UN expert on children and armed conflict welcomes landmark ICC verdict
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Ms Coomaraswamy (left) meets with former child soldiers (young girls) in Masisi, DRC. (April 2009)
The guilty verdict against Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga for recruiting child soldiers to fight in his rebel group a decade ago has been hailed as a very important decision by the UN expert leading the fight against such practice.
Radhika Coomeraswamy, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said the International Criminal Court judgment was fair and will deter others from conscripting children.
Ms. Coomeraswamy had provided the court with descriptions of terms such as "enlistment" and "conscription" so as to protect a larger number of children including girls and others forced into support roles.
Dianne Penn spoke to Ms. Coomeraswamy about the Lubanga trial and progress in fighting child soldier recruitment.
Duration: 2’31″
