Incredibly, in the 21st-century, roughly half of the world\u2019s nation-states practice military conscription. According to Wikipedia, the countries on this list may still be enforcing military conscription.<\/p>\n
In all cases, registration is required but military service may not be; this practice would certainly yield a number of draft refusers. In some cases, other forms of national service are compulsory which also generate principled refusal.<\/p>\n
Starred * countries list provisions for alternative service or conscientious objection which exemption would also result in absolutist refusers; in some cases, the right to conscientious objection is constitutional. Failure by governments to provision conscientious objection or alternative service contravenes United Nation conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 18), to which almost all these nation-states are party.<\/p>\n
The 1978 UN General Assembly was explicit in its Resolution 33\/165 which recognized \u201cthe right of all persons to refuse service in military or police\u00a0 forces.\u201d In 1981, UNHRC again supported conscientious objection in its Resolution 40 (XXXVII). In 1982, this was restated in Resolution 1982\/36.<\/p>\n
The United Nations\u2019 Declaration on Human Rights Defenders A\/RES\/53\/144 was begun in 1984 and formally adopted in 1998 by the General Assembly on the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the UN Human Rights Commission on March 5, 1987 in Resolution 1987\/46 resolved that \u201cconscientious objection has to be considered as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of conscience and religion.\u201d This was reaffirmed in UNHCR Resolution 1989\/59, stating \u201call Member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to fulfill the obligations they have undertaken under the various international human rights instruments, the Charter of the United Nations and humanitarian law\u201d and \u201ccalled upon Member States to grant asylum or safe transit to another State\u201d for conscientious objectors. UNHCR\u2019s 1991 Resolution 1991\/65 recognised \u201cthe role of youth in the promotion and protection of human rights, including the question of conscientious objection to military service.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UNHRC\u2019s 1993 Resolution 1993\/84 was also explicit in reminding Member States of the previous UN resolutions.<\/p>\n
This was reiterated in 1995 by UNHCR Resolution 1995\/83 recognising \u201cthe right of everyone to have conscientious objections to military service as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.\u201d<\/p>\n
UNHCR did so again in 1998 by UNHCR Resolution 1998\/77 which restated \u201cthat States, in their law and practice, must not discriminate against conscientious objectors in relation to their terms or conditions of service, or any economic, social, cultural, civil or political rights,\u201d reminding states with a system of compulsory military service, where such provision has not already been made, of its recommendation that they provide for conscientious objectors various forms of alternative service which are compatible with the reasons for conscientious objection, of a non-combatant or civilian character, in the public interest and not of a punitive nature,\u201d and \u201cemphasizes that States should take the necessary measures to refrain from subjecting conscientious objectors to imprisonment and to repeated punishment for failure to perform military service, and recalls that no one shall be liable or punished again for an offence for which he has already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2001, the Council of Europe stated \u201cThe right of conscientious objection is a fundamental aspect of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion\u201d before the UN Human Rights Council. In 1960, every nation-state member of the European Union conscripted for military service with the sole exceptions of Andorra, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, and San Marino. Conscription has now been abolished in 25 EU countries, leaving 15 states still enforcing military conscription. Azerbaijan, Belarus,\u00a0 Greece, and Turkey provide no alternative service for COs.<\/p>\n
In 2002, UNHRC adopted Resolution 2002\/45 which called upon \u201cStates to review their current laws and practices in relation to conscientious objection to military service\u201d according to Resolution 1998\/77 and to consider the information outlined in the report of the High Commission.\u00a0 In 2004, UNHCR adopted Resolution 2004\/35 for the protection of conscientious objectors and, in 2006, UNHRC Resolution 2\/102 was seconded by 33 UN Member States. In 2006, UNHCR issued Analytical Report 4\/2006\/51, \u201cRegarding Best Practices in Relation to Conscientious Objectors to Military Service.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2012, the UN Human Rights Council tabled before the UN General Assembly Resolution 20\/12, \u201cPromotion and protection of all human rights\u201d\u2026\u201cincluding Conscientious objection and seconded by 34 UN Member States, many of them conscripting nations. This direction was most recently repeated by UN Human Rights Council\u2019s 2013 Resolution 24\/17, referring to UNHRC\u2019s 2012 Resolution 20\/12.<\/p>\n
The HRC also published its \u201cGuidelines on International Protection No. 10\u201d regarding refugee claims by conscientious objectors and deserters. Hundreds of conscientious objectors from dozens of countries have applied for asylum in third countries using Article 1A (2) of the 1951 UN Convention and\/or the 1967 Protocol on the Status of Refugees.<\/p>\n
An informative multi-page overview of United Nations efforts for conscientious objection, by convention and by country, may be accessed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Amnesty International lists all worldwide CO prisoners as its \u201cprisoners of conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n Are any politicians listening or is this all just lip-service?<\/p>\n Criteria for definition of draft \u201cevasion\u201d include the rich who pay substitutes to do their military service. All countries which have armies also have deserters from military service. Aiding or hiding deserters is also a criminal offence.<\/p>\n All countries have small numbers of Jehovah\u2019s Witness and other sectarian refusers. Politicians prey on the young and weak. We support all means of refusing military service both public and covert.<\/p>\n