 2009

Mexico.........................................................

7 Sep 2000

15 Mar 2002

Micronesia (Federated

States of) ................................................

8 May 2002

26 Oct 2015

Monaco ........................................................

26 Jun 2000

13 Nov 2001

Mongolia......................................................

12 Nov 2001

6 Oct 2004

Montenegro5,6 ..............................................

2 May 2007 d

Morocco.......................................................

8 Sep 2000

22 May 2002

Mozambique ................................................

19 Oct 2004 a

Myanmar......................................................

28 Sep 2015

27 Sep 2019

Namibia .......................................................

8 Sep 2000

16 Apr 2002

Nauru ...........................................................

8 Sep 2000

Nepal............................................................

8 Sep 2000

3 Jan 2007

Netherlands..................................................

7 Sep 2000

24 Sep 2009

New Zealand2..............................................

7 Sep 2000

12 Nov 2001

Nicaragua.....................................................

17 Mar 2005 a

Niger ............................................................

13 Mar 2012 a

Nigeria .........................................................

8 Sep 2000

25 Sep 2012

North Macedonia .........................................

17 Jul 2001

12 Jan 2004

Norway ........................................................

13 Jun 2000

23 Sep 2003

Oman ...........................................................

17 Sep 2004 a

Pakistan........................................................

26 Sep 2001

17 Nov 2016

Panama.........................................................

31 Oct 2000

8 Aug 2001

Paraguay ......................................................

13 Sep 2000

27 Sep 2002

Peru..............................................................

1 Nov 2000

8 May 2002

Philippines ...................................................

8 Sep 2000

26 Aug 2003

Poland ..........................................................

13 Feb 2002

7 Apr 2005

Portugal........................................................

6 Sep 2000

19 Aug 2003

Qatar ............................................................

25 Jul 2002 a

Republic of Korea........................................

6 Sep 2000

24 Sep 2004

Republic of Moldova...................................

8 Feb 2002

7 Apr 2004

Romania.......................................................

6 Sep 2000

10 Nov 2001

Russian Federation ......................................

15 Feb 2001

24 Sep 2008

Rwanda ........................................................

23 Apr 2002 a

Samoa ..........................................................

17 May 2016 a

IV 11 B. HUMAN RIGHTS 3

Participant

Signature

Ratification,

Accession(a),

Succession(d)

San Marino ..................................................

5 Jun 2000

26 Sep 2011

Saudi Arabia ................................................

10 Jun 2011 a

Senegal.........................................................

8 Sep 2000

3 Mar 2004

Serbia...........................................................

8 Oct 2001

31 Jan 2003

Seychelles ....................................................

23 Jan 2001

10 Aug 2010

Sierra Leone.................................................

8 Sep 2000

15 May 2002

Singapore.....................................................

7 Sep 2000

11 Dec 2008

Slovakia .......................................................

30 Nov 2001

7 Jul 2006

Slovenia .......................................................

8 Sep 2000

23 Sep 2004

Solomon Islands ..........................................

24 Sep 2009

Somalia ........................................................

16 Sep 2005

South Africa.................................................

8 Feb 2002

24 Sep 2009

South Sudan.................................................

27 Sep 2018 a

Spain ............................................................

6 Sep 2000

8 Mar 2002

Sri Lanka......................................................

21 Aug 2000

8 Sep 2000

St. Lucia.......................................................

22 Sep 2011

15 Jan 2014

St. Vincent and the

Grenadines .............................................

29 Mar 2011 a

State of Palestine .........................................

7 Apr 2014 a

Sudan ...........................................................

9 May 2002

26 Jul 2005

Suriname......................................................

10 May 2002

Sweden.........................................................

8 Jun 2000

20 Feb 2003

Switzerland ..................................................

7 Sep 2000

26 Jun 2002

Syrian Arab Republic ..................................

17 Oct 2003 a

Participant

Signature

Ratification,

Accession(a),

Succession(d)

Tajikistan .....................................................

5 Aug 2002 a

Thailand.......................................................

27 Feb 2006 a

Timor-Leste .................................................

2 Aug 2004 a

Togo.............................................................

15 Nov 2001

28 Nov 2005

Tunisia .........................................................

22 Apr 2002

2 Jan 2003

Turkey..........................................................

8 Sep 2000

4 May 2004

Turkmenistan...............................................

29 Apr 2005 a

Uganda.........................................................

6 May 2002 a

Ukraine ........................................................

7 Sep 2000

11 Jul 2005

United Kingdom of

Great Britain and

Northern Ireland7,8 .................................

7 Sep 2000

24 Jun 2003

United Republic of

Tanzania.................................................

11 Nov 2004 a

United States of

America..................................................

5 Jul 2000

23 Dec 2002

Uruguay .......................................................

7 Sep 2000

9 Sep 2003

Uzbekistan ...................................................

23 Dec 2008 a

Vanuatu........................................................

16 Sep 2005

26 Sep 2007

Venezuela (Bolivarian

Republic of) ...........................................

7 Sep 2000

23 Sep 2003

Viet Nam......................................................

8 Sep 2000

20 Dec 2001

Yemen..........................................................

2 Mar 2007 a

Zambia.........................................................

29 Sep 2008

Zimbabwe ....................................................

22 May 2013 a

Declarations and Reservations

(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations and reservations were made upon ratification, accession or

succession.)

AFGHANISTAN

Declaration:

".....according to the Decree No. 20 dated 25 May

2003 on the voluntary enrollment to the Afghan National

Army, signed by H.E. Hamed Karzi Head of State of

Afghanistan, the minimum age for recruitment of Afghan

Citizen to an active military service is limited by the age

of 22 to 28. All recruitments of personnel in the Afghan

National Army is voluntary and is not forced or coerced."

ALBANIA

“Pursuant to Article 3 (2) of the Protocol, the Republic

of Albania declares that the minimum age at which it

permits voluntary recruitment into its national Armed

Forces is nineteen years. This age limit is prescribed by

Law nr. 9171, dated 22.1.2004.

The age permitted for conscription is established by

Article 5, paragraph 2 of the Law no. 9171, dated

22.2.2004.”

ALGERIA

In accordance with article 3 of the second Optional

Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on

the involvement of children in armed conflict, and with a

view to concluding the procedures for the ratification

thereof, I have the honour to transmit to you the following

Declaration on behalf of the Government of the People's

Democratic Republic of Algeria:

By virtue of Order No. 74-103 dated 15 November

1974 containing the National Service Act, Algerian

youths who have reached the age of 19 years may be

recruited for National Service.

In application of Order No. 06-02 dated 18 February

2006 containing the General Military Service Personnel

Act, Presidential Decree No. 08-134 dated 6 May 2008

specifies the conditions for the recruitment of officers

serving in the Algerian Army under which the minimum

age for the recruitment of persons in this category shall be

18 years.

The same legislative provision shall apply to enlisted

military personnel, primarily non-commissioned officers,

and is extended to private soldiers by virtue of internal

regulations since 1969 (Order No. 69-90 dated 31 October

1969 containing the Act on Non-Commissioned Officers

Serving in the National People’s Army).

Furthermore, all the guarantees relating to the

voluntary recruitment of those concerned and which, in

the case of minors, require the permission of the persons