Child Protection Code

The Child Protection Code was adopted in Central African Republic in 2005. As a UNICEF statement on the law notes, “for the first time, explicitly prohibits the recruitment and use of children by armed groups and forces, and clearly states that children formerly associated with armed groups should not be treated as adults.”[1] However, serious concerns have been expressed about lack of sufficient implementation of the law.[2]

[1] “Central African Republic: Nearly 370,000 children now internally displaced amidst ongoing violence – highest number since 2014,” UNICEF, April 27, 2021, https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/central-african-republic-nearly-370000-children-now-internally-displaced-amidst.

[2] See, for example, “Human Rights Council Discusses the Situation of Children in the Central African Republic and Strengthening Institutional Capacities in South Sudan,” OHCHR, March 31, 2023, https://www.ohchr.org/en/news/2023/03/human-rights-council-discusses-situation-children-central-african-republic-and.