Jordan meeting urges child soldier ban

Children are caught up in conflicts worldwide

By Barbara Plett in Amman

The Palestinian uprising against Israel cast a shadow over a child soldier conference that wrapped up in Jordan on Tuesday.

The meeting was dominated by discussions about Palestinian children killed in the uprising against Israel

In a final declaration,

In a final declaration delegations called for the protection of the children living under occupation, but did not directly mention any specific state or conflict.

Representatives from regional governments, the United Nations and non-government organisations also urged states to adopt a UN protocol that bans the use of children under 18 in military conflicts.

The meeting was dominated by discussions about Palestinian children killed in the uprising against Israel.

The high death toll has led some Israelis to accuse the Palestinian Authority of deliberately using children.

But a conference report said youngsters were not systematically being recruited to fight, even though they had been caught up in the violence.

Conference organiser Rory Mungoven said the declaration reflected the concerns expressed.

Israeli absence

"You will find several very strong references in this declaration," he pointed out.

Some children are as young as 10 years old

Mr Mungoven said the conference did not want to draw attention away from children who are fighting and dying in other parts of the region, such as Sudan and the Kurdish areas of Iraq and Iran.

Neither Iraq nor Iran attended - organisers said this was because of logistical reasons.

They said Israel was not invited in order to get maximum Arab participation.

But delegations plan to travel there to discuss concerns about the youth of some Israeli soldiers.

The final declaration makes a link between child soldiers and the supply of small arms, and asks states to prevent companies from actions that encourage the use of children in conflicts.

Organisers said the meeting is one step towards an Arab position on children's rights that will be presented at the UN in September.