Determination and Certification With Respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CPSA) of 2008

Pursuant to section 404 of the CSPA (22 U.S.C.2370c-1) and presidential delegation of authority dated August 4, 2025, I hereby: Determine that it is in the national interest of the United States to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to the Central African Republic to allow for the provision of international military education and training (IMET) assistance and excess defense articles (EDA) and the issuance of direct commercial sales (DCS) licenses to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance; to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to the DRC to allow for the provision of IMET and peacekeeping operations (PKO) assistance, and the issuance of DCS licenses to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance; to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Ethiopia; to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Nigeria; to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Somalia to allow for the provision of PKO assistance and support provided pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 331 and 10 U.S.C. 333 to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance; to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Venezuela to allow for the provision of IMET assistance to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance; to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Yemen; and to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA to allow for the issuance of DCS licenses related to other U.S. government assistance for the above countries and, with respect to the Russian Federation, solely for the issuance of DCS licenses in connection with the International Space Station.

I certify that the governments of the above countries are taking effective and continuing steps to address the problem of child soldiers.

Accordingly, I hereby waive such applications of section 404(a) of the CSPA.

This determination and certification shall be published in the Federal Register and shall be transmitted, along with the accompanying Memorandum of Justification, to Congress.