The groundbreaking legal instrument establishes a framework for enhanced African cooperation and fosters exchanges among states to facilitate the sharing of experiences, best practices, and lessons learned in preventing the recruitment and exploitation of children in armed conflicts
Around 20 African countries on Wednesday launched the signing process for the African Convention on the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Child Soldiers at the foreign minister level, during a ceremony chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita.The ceremony, held at the headquarters of Morocco’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, saw Mr. Bourita emphasize that the Convention “illustrates the strength of collective African action, speaking with one voice and having confidence in its own capabilities.”
The minister also noted that, through the Convention, “the African continent is demonstrating its ability to develop its own standards rather than continuing to import them.” He stressed that the Convention is the first African treaty to provide for regional cooperation to prevent and combat the recruitment of children by armed groups and to ensure their inclusion in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) processes designed and implemented on the continent.
Mr. Bourita highlighted that the Convention is the result of an inclusive African process, developed exclusively through contributions from African governments, experts, experienced field practitioners, and the legal and policy input of relevant stakeholders. He underscored that the instrument is intended to strengthen collective capacities and promote African responses tailored to the realities of the continent.
The groundbreaking legal instrument establishes a framework for enhanced African cooperation and fosters exchanges among states to facilitate the sharing of experiences, best practices, and lessons learned in preventing the recruitment and exploitation of children in armed conflicts, as well as in carrying out their disarmament, demobilization, and sustainable reintegration.
The Convention stands at the intersection of peace and security and the protection of children in situations of armed conflict. It provides African states with measures aimed at addressing the scourge of child soldiers across the continent and promotes their sustainable reintegration into their communities and societies.
The signing of the Convention is part of an inclusive process launched in Rabat at the Ministerial Conference on Child-Centered Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, held on November 20, 2025. The conference led to the adoption of the Rabat Declaration, followed by consultations with African experts specializing in DDR processes and a process through which states submitted their views on the draft Convention. Enditem
Source: APO
