Source: European Parliament
Fighting the recruitment of minors in armed conflicts remains among key EU’s priorities, in line with the 2003 Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict, as updated in 2024[1],[2]. The EU regularly raises the issue of child and forced recruitment in Colombia in its bilateral dialogues as well as in multilateral fora[3].
As part of the Group of Friends of United Nations Resolution 1612, the EU supports numerous projects on children and armed conflict in Colombia.
An example is ‘Entornos protectores’, a project focused on providing guarantees and opportunities for children and adolescents at risk of recruitment/use by armed actors.
This includes culturally sensitive education programmes, psychosocial support, and community-based early warning systems developed in collaboration with local leaders to prevent recruitment, particularly for indigenous communities and girls.
The EU also supports disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration programmes to rehabilitate former child recruits, providing vocational training and reintegration support in a conflict sensitive way.
The EU continues to support human rights defenders in Colombia — including those focused on the rights of the child and on child recruitment — through different means such as the EU Protect Defenders Mechanism[4].
The EU Delegation in Colombia is currently implementing human rights and civil society projects for a total budget of EUR 9 239 032. It is also expanding its partnerships with local actors to strengthen community-led conflict and recruitment prevention efforts.
- [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/06/24/children-and-armed-conflicts-council-updates-eu-guidelines-and-approves-conclusions/.
- [2] https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/2025/02/joint-statement-by-eeas-secretary-general-srsg-for-children-and-armed-conflict-on-the-international-day-against-the-use-of-child-soldiers/.
- [3] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-new-york/eu-statement-%E2%80%93-un-peacebuilding-commission-ambassadorial-meeting-colombia_en.
- [4] https://protectdefenders.eu/.