Countries With No CO Laws

Conscientious objection is a fundemental human right and one which should be campaigned for.

Yet in many countries throughout the world there is either: –

No known legal provision for military personnel who have conscientious objection to further service in the armed forces.

Or

There is no known legal provision for conscientious objection.

N.B.


This list does not include those countries which do not have or had conscription, and so there is no information about just what might happen should this happen.

This list is taken from the following: –

World survey of conscription and conscientious objection to military service

https://wri-irg.org/en/co/rtba/index.html

Afghanistan

Algeria

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

  • No legal provision for conscientious objection for professional soldiers.

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Belize

Benin

Bhutan

Botswana

Bulgaria

  • does not recognise the right to conscientious objection for professional soldiers.

Burkina FasoBurma (Myanmar)

Burundi

Cambodia

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

China

Comores

Congo Brazzaville

Costa Rica

Cuba

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Egypt

El Salvador

United Arab Emirates

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Honduras

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Ireland

  • As there has never been conscription in Ireland, there are no laws for
    conscientious objection in case conscription should be introduced.

Ivory Coast

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Korea, North

Korea, South

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

  • There is no clear right to become a CO,
  • See:-
  • https://wriirg.org/en/programmes/world_survey/country_report/en/Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Lebanon

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Macedonia

Madagascar

Malawi

Malaysia

Mali

Malta

  • There are no legal provisions for conscientious objection for professional soldiers.

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

Mongolia

Morocco

Mozambique

  • It is not known whether the new 1997 conscription law includes a provision for conscientious objection. According to Amnesty International, the proposed
    law included such provision.

Namibia

Nepal

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

Oman

Pakistan

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Peru

Philippines

Qatar

Rwanda

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Somalia

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Swaziland

Syria

Taiwan

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Togo

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Uganda

Uruguay

Venezuela

Vietnam

Western Sahara

Yemen

                 

https://wri-irg.org/en/co/rtba/index.html