The Coalition

Mission Statement
We are a coalition to stop the use of child soldiers, both girls and boys - to prevent their recruitment and use; to secure their demobilization; and to promote their rehabilitation and reintegration. We work to achieve this through advocacy and public education; research and monitoring; and network development and capacity building.

The Coalition's goal is to promote the adoption and adherence to national, regional and international legal standards (including the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict) prohibiting the military recruitment and use in hostilities of any person younger than eighteen years of age; and the recognition and enforcement of this standard by all armed groups, both governmental and non-governmental.

History and Structure
The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers was formed in May 1998 by leading international human rights and humanitarian organizations. It works with regional and national networks in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The International Secretariat of the Coalition has its headquarters in London.

The Coalition's International member organizations are: Amnesty International, Defence for Children International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation Terre des Hommes, International Save the Children Alliance, and the Jesuit Refugee Service. It maintains active links with UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the International labour Organization.

The International Secretariat works in collaboration with partner organizations in many regions of the world.

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