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The traffic light coalition has to present the action plan to protect children in armed conflicts

20 years of red hand day

Osnabrück/Berlin, 10.2.2022. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Red Hand Day on February 12, the child rights organization Terre des Hommes Germany and the Global Net-Stop the Arms Trade (GN-STAT) are calling for concrete steps of the Federal Government to protect children in armed conflicts. An estimated 250,000 boys and girls are currently being exploited as soldiers in at least 24 countries in the world, children are forced, killed, mutilated as soldiers every day as soldiers, used as spy, spoons or fighters and sexually abused.

»For the 20th anniversary of the Red Hand Day, we are calling on the new federal government to decide an action plan with specific steps to protect children in armed conflicts. The traffic light coalition announces a restrictive arms export policy and an arms export control law in the coalition agreement-this is overdue, because German small weapons also end up in the hands of child soldiers. It is high time that no more German weapons are delivered in war and crisis regions and no children under the age of 18 are recruited as soldiers, «said Ralf Willinger, child rights expert from Terre des Hommes. »Germany is the fourth largest arms exporter worldwide and has again exported more armaments in the last legislative period than ever before. A significant part of it goes directly to states that are involved in armed conflicts and serious human rights violations, such as killing or recruiting children. This includes the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Brazil, India, Pakistan or Thailand. Arms exports to such countries urgently need to be stopped and prohibited by law, which must be a central part of the announced arms export control law of the new federal government. «

»In order to make the full extent of the violation of children's rights clear, Terre des Hommes and the global net publish the case study GN-Case 07 child soldiers and weapon exports . There, former children's soldiers have their say who fought with German weapons or were injured by them, «said Dr. Helmut Lohrer from the IPPNW medical organization, spokesman for the GN-Stat. »The sad reality is that German small weapons and ammunition reach large quantities over other countries in war regions and the hands of children, for example through the USA or Turkey. Exports of small weapons and ammunition must therefore be completely prohibited and urgently stopped. Of the corporations that have generated profits with arms exports, we are calling for the establishment of a sacrificial fund, the funds of which are also available for the rehabilitation of the child's soldiers who are difficult to traum by war. «

The Red Hand Day took place for the first time on February 12, 2002 in Geneva to celebrate the entry into force of the so-called »child soldier supplement protocol« of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children (additional protocol to protect children in armed conflicts). At that time, Terre des Hommes and other child and human rights organizations used the symbol of the red hand for the first time in a campaign in Geneva to draw attention to the exploitation of children as soldiers. The additional protocol was initiated and enforced by the coalition to stop the use of child Soldiers founded by Terre des Hommes. Since 2003, the Red Hand campaign has been carried out annually by Terre des Hommes and other organizations in Germany.

Further information:

Central demands of Terre des Hommes and Global Net to the Red Hand Day:

  • No recruitment of children under the age of 18 as a soldier worldwide - not even for the Bundeswehr.
  • Legal ban on arms exports to countries that are involved in armed conflicts and serious human rights violations.
  • Legal ban on export of small weapons and associated ammunition.
  • No approval for the production of German armaments goods abroad or transfer of know -how.
  • Further demands in the above -mentioned publications and websites.

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