Principality of Monaco

Covers the period from April 2001 to March 2004.

Population: 32,0001
Government armed forces: none
Compulsory recruitment age: not applicable
Voluntary recruitment age: 21 (to the security forces)
Voting age: 21
Optional Protocol: ratified 13 November 2001
Other treaties ratified (see glossary): CRC, GC AP I and II

The Principality of Monaco has no armed forces.

Government

National recruitment legislation and practice

The defence of Monaco, a constitutional monarchy, is the responsibility of France. There are no armed forces, and security is provided by a national police force (Sûreté Publique) and the paramilitary Prince's Guard (carabinieri du prince).2 Monaco reported to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2000 that "minors are not admitted into the paramilitary police force (carabinieri) and fire brigade".3 Members of the only bodies with military status, the Prince's Guard and the Fire Brigade, must be at least 21 years of age, under Sovereign Ordinance No. 8017 of 1 June 1984 relating to the Police Code.4 The age of entry to the police force was unknown.

1 The Statesman's Yearbook 2004, ed. Barry Turner, Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

2 US Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2003, February 2004, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/c1470.htm.

3 Report of Monaco to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Doc. CRC/C28/Add.15, 17 July 2000, http://www.ohchr.org.

4 Declaration made by Monaco on ratification of the Optional Protocol, http://www.ohchr.org.

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