KABUL (SW) – Afghanistan has welcomed delisting of the Afghan National Police from the UN Secretary-General’s (SG)’s list on children and armed conflict (CAAC) for recruitment and use of child soldiers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has issued a statement welcoming the removal of the Afghan National Police (ANP) from the UN’s notorious list. It said in a statement that the United Nations report has hailed the Afghan government’s efforts to prevent child labor and violence in the context of children and military conflicts.
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The ministry also said that the removal of the Afghan National Police from the list was a result of the implementation of practical police reform programs. “This achievement demonstrates the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to international human rights and good governance,” the MFA added.
It also called on international countries and foundations to exert political pressure on the Taliban and other terrorist groups to refrain from engaging in violence against children and employing minors for war.
Meanwhile, The US has added Pakistan along with 14 other countries in a list of Child Soldiers Prevention Act which identifies foreign governments having government-supported armed groups that recruit or use child soldiers, a designation that could result in restrictions on certain security assistance and commercial licensing of military equipment.
The US Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) requires publication in the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report a list of foreign governments that have recruited or used child soldiers during the previous year (April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021).
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