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Child Soldiers Global Report 2004 - Liechtenstein

Principality of Liechtenstein

Covers the period from April 2001 to March 2004.

Population: 33,000¹
Government armed forces: no armed forces
Compulsory recruitment age: no conscription
Voluntary recruitment age: not applicable
Voting age: 20
Optional Protocol: signed 8 September 2000
Other treaties ratified (see glossary): CRC, GC AP I and II, ICC

Liechtenstein does not have standing armed forces. The government has the power to conscript in times of emergency but there was no information on the minimum age of recruitment in such cases.

Government

National recruitment legislation and practice

Liechtenstein has no conscription and no standing military force. The 1921 constitution, as amended in 2003, says that "every man fit to bear arms shall be liable, up to the completion of his sixtieth year, to serve in the defence of his country in the event of an emergency. Apart from this contingency, no armed units may be organized or maintained, except so far as may be necessary for the provision of the police force and the preservation of internal order. Detailed regulations regarding this matter may be laid down by law" (Article 44).² The regular and auxiliary police forces, under the control of the Interior Ministry, are responsible for internal and external security.³

International standards

Liechtenstein expressed support for UN measures to combat the use of child soldiers on a number of occasions⁴ and stated that it was in the process of ratifying the Optional Protocol.⁵

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1 The Statesman's Yearbook 2004, ed. Barry Turner, Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

2 Constitution, as amended by the Constitutional Act of 16 March 2003, Liechtenstein Legal Gazette 2003, No. 186.

3 US Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2003, February 2004, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/c1470.htm.

4 Statement by First Secretary Pio Schurti to Third Committee of UN General Assembly, 21 October 2003, Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the UN, http://www.un.int/liechtenstein.

5 Speech by Ambassador Christian Wenaweser at UN Security Council debate on children and armed conflict, 14 January 2003, Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the UN, op. cit.

Topics: Child soldiers, Military service,