What does the Geneva Convention say about child soldiers?

Article 50, second paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV, provides that the occupying power may not enlist children “in formations or organizations subordinate to it”.

How does the Geneva Convention define civilians?

– Article 4 of Geneva Convention IV stipulates that the persons protected by the Convention (i.e. “civilians”) are those persons who at a given moment and in any manner whatsoever find themselves in the hands of a Party to a conflict or of an Occupying Power of which they are not nationals.

Who qualifies as a combatant?

All members of the armed forces of a party to the conflict are combatants, except medical and religious personnel. Volume II, Chapter 1, Section C. State practice establishes this rule as a norm of customary international law in international armed conflicts.

Who is considered a member of the armed forces?

(1) The term “member of the armed forces” means (A) a member of the armed forces who is serving on active duty, (B) a member of the National Guard who is serving on full-time National Guard duty, or (C) a member of a Reserve component while performing inactive-duty training.

Are there still child soldiers?

In 2019 alone, more than 7,740 children, some as young as six, were recruited and used as soldiers around the world, according to the United Nations. Most are recruited by non-state groups. 2. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Syria and Yemen currently have the largest number of child soldiers.

What’s the difference between a soldier and a civilian?

To some, military life is one filled with conflict and war, while civilian life represents freedom. However, a veteran who has made the military transition to civilian life and conquered both worlds can easily distinguish the difference between military and civilian life, without mention of the terms war or freedom.

Who is not protected under Geneva Convention?

An unlawful combatant, illegal combatant or unprivileged combatant/belligerent is, according to United States law, a person who directly engages in armed conflict in violation of the laws of war and therefore is claimed to not be protected by the Geneva Conventions.

What are Geneva Convention categories?

Category I: Prisoners ranking below sergeants: eight Swiss francs. Category II: Sergeants and other non-commissioned officers, or prisoners of equivalent rank: twelve Swiss francs. Category III: Warrant officers and commissioned officers below the rank of major or prisoners of equivalent rank: fifty Swiss francs.

What does 4a mean in military?

I Available for service
III-A Men with dependents, not engaged in work essential to national defense
III-B Men with dependents, engaged in work essential to national defense
IV Deferred specifically by law or because unfit for military service
IV-A Men who had completed service [not considered in time of war]

What defines active duty military?

A person who is active duty is in the military full time. They work for the military full time, may live on a military base, and can be deployed at any time. Persons in the Reserve or National Guard are not full-time active duty military personnel, although they can be deployed at any time should the need arise.

What is the Geneva Convention?

Definition of Geneva convention : one of a series of agreements concerning the treatment of prisoners of war and of the sick, wounded, and dead in battle first made at Geneva, Switzerland in 1864 and subsequently accepted in later revisions by most nations

What is a prisoner of war convention?

One of the treaties created during the 1949 Convention, this defined “Prisoner of War,” and accorded such prisoners proper and humane treatment as specified by the first Convention. Specifically, it required POWs to give only their names, ranks, and serial numbers to their captors.

What does Article 2 of the Geneva Conventions mean?

Common Article 2 relating to international armed conflicts. This article states that the Geneva Conventions apply to all cases of international conflict, where at least one of the warring nations have ratified the Conventions. Primarily: The Conventions apply to all cases of declared war between signatory nations.

Why did Germany sign the Geneva Conventions in 1949?

Geneva Conventions of 1949 Germany signed the Convention of 1929, however, that didn’t prevent them from carrying out horrific acts on and off the battlefield and within their military prison camps and civilian concentration camps during World War II. As a result, the Geneva Conventions were expanded in 1949 to protect non-combatant civilians.