Britain and Russia exempt from UN measures on recruiting child soldiers

[dArKeR]

AP , UNITED NATIONS
Saturday, Apr 24, 2004,Page 7

The UN Security Council called for tough measures to stop the recruitment of child soldiers, but only after Britain and Russia succeeded in having Northern Ireland and Chechnya struck off the list of war zones.

Both countries, which wield veto power in the Security Council, maintained that their troubles were strictly internal and on Thursday succeeded in getting the resolution adopted unanimously without listing them among the "armed conflicts" of concern.

The resolution calls for armed groups in six civil wars -- Afghanistan, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Congo, Liberia and Somalia -- to prepare specific plans within three months in cooperation with UN experts to halt the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/04/24/2003137917