The 2008 Global Report on child soldiers reveals that there has been continued progress towards universal consensus against their use in hostilities. Over three quarters of states have now ratified an Optional Protocol designed for this purpose, which requires state parties to provide a recovery and rehabilitation agenda for former child soldiers. In fact international law prohibits the recruitment and use of under-18s by nonstate armed groups, and criminalises the recruitment and use of under-15s by state and nonstate forces alike. However, the military recruitment of children under 18 still takes place. Even in the case of states, a small number still persist in recruiting children and exposing them to all the dangers of combat. Nonstate armed groups show little concern for international law and continue with child recruitment on a fairly large scale in 23 countries, 10 of which are in Africa. In Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone the end of conflict has fortunately halted the massive recruitment and use of children by armed groups. In Cote d'Ivoire and Sri Lanka the armed groups have agreed to UN-sponsored action to end the recruitment of child soldiers and effect their demobilisation. On the other hand the LRA in Uganda, after a 22-year-long conflict, has ignored appeals to release children in their ranks.
