ÿWPCJ æ&ÿ5õáÔOH!øÌʹ¸wFî¡=ôdžÒlíßÔOÂ_ø<œåq­DCóõôÍ5áE"syŒÙ7Ìê´¥%›ÒlGœ\gÏ83$ÕÉûG;, Ôaa_*Süº è¤Nà†Ý9#³¼ºf¢÷|.•}{µ­<€ãÚ¿ÛütÙëˆq!©x¯ÏCµ¤\¿¥¹nM|?¨eôØv¦h*••“?^Ô:,€+K(ÑåÀIßýÓIòN×C±I¾xôXämiêeñV èˆn´ZÏ.<±U¤,Ô°Ö©C º­rdkœbš™ˆ ¾ì ù£8wŸùâ.á*seµ4ÔÚ§Ykt¶ƒRöH¶¶8h N]®ÿDH>Zp—ƒL-vé¢i€À‚ šÇl^0üGc ê‹PzÈÅ£…æ[*rËRƒû€l×pLËW …-£¾zë0M‰ŸœxÊLE‘Ð×[Œ!yIJñ}äßk{.FTĤ0ìúß-V¿7h[ÁÖ:žŒÞ\Pã2=‘`Ņ ùZ‚‰þªnêÚh£âkÙŠ¯¤Jý]ÑT½}`Ïï18?–äãñ8g¥ YêNöȦ`ú4þQ‚*.q]Ò'#É"UNë %9 0:?^ yw…4‰¬ m®NÅÅ 0SÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇ 00˜HP LaserJet 6PÈÈ,,,,ÈÈ0(@øÐ Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ûœ$¡¡ÔUKUS.,Ôš.3— “kõ2FilÈŸ.3|xÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ<  ÿÿ:Normal (Web)Ñ  ÑÑ  Ñ0ÿÿ.NormalÝ ƒûœ!ÝÔUKUS.,ÔÝ  ÝÔ_Ôò òÔ‡¼öš»XXÔÔUSUK.,ÔÑ8€µfXXdìdÈ8ÑUNITED€KINGDOM€OF€GREAT€BRITAIN€AND€NORTHERN€IRELANDÔ#†XµfX»¼öš@#Ôó óÐ ° Ðò òÔ‡¼öš»XXµfÔÌÔ#†XµfX»¼öš#ÔÓ  ÓCRC€OPTIONAL€PROTOCOL€(ARMED€CONFLICT)Ð Ø( ÐÌòòÔUK.,US.,_ÔRESERVATIONS€AND€DECLARATIONSóóó óÐ ° Ðòò(Unless€otherwise€indicated,€the€reservations€and€declarations€were€made€upon€ratification,Ð œ ì Ðaccession€or€succession)óóÐ ˆ Ø ÐÌDeclaration€made€upon€signature€and€confirmed€upon€ratification:Ð ` ° ÐÌ"The€United€Kingdom€of€Great€Britain€and€Northern€Ireland€will€take€all€feasible€measures€to€ensureÐ 8ˆ  Ðthat€members€of€its€armed€forces€who€have€not€attained€the€age€of€18€years€do€not€take€a€direct€partÐ $t  Ðin€hostilities.Ð `  ÐÌThe€United€Kingdom€understands€that€article€1€of€the€Optional€Protocol€would€not€exclude€theÐ è8  Ðdeployment€of€members€of€its€armed€forces€under€the€age€of€18€to€take€a€direct€part€in€hostilitiesÐ Ô$ Ðwhere:€„Ð À ÐÌ(a)€there€is€a€genuine€military€need€to€deploy€their€unit€or€ship€to€an€area€in€which€hostilities€areÐ ˜è Ðtaking€place;€andÐ „Ô ÐÌ(b)€by€reason€of€the€nature€and€urgency€of€the€situation:„Ð \¬ ÐÌà0  à(i)€it€is€not€practicable€to€withdraw€such€persons€before€deployment;€orÐ4„(#(# ÐÌà0  à(ii)€to€do€so€would€undermine€the€operational€effectiveness€of€their€ship€or€unit,€and€therebyÐ  \ Ðput€at€risk€the€successful€completion€of€the€military€mission€and/or€the€safety€of€otherÐ øH Ðpersonnel."Ðä4(#(# ÐÌUpon€ratification:Ð ¼  ÐÌDeclaration:Ð ”!ä ÐÌ"...in€accordance€with€Article€3,€paragraph€2,€of€the€Optional€Protocol:€Ð l#¼! ÐÌ„€The€minimum€age€at€which€individuals€may€join€the€UK€Armed€Forces€is€16€years.€This€minimumÐ D%” # Ðbroadly€reflects€the€minimum€statutory€school€leaving€age€in€the€United€Kingdom,€that€is€the€age€atÐ 0&€!$ Ðwhich€young€persons€may€first€be€permitted€to€cease€full„time€education€and€enter€the€full„timeÐ 'l"% Ðemployment€market.€Parental€consent€is€required€in€all€cases€of€recruitment€under€the€age€of€18Ð (X#& Ðyears.