United Nations Security Council Resolution 1261

UN Security Council
Resolution 1261
Former child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date25 August 1999
Meeting no.4,037
CodeS/RES/1261 (Document)
SubjectChildren and armed conflict
Voting summary
  • 15 voted for
  • None voted against
  • None abstained
ResultAdopted
Security Council composition
Permanent members
Non-permanent members
Lists of resolutions

United Nations Security Council resolution 1261, adopted unanimously on 25 August 1999, in the first resolution to address the topic, the Council condemned the targeting of children in armed conflict including the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

The security council was informed prior to the adoption of the resolution that 300,000 children from the age of seven or eight were serving as soldiers, guerrillas or supporting roles in armed conflicts in more than 30 countries around the world. It was also told that wars within the past decade, armed conflicts had killed 2 million children.