Child soldiers and international crimes : how should international law be applied?

It is only relatively recently that international law has been specifically directed towards addressing the tragic problem of the use of children in armed conflict. Since 1977, a number of legal instruments have proposed various standards to prevent the recruitment and use of children in this way. These standards have largely been too weak and have not been effective in curbing the problem. As a result, it is necessary not only to "upgrade" these standards but to use criminal sanctions in an effort to provide a more efficient legal regime to combat the issue. This article examines the various ways in which international law seeks to prohibit and criminalise various aspects of the use of child soldiers and concludes that, as well as more effective specific legal standards, the underlying reasons for conflict and the use of children to fight them must be acknowledged and addressed.