€Ð ô(D$' ÐÌThe€United€Kingdom€maintains€the€following€safeguards€in€respect€of€voluntary€recruitment€into€theÐ Ì*&) Ðarmed€Ô_Ôforces:Ð ¸+'* Ї1.€The€United€Kingdom€Armed€Forces€are€manned€solely€by€volunteers;€there€is€no€compulsoryÐ ° Ðrecruitment.Ð œì ÐÌ2.€A€declaration€of€age,€backed€by€an€authoritative,€objective€proof€(typically€the€production€of€anÐ tÄ Ðauthentic€birth€certificate)€is€an€integral€and€early€requirement€in€the€recruitment€process.€Should€anÐ `° Ðindividual€volunteering€to€enter€the€United€Kingdom€Armed€Forces€be€found€either€by€their€ownÐ L œ Ðdeclaration€or€by€inspection€of€supporting€evidence€of€age€to€be€under€18€years€of€age,€specialÐ 8 ˆ Ðprocedures€are€adopted.€These€procedures€include:Ð $ t ÐÌ„€the€involvement€of€the€parent(s)€or€legal€guardian(s)€of€the€potential€recruits:Ð ü L  ÐÌ„€clear€and€precise€explanation€of€the€nature€of€duties€involved€in€military€service€to€the€both€theÐ Ô$  Ðindividual€and€their€parent(s)/guardian(s);€andÐ À  ÐÌ„€as€well€as€explaining€the€demands€of€military€life€to€the€individual€volunteer€and€establishing€thatÐ ˜è  Ðhe/she€remains€a€genuine€volunteer,€the€requirement€that€the€parent(s)€or€guardian(s),€having€beenÐ „Ô  Ðsimilarly€informed,€freely€consent€to€the€individual's€entry€into€the€Armed€Forces€and€dulyÐ pÀ Ðcountersign€the€appropriate€application€or€other€appropriate€recruitment€process€forms.€Ð \¬ ÐÌÌò òòòOBJECTIONS€MADE€TO€OTHER€STATES€PARTIES€RESERVATIONS€ANDÐ  p ÐDECLARATIONSóóó óÐ  \ Ðòò(Ed.€note:€for€the€text€targeted€by€the€following€objections,€see€the€Reservations€and€DeclarationsÐ øH Ðof€the€State€which€is€the€subject€of€the€objection)óóÐ ä4 ÐÌ17€August€2005Ð ¼  ÐÌWith€regard€to€the€reservation€made€by€Oman€upon€accession:Ð ”ä ÐÌ"The€Government€of€the€United€Kingdom€have€examined€the€second€and€third€reservations€madeÐ l¼ Ðby€the€Government€of€the€Sultanate€of€Oman€to€the€Optional€Protocol€to€the€Convention€on€theÐ X ¨ ÐRights€of€the€Child€on€the€Involvement€of€Children€in€Armed€Conflict€(New€York,€25€May€2000)Ð D!” Ðon€17€September€2004€in€respect€of€Islamic€and€domestic€law€and€of€limits€imposed€by€the€materialÐ 0"€  Ðresources€available.Ð #l! ÐÌThe€Government€of€the€United€Kingdom€consider€that€Oman's€reservations€do€not€clearly€define€forÐ ô$D # Ðthe€other€States€Parties€to€the€Convention€the€extent€to€which€the€reserving€State€has€accepted€theÐ à%0!$ Ðobligations€of€the€Convention.€The€Government€of€the€United€Kingdom€therefore€object€to€theÐ Ì&"% Ðaforesaid€reservations€made€by€the€Government€of€Oman.Ð ¸'#& ÐÌThis€objection€shall€not€preclude€the€entry€into€force€of€the€Convention€between€the€United€KingdomÐ )à$( Ðof€Great€Britain€and€Northern€Ireland€and€Oman.€"Ð |*Ì%) ÐÐ h+¸&* Ð