Last Updated: Tuesday, 29 May 2012, 16:08 GMT

Title	Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Nicaragua
Publisher	Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
Country	Nicaragua
Publication Date	2001
Cite as	Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Nicaragua, 2001, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/498805dc28.html [accessed 29 May 2012]
Disclaimer	This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Nicaragua

REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA

Mainly covers the period June 1998 to April 2001 as well as including some earlier information.

Population:
– total: 4,930,000
– under-18s: 2,490,000
Government armed forces:
– active: 16,000
Compulsory recruitment age: no conscription
Voluntary recruitment age: 17
Voting age (government elections): 16
Child soldiers: indicated in government armed forces
CRC-OP-CAC: not signed
Other treaties ratified: CRC; GC; ILO 138; ILO 182

There are indications of under-18s in government armed forces as voluntary recruitment is possible from the age of 17. However, there are no reports of under 18-year-olds serving at present.

GOVERNMENT

National Recruitment Legislation and Practice

Article 96, which made military service compulsory for all citizens, was amended in 1995 by Law No. 192. This law provides that "[t]here shall be no obligatory military service and any form of forced recruitment to be part of the Army of Nicaragua and the National Police is prohibited."¹³⁵⁷ The legal minimum age for voluntary enlistment is 17.¹³⁵⁸

Child Recruitment

There are currently no reports of underage recruitment.

1357 Goodwin-Gill and Cohn op. cit.

1358 Horeman and Stolwijk op. cit.

Topics: Child soldiers, Military service,

Regions

Countries

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