A/HRC/43/CRP.6 35. At the time of writing, the Commission continued receiving reports of young boys, some considered by people who saw them to not be older than 13 years of age, observed at checkpoints staffed by Government and associated militia in Hama. One interviewee explained to the Commission how one of the boys, aged 16, recalled that the killing of his brothers by ISIL terrorists and members of armed groups motivated him to join the ranks of Government forces. Non-state armed groups and terrorist organizations 36. Armed groups and terrorist organizations, including Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, Jund al-Aqsa, Nour al-Din al-Zinki and Sultan Murad Brigades, as well as Free Syrian Army (FSA)-affiliated groups, recruited and used children to participate in hostilities, further endangering their lives and undermining their protection under international humanitarian law.30 In the early days of the Syrian war, the ranks of anti-Government armed groups primarily attracted defecting adult soldiers, however, boys under 18 also joined, sometimes voluntarily, as the conflict evolved. In 2013, boys as young as 12 were observed at Jabhat alNusra and ISIL staffed checkpoints and used to load ammunition in Raqqah and Aleppo, Tel Rifat, Atarib and al-Bab. In the same year, a 14-year-old boy from Homs underwent training in the use of weapons with the Abu Yusef Battalion, which then used him to keep track of soldiers’ movements in Al-Waar. Numerous accounts collected by the Commission indicate that young recruits were generally regarded and treated as “adults” when deployed in the battlefield in combat roles along with adult fighters. A 16 year-old boy interviewed by the Commission recalled how a commander from Jabhat al-Nusra gave him an AK-47 after seeing how dedicated he was to fighting. 37. At the time of writing, the Commission continued to receive reports of children being recruited by HTS in Idlib governorate, as pro-Government forces intensified its aerial and ground offensive against residential areas in southern Idlib and northern Hama.31 In Aleppo governorate, boys between 13 to 17 years of age have joined armed groups. One interviewee described the case of a 14-year old boy who joined Ahrar al-Sham in 2018 along with his older brother in order to participate in operation “Olive Branch”. The boy has since been reassigned to a checkpoint in Aleppo. 38. Children have been also used in a variety of unarmed roles, including as cooks, informants, and porters. For example, in 2012 a 13-year-old boy enlisted with an FSA brigade in Dar’a after his school ceased to operate. Before being seriously injured in 2013, the boy was used as a porter and his duties included carrying the wounded and medicine, as well as preparing ammunitions. Members of the armed groups interviewed by the Commission explained that, similar to the practices of Government affiliated militia, when captured, children were often killed or detained by Government forces. 39. Armed groups created financial incentives for boys to join their ranks, and largely took advantage of the quickly deteriorating economic situation in areas under their control. Owing to pre-established gender norms, boys have been expected to take on the role of a breadwinner, especially within female-headed households, following the arrest, detention or disappearance of male parental figures. In Idlib, Hama and Aleppo, boys were promised monthly salaries to join armed groups, with interviewees recalling that numerous children aged 15 and below had been recruited by Jabhat al-Nusra and Jund al-Aqsa between April and May 2016. Exposure to violence and harassment of family members have been another push factor for boys to join the ranks of armed groups. One boy interviewed by the Commission, who joined one FSA-affiliated group when he was 13, explained how he joined after witnessing Government forces humiliating his father at a checkpoint. 40. Contrary to its own commitments,32 the YPG/ SDF, recruited and accepted girls and boys under the age of 18 into their ranks. The Commission received multiple accounts of the 30 31 32 Supra note 27. See A/HRC/42/5, paras. 39 – 54. In a letter dated 30 September 2013 addressed to the Commission, the YPG/SDF stated its policy not to use children under 18 and issued an order mirroring these guidelines. Subsequently, in 2015, YPG/SDF pledged to abolish such practices and, in June 2019, the SDF signed an action plan with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. The YPG/YPJ operates under the command of the SDF. 11