Living in the United States, it’s often easy to forget how different a child’s life can be in other countries. President Bush recently signed into law a bill, which though admirable, graphically illustrates how far we still have to go to ensure a healthy and happy childhood in much of the world. As noted in the introduction to the bill by Senators Durbin and Coburn:

Children are currently fighting as soldiers in over twenty countries. Denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces. Physically vulnerable and easily intimidated, children typically make obedient soldiers and participate in all aspects of warfare. Many are recruited by force, and often compelled to follow orders under threat of death.

The bill as enacted earlier this month seeks to accomplish this by the following:

The Child Soldiers Accountability Act makes it a federal crime to recruit knowingly or to use soldiers under the age of 15 and permits the United States to prosecute any individual on US soil for the offense, even if the children were recruited or served as soldiers outside the United States. The law imposes penalties of up to 20 years, or up to life in prison if their action resulted in the child’s death. It also allows the United States to deport or deny entry to individuals who have knowingly recruited children as soldiers.

Opinio Juris: Universal Jurisdiction in the US for Child Soldiers