Child Soldiers Global Report 2008 - Botswana
| Publisher | Child Soldiers International |
| Publication Date | 20 May 2008 |
| Cite as | Child Soldiers International, Child Soldiers Global Report 2008 - Botswana, 20 May 2008, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/486cb0ecc.html [accessed 21 October 2017] |
| 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. |
Population: 1.8 million (800,000 under 18)
Government Armed Forces: 9,000
Compulsary Recruitment Age: no conscription
Voluntary Recruitment Age: 18
Voting Age: 18
Optional Protocol: ratified 4 October 2004
Other Treaties: GC AP I, GC AP II, CRC, ILO 138, ILO 182, ACRWC, ICC
There were no reports of under-18s in the armed forces.
Government:
National recruitment legislation and practice
There was no conscription. The Botswana Defence Force Act of 1977 provided that recruitment to the armed forces was on a voluntary basis and that recruits had to appear to be 18.1
In its 2004 Declaration accompanying the ratification of the Optional Protocol, the government confirmed that there was no conscription into the Defence Force, that the minimum age for recruitment was 18 and that "recruits are required to present a national identity card which states their date of birth, school completion certificate, and other educational records where necessary. In addition, all recruits undergo a rigorous medical examination where pre-pubescence would be noticed, and any person determined to be underage is routinely rejected from recruitment."2 In November 2006 the Botswana Defence Force announced that it planned to begin the recruitment of women, and in September 2007 some 30 women were recruited as officer cadets, who were intended to serve in a variety of non-combat roles.3
Plans were announced in September 2007 that officer cadets would attend 12 months' training at the Tanzania Military Academy.4
Both the Penal Code and the Children's Act criminalized the abduction of children.5
Developments:
In its November 2004 concluding observations, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern at low birth registration, particularly in rural areas, and at the extent of child labour.6
International standards
Botswana ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict in October 2004.
1 Initial Report of Botswana to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Doc. CRC/C/51/Add.9, 27 February 2004.
2 Declaration by Botswana on accession to Optional Protocol, www2.ohchr.org.
3 "Botswana: Army rolls out carpet for women", IRIN, 22 November 2006; "Women to sweat it out in the army", Botswana Guardian, 10-16 August 2007; "Botswana: BDF Recruits Female Soldiers Today", Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone), 17 September 2007, http://allafrica.com.
4 Mmegi/The Reporter, above note 3, 17 September 2007.
5 Initial Report of Botswana, above note 1.
6 Committee on the Rights of the Child, Consideration of report submitted by Botswana, Concluding observations, UN Doc. CRC/C/15/Add.242, 3 November 2004.
