At least one child or adolescent is recruited every 22 hours in Colombia by illegal armed groups, warned the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) this Saturday, calling on authorities to prioritize the prevention of this crime.
[Colombia: Two Soldiers Killed in a Drone Attack in the Choco Department: Illegal Armed Groups Recruit a Child Every 22 Hours in Colombia, Unicef Warns](https://www.telesurenglish.net/illegal-armed-groups-recruit-a-child-every-22-hours-in-colombia-unicef-warns/)
“The recruitment and use of children and adolescents is not inevitable. It is preventable and together we have the responsibility to ensure that every child in Colombia grows up safe, protected, educated and free to develop their full potential,” said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Fraizer.
In the last five years, UNICEF noted, more than 1,570 children and adolescents have been recruited, an increase of 300% between 2019 and 2024.
“Preventing recruitment and welcoming back those who have suffered is the most effective way to break the cycle of violence in Colombia. Children must be protected and safeguarded at all times,” said the Minister of Justice, Iván Cancino.
La prevención del reclutamiento de niñas y niños hasta los 18 años sigue siendo una prioridad urgente para la protección de los derechos de la niñez en #Colombia.
🇺🇳Desde ONU Derechos Humanos unimos esfuerzos para fortalecer la protección integral de la niñez y prevenir el… pic.twitter.com/hhHXKtfDls
— ONU Derechos Humanos Colombia (@ONUHumanRights) November 5, 2026
The high official added: “Recruitment not only destroys the life project of a child, a family or a community: it compromises the future of a country.”
One of the proposals to prevent recruitment – presented on Friday during the High-Level Conference on the Prevention of Recruitment, organized by the governments of Sweden, Canada and UNICEF – is that this issue be incorporated into security, development, education, justice, protection and territorial transformation agendas.
“The country has institutions, a specific strategy and a strengthened regulatory framework to prosecute and punish those who recruit children and adolescents. It is important to strengthen the implementation of these mechanisms and ensure that they arrive in a timely manner in the territories where children face greater risks,” said UNICEF Representative in Colombia, Tanya Chapuisat.
In Colombia, the groups that recruit the most minors are the dissidents of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla, among others.
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