On Wednesday 05/09/2018, the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)(Mazloum Abdi) issued a military order to all concerned parties of the components of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which included a number of clauses that confirm the commitment of SDF to all the provisions and instruments contained in international conventions to avoid children from the wars and disasters.
This came in a statement issued by the Commander-in-Chief of SDF, Mazloum Abdi, in which he emphasized the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child in 1989 and its optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, as well as the Secretary-General’s recommendations in his annual report on (S / 72/361), as well as Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent Council resolutions on children and armed conflict.
The military order issued by the Commander-in-Chief included a number of instructions directed to all factions and formations of the SDF, which categorically prohibited the recruitment of children under the age of 18 years in the ranks of the SDF, contained in the rules of procedure of SDF.
The military order noted that every member of the under the age (18) – and in the case of their presence in the ranks of their forces – is referred to the concerned bodies such as (the Education Body in Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria); after taking his full record A personal picture, a regular receipt from the receiving party) and the keeping of these data in the general military records of the SDF after checking the members of their forces under the age of 18 and informing the provision of the general command.
The military order stressed the suspension of the salaries of minors by the military financial administration of SDF, and to inform the leadership immediately in the event of such cases. In addition to opening an inquiry office at the command of each military district to receive complaints and reports from families with children under the age of 18 years in the ranks of the SDF and the need to respond to them after verifying the communication or complaint.
The military order directed the Military Police Department and the Military Discipline to prosecute officers and military commanders who do not comply with the provisions of this order and to take punitive measures against them.
