Yet all over the world, children's lives are blighted by abuse, poverty, discrimination, torture and war. The stories here are all of children who live in countries whose governments signed up to the Children's Convention. There are currently estimated to be at least 6,000 child soldiers in Colombia. They are used by armed opposition groups as advance troops, and as a result are often killed in combat. Although the Colombian army has taken steps to end its recruitment of child soldiers, the army-backed paramilitary forces frequently abduct children some reportedly as young as eight years old to use in battle.
All sides continue to use children to gather intelligence.
The use of child soldiers has only added to the cycle of violence by brutalising a new generation. The Colombia situation is only part of the estimated 300,000 child soldiers that exist in the world today. Like many of the other children held with them, they have been accused of collaboration with armed opposition groups. Many are unaware of the offence they are alleged to have committed, and only a very few have been tried. Children are also being put at increased risk of abuse by being held alongside adults a practice that is against international human rights standards.