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AKARTA: The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have agreed to ratify the UN’s Optional Protocol on the Convention of the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict to ensure no Indonesian children are involved with the military for any reason.

The convention is in line with the 2002 Law on Child Protection and the 2004 Law on the Indonesian Military (TNI), which prohibits the military from recruiting children younger than 18 years old.

Indonesia is among 23 countries that have signed the protocol but not yet ratified it, while another 142 countries are party to the protocol. Indonesia signed it in September 2001.

“Basically, we already have two laws that guarantee the protection of children, as well as prohibit children’s involvement in the military. Ratifying the protocol, however, will further strengthen both laws, as well as our commitment to the global community. It will also enable us to cooperate with other countries, which have ratified the protocol, to monitor and to improve the protection of the children’s rights nationwide,” Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said during a hearing with the House Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs on Wednesday.

The DPR is set to approve the ratification of the protocol during a plenary session next week.