States have been reluctant to define and address child participation in internal secessionist movements. Unlike past civil wars, in which the international community was authorized to intervene in armed conflicts within failed states, the current conflicts occur in states that adhere to democratic rule of law. Further, these modern-day conflicts are not labeled as “armed conflicts.” Continued advocacy is necessary to encourage international organizations to utilize the approaches applied to child participation in armed conflicts to child participation in localized secessionist movements. This must include urging states to enact domestic legislation to protect child participants in the conflicts.
