The Vancouver Principles

In November 2017, Canada launched The Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers at the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Vancouver Principles are a set of political commitments focused on child protection in peacekeeping, including all stages of a conflict cycle. They comprise 17 principles that focus on preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers by armed forces and armed groups.

Preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers is critical to achieving overall UN peacekeeping mission success and to setting the conditions for lasting peace and security.

“The use of child soldiers has no place in our world... By bringing countries together, and putting the Vancouver Principles into action, we can make sure children remain children, and build a safer, more just future for all.”

- Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Endorsing the Vancouver Principles

In 2017, 55 UN Member States were founding endorsers of the Vancouver Principles. The number of endorsing countries is now over 100.

By endorsing the Vancouver Principles, Member States acknowledge the unique challenges posed by child soldiers, and commit to prioritizing the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers in UN peacekeeping operations and to helping ensure that all peacekeepers—military, police, and civilian—are prepared and directed to take appropriate action.

Any UN Member State can endorse the Vancouver Principles, even if they do not contribute personnel to UN missions.

Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles

Political endorsement of the Vancouver Principles is not enough to ensure change: their true impact will be achieved when they are implemented by UN Member States.

The Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles offers a common basis to develop or amend policies, doctrine, training and education on child soldiers in the context of UN peace operations.

For each principle, the guidance provides background and explains how UN Member States’ military, policy and civilians who operate under a UN mandate, can contribute to the principle’s implementation. Where possible, concrete examples are provided along with useful references to available and authoritative resources.

The implementation guidance was created through a collaborative process. In February 2019, all endorsing Member States were invited to participate in a review workshop, which provided a platform to receive their input, as well as from the UN and child-protection actors. On June 25, 2019, Canada launched the Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles online and in print.

“Recognizing the tragic fate suffered by children in armed conflict around the world, I want to thank all of the individuals, organizations and Member States that contributed to the development of the Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles. This practical resource will have real-world impacts and help to protect children.”

- Hon. Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence

Working together to protect children

The recruitment and use of children is one of the six grave violations against children during armed conflict. Every year, tens of thousands of children—both girls and boys—are used by armed forces and armed groups in a variety of roles such as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers and spies—and for sexual purposes.

More than half of current UN peacekeeping operations take place in countries where child soldiers are used. For peacekeepers, the presence of children in armed forces and armed groups presents immediate and complex political, tactical and operational challenges. The psychological effects of encountering child soldiers can be severe and may affect peacekeepers long after they have returned home.

Canada developed the Vancouver Principles in partnership with the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative and in consultation with the UN, child protection actors and key UN Member States. The following partners helped develop the Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles:

• Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative
• UN Department of Peace Operations
• UNICEF
• Office of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
• International Bureau for Children’s Rights
• Save the Children
• Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
• UN Member States

UN Member States that have endorsed the Vancouver Principles

Founding endorsers (As of November 15, 2017)

1. Argentina
2. Armenia
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Bangladesh
6. Belgium
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
8. Brazil
9. Cambodia
10. Canada
11. Chile
12. Colombia
13. Croatia
14. Czechia
15. Denmark
16. Dominican Republic
17. Estonia
18. Fiji
19. Finland
20. France
21. Germany
22. Greece
23. Guatemala
24. Hungary
25. Ireland
26. Israel
27. Italy
28. Jordan
29. Latvia
30. Lithuania
31. Luxembourg
32. Malaysia
33. Mexico
34. Montenegro
35. Nauru
36. Norway
37. Poland
38. Portugal
39. Romania
40. Rwanda
41. Serbia
42. Sierra Leone
43. Slovakia
44. Slovenia
45. South Korea
46. Spain
47. Sri Lanka
48. Sweden
49. Tanzania
50. The Netherlands
51. Uganda
52. Ukraine
53. United Kingdom^{Footnote 1}
54. Uruguay
55. Vietnam

Additional endorsers (As of May 23, 2023)

1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Belarus
4. Benin
5. Bulgaria
6. Burkina Faso
7. Cameroon
8. Central African Republic
9. Chad
10. Comoros
11. Costa Rica
12. Côte d’Ivoire
13. Democratic Republic of the Congo
14. Ecuador
15. El Salvador
16. Gabon
17. Georgia
18. Ghana
19. Honduras
20. Iceland
21. Japan
22. Kazakhstan
23. Kenya
24. Kuwait
25. Lesotho
26. Liechtenstein
27. Macedonia
28. Malawi
29. Malta
30. Moldova
31. Monaco
32. Mongolia
33. Morocco
34. New Zealand
35. Nicaragua
36. Pakistan
37. Palau
38. Paraguay
39. Peru
40. Qatar
41. San Marino
42. Senegal
43. Seychelles
44. Singapore
45. Sudan
46. Switzerland
47. Thailand
48. The Gambia
49. The Philippines
50. Togo
51. Tunisia
52. Zambia

Existing international framework

The Vancouver Principles build on and complement the existing international child protection framework, such as:

• Additional protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions (1977)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2000)
• Paris Principles and Paris Commitments (2007)
• Safe Schools Declaration (2015)

“Additional tools, such as the Paris Principles, the Safe Schools Declaration and the more recent Vancouver Principles, should also be endorsed by every Member State. We can join forces to advocate for these endorsements.

“This is important because norms matter. Endorsements and ratifications of international agreements bring us one step closer to their implementation in contexts where they can have a real impact in children’s lives.”

- Virginia Gamba, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict