Background
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) continued the consideration of the promotion and protection of children’s rights.
For further background information, please see Press Release GA/SHC/3746 of 17 October.
Statements
ROKSOLANA IVANCHENCKO (Ukraine) said the protection of children from poverty, disease, armed conflict, trafficking and sexual exploitation remained one of the major challenges of the twenty-first century. Children were disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic; many were orphaned and disabled by armed conflict; and four out of ten children were born in extreme poverty. Each year, 2 million children died from lack of access to safe water and sanitation, and more than 11 million others died from preventable diseases.
She said Ukraine, this year, had ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution. This instrument complemented Ukraine’s national legislation against trafficking in persons, which ensured full legal protection of children from violence. Ukraine had also initiated national programmes aimed at ensuring legal and social protection aimed at creating conditions for their overall well-being.
The Ukraine Government was particularly concerned about the health of children as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident disaster. Restoring the health of people affected by the disaster still presented a serious challenge for the Government. Almost 2 million children were victims of the accident, she said, noting 60 per cent of thyroid cancer cases had been diagnosed among those children who lived in the affected areas. Special attention was required to ensure these children received adequate treatment to ensure their full social and physical development.
KAY FUSANO (Japan) said it was extremely sad that so many children were being affected by armed conflict, for example in Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Child trafficking was one of the worst forms of commercial sexual exploitation of children, especially in South-East Asia, where several thousand children were being trafficked every year. Since this was a complex and cross-border issue, and its causes ranged from poverty and the socio-economic gap between the countries concerned to the difference in their legal systems, it was difficult to find ideal solutions. The international community must nevertheless try, she said, and told the Committee about the International Symposium on Trafficking of children held in Japan jointly with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) this February.
Japan was also tackling the elimination of harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation. These practices had been left unsolved under the cloak of tradition, and the pain and tears of girls had been ignored. Such practices must not be regarded as traditions that should be passed on, she said. Through the human rights dialogue between the Governments of Japan and Sudan, an agreement had been made to have human rights cooperation on that issue. To that end, Sudan had held a regional Symposium on the Abolition of Female Genital Mutilation to Ensure Safe Motherhood, jointly with Japan and UNICEF in August of this year. This symposium had awakened the Sudanese public and had created momentum against the practice.
Mr. OKASHA (Sudan) said his Government had initiated efforts to meet children’s needs within the family, to provide adequate education to children and to ensure the promotion of children’s rights. Continued financial support was needed at the international level, and States must renew their international and national political will to continue working to realize commitments to promote children’s rights.
He said it was important to benefit from globalization, which threatened developing countries with marginalization, along with the burdens of debt, malnutrition and diseases, including AIDS. Children were the core of society, and his Government had set up a national programme to provide health services to them. His country had conquered polio and was working to combat malaria and other diseases.
Sudan was especially concerned about child labour, which adversely affected the health of children, as well as their access to education, he said. Also, children’s exploitation in prostitution was dangerous, and the international community must do its utmost to combat this. Sudan was especially concerned about the negative impact of armed conflict on children, and his Government was hopeful that the peace emerging in Sudan would provide prosperity and a better future for its children.
LUIS ALBERTO AMORÓS NÚÑEZ (Cuba) said that, despite legal instruments, most children were living in increasingly difficult circumstances. Millions of children died every year from curable diseases and malnutrition affected
150 million children. The international order only guaranteed well-being for the 20 per cent of privileged children in the world, not children in developing countries. Official development assistance must be increased; agricultural subsidies must be done away with; and external debt payments must be cancelled.
It was also necessary to protect children in armed conflict and create an international ambiance of peace, he said. Conflict prevention and tackling the main causes of conflict was also essential. Cuba appreciated the efforts made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, which had highlighted the impact of armed conflict on children. He expressed concern that no action had been recommended by the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council on children in armed conflict.
Trafficking in human beings, including in children, stemmed from the industrial world, he said. It was necessary to look at the demand for trafficked children in the industrial world. Cuba did not have many economic resources due to the four-decade-long blockade, he said. However, despite such obstacles, Cuba had been internationally recognized for its treatment of children, in terms of health and education.
ALYA AHMED BINT SAIF AL-THANI (Qatar) said questions related to children were the focus of the attention of policy makers and planners in Qatar. That attention stemmed from the profound belief in the right of every human being to live a decent and peaceful life. Article 22 of the Constitution was an embodiment of this attention, as it affirmed the responsibility of the State for the welfare and protection of the young from exploitation and neglect.
Qatar believed in the importance of coordination and cooperation on the regional level among organizations concerned with children and women, she said. Recently, the Supreme Council for Family Affairs had convened the first meeting of experts in councils and organizations concerned with the family, women and children in the State members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Qatar had taken many steps aimed at protecting women and children from violence and abuse at home, at work and in the society. A special office had been established to provide assistance to children victims of abuse, violence and exploitation. She added that the outcome Document of the special session on children affirmed in its declaration the need to spare children the horrors of armed conflict and foreign occupation. This underlined the need to put an end to the tragic acts of violence that claimed the lives of thousands of children every day in various parts of the world.
MAI KHALIL (Egypt) said her Government was very grateful for the activities of UNICEF to promote child development and the protection of children’s rights. Her Government also hoped the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict would continue to protect children living under occupation, especially those living in the occupied territories.
She noted Egypt’s ratification of the two optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child that addressed the sexual and economic exploitation of children. Her Government regarded education as the main tool to promote the development of children, especially the bridging of the gap in education for girls. Workshops had been held to address the reasons for girls being deprived of education, and the Government had expanded free education for girls and was working to refine educational tools for them. Egypt was also working to build many schools, and a great deal of funds had been earmarked for this project.
She said her Government had implemented programmes that aimed to eliminate female genital mutilation by 2010. These programmes included media training initiatives to increase public awareness of the harmful effects of this phenomenon.
She stressed that continued political will and commitment from the international community was necessary to protect children in armed conflict. Egypt hoped the report of the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict would contain follow-up addressing the suffering of children who lived under occupation, especially those who lived in Occupied territories -- an issue which had not been addressed in previous reports.
FELIPE H. PAOLILLO (
Uruguay), speaking on behalf of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), said promoting and protecting the rights of the child was at the core of the social commitment of MERCOSUR and associated countries. In the Charter of Buenos Aires, those countries had decided to promote the effective application of the guiding principles aimed at ensuring the full protection of children and youth and at encouraging the elaboration of specific policies on their behalf, taking into account their needs within the family and community. Concrete measures had also been taken to satisfy the special needs of boys, girls and youth in situations of violence and sexual abuse, in particular problems such as teenage pregnancy, drug use and criminal behaviour.
Recognizing that democratic societies and social equity were achieved by educating boys and girls and by training them for insertion into the labour market in a productive manner, the MERCOSUR countries were working to improve the quality of education through teacher training, promotion of civic values in schools and through the use of information technologies. In this respect, he said it was important to point out that countries in the region were also seeking to include the large number of indigenous children and afro-descendants present in most countries of the region.
Another key issue for MERCOSUR related to health care and health services, he said. Particularly challenging was the need to provide care for youth affected by HIV/AIDS. Another area of concern was the number of cases involving children from the subregion who had been abducted or kept in the custody of one of their parents residing outside the continent. This concern must be viewed in the broader context of human rights and the right to maintain regular contact with both parents and to be heard by the competent courts.
ADRIANA PULIDO SANTANA (
Venezuela) said her country was fully committed to ensuring the rights of the child. National legislation on this issue was based on principles outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its protocols. Gender equality was enshrined in Venezuela’s constitution, and laws to protect children aimed to promote the full enjoyment of rights by children, who were recognized as subjects with full rights.
The law and military conscription stipulated that the minimum age for joining the army was 18, as was the minimum age for involvement in armed conflict, she said. Such stipulations were part of the Government’s efforts to develop a national culture that respected the rights of young people in situations of war.
She said her Government had also adopted a comprehensive approach to care for abandoned children. In addition, efforts were being made to promote young people’s right to free expression of their views in order to encourage their involvement in matters of public interest.
DMITRY V. KNYAZHINSKIY (Russian Federation) said children were endowed with special rights contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Periodic reporting to the Committee on the Rights of the Child was of crucial importance to the Convention’s effective implementation.
He added that the outcome document of the special session for children served as a road map for the Russian Government in dealing with issues related to children. Also, the work of the United Nations special committee working on a comprehensive Convention on disability had inspired the Russian Federation to improve its legislation on disabilities of children. Further actions had been undertaken to address homelessness, poverty and street children.
It was important to remember that the way the children of today were treated would determine how the adults of tomorrow would treat others, he said. There was no nobler mission than sparing children from suffering and despair.
U LINN MYAING (Myanmar) said the roots of many problems facing children lay in poverty, and therefore States needed to increase cooperation with the relevant organs of the United Nations to address the protection of children. Myanmar was fully committed to the cause of children and had acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. His Government had initiated a national action plan to address the survival, development, protection and participation of children.
He noted that with the cooperation of non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies, tangible outcomes had been achieved in dropping infant mortality rates and increasing accessibility to safe drinking water. There was also a special focus on minimizing urban-rural difference in education programmes and health service delivery, and in giving priority to the more inaccessible border areas. Myanmar viewed the right to education as one of the basic human rights of children and had always accorded priority to the development of education. A 30-year national education promotion programme was under way to ensure that all school-aged children had the opportunity to go to school.
The issue of children in armed conflict was also of particular concern, as Myanmar still confronted the problem of armed insurgency, which was a long-standing legacy of colonial rule. Terrorist groups and drug traffickers had alleged that the Government’s armed forces used child soldiers. He pointed out that although Myanmar was not yet a State party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, its law prohibited recruitment into the armed forces of anyone under the age of 18. To demonstrate to the international community that Myanmar had nothing to hide regarding this issue, it had invited the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to visit Myanmar. He was scheduled to visit at a mutually convenient date at the end of the year.
ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said if there was any proof in the interest and importance the international community attached to children, it was the almost universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. While one must be gratified at the outcome document of the special session on children, one could not ignore that the situation of children remained precarious in many parts of the world.
Children were the most vulnerable to poverty, diseases and conflict, and millions of them were victims of various types of exploitation, robbing their innocence, he said. The situation in Africa was particularly worrisome; however, there was hope in the newly adopted African charters as well as in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). He stressed the need to assist Africa in this context.
Algeria had focused on children in its economic, social and cultural policies, he said. Considerable efforts had been made to promote the fundamental rights of children, including integrated, coordinated action to provide
healthcare and education and to decrease the mortality rates of children under five.
LUIS GALLEGOS (
Ecuador) said children were the present and the future of the world, and it was critical to protect them to ensure their security and future. Children suffered as a result of gender discrimination, lack of housing, environmental degradation, hunger and malnutrition, lack of education and a host of other problems. Governments must renew their commitment to promote the well-being of children everywhere.
He said Ecuador was fully committed to realizing its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and his Government had implemented policies to protect the rights and needs of children. However, the country was in the midst of a serious economic crisis, and its heavy external debt burden meant it had limited resources.
A new social and legal framework had been established to enable children to enjoy their full rights, he said. This year a new code had entered into force to promote children’s rights, which had been adopted by the Parliament. It reflected Ecuador’s deep commitment at the national level to give priority attention to ensuring adequate health and education services for children, and it provided support to those suffering from abuse. There were also provisions for rehabilitation support for young offenders.
Ms. MEKASHBER (Libya) said it was important to remember that those directly concerned with the item on children did not have their voices heard in this forum. Achievements regarding the protection and promotion of children fell short of the commitments made by States. Children were far more vulnerable than adults and were particularly vulnerable to pandemics, poverty and armed conflict. The international community must, therefore, do something about the situation of children in the occupied Arab territories, where children were suffering under foreign occupation.
In Libya, the Government had undertaken several initiatives, notably within the health sector through the eradication of polio, she said. Her country had signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and had established a Supreme Committee for Childhood in Libya. Libya had also been the first country to sign the African Child Charter.
She highlighted the suffering of Libyan children as a result of the long-lasting sanctions imposed upon her country. The international community must cooperate to eradicate poverty, malnutrition and the spread of HIV/AIDS, she said, stressing that 40 per cent of the children not attending schools and 90 per cent of AIDS orphans were African. Africa must therefore be given priority attention by the international community.
BERNADETTE BONKOU NGOU (Burkina Faso) said poverty had made the children in her country particularly vulnerable. Living conditions for children were very disturbing and were marked by lack of education, inadequate healthcare and high mortality rates among infants and children. Poverty cancelled out much of the Government’s efforts directed at improving conditions for children.
Her Government was especially concerned about children who had been affected by armed conflict in Côte d’Ivoire. Many of them lacked basic health and education services. The Government was also greatly concerned about trafficking in children, and labour and sexual exploitation of children. A pilot project had been set up to try to identify girl victims, and monitoring committees had been established in areas most affected by such trafficking.
She said Burkina Faso sought to protect children’s rights by involving children in discussion regarding policies affecting them. Also, her country had recently hosted an African workshop on the rights of the child, which brought together 150 participants from 22 African countries to discuss new strategies to address issues related to children.
NG YUIN-LYN (Singapore) said her Government placed great importance on children. As a small country where people were the only resource, Singapore believed in developing, to the fullest, the potential of the children of today –- who were the future of tomorrow. This year, 2.1 per cent of the GDP, or 1.8 billion US dollars, was being spent on programmes for children.
This year, the Government had introduced the Compulsory Education Act, which ensured a child’s right to education for six years, she said. This law reached out to the small minority who were not in school and aimed to give all children a common core of knowledge that would provide a strong foundation for their lives. In cases where children needed special protection or rehabilitation, Singapore took a coordinated inter-agency approach to ensure that children’s interests were protected.
Singapore also placed strong emphasis on health services for the young, she said. Earlier this year, the region was fighting the outbreak of SARS, and a prime focus of Singapore’s policies had been directed at the containment of this disease in schools. She stressed that support from family was an essential ingredient to ensure the best interests of the child. Families played an important role in helping children to acquire positive values and a sense of social responsibility.
CELESTINO MIGLIORE, Observer for the Holy See, said the situation of children around the world was not always how it should be. Everyday, countless children were exposed to dangers and abuse that stunted their growth and development. They suffered immensely as casualties of war and violence, and as victims of neglect, cruelty, racial discrimination, sexual and other forms of exploitation, and as refugees and displaced children. They were often marginalized because they were indigenous, disabled, orphans or street children. In several countries, they were also victims of the scourge of drugs and of natural and man-made disasters. And if all those factors were not enough, millions of children had also become victims of HIV/AIDS, either through mother-to-child viral transmission or by being orphaned due to the AIDS-related premature death of their parents.
Those were challenges that the international community must meet, especially within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals, he said. Improving child health and nutrition was a priority. The international community must work for optimal growth and development in children, with measures to eradicate hunger, malnutrition and famine, and thus spare millions of children from unnecessary suffering in a world that had the means to feed and care for all its citizens.
RUNE SKINNEBACH, representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the promotion and protection of children was of special relevance at a time when so many children were left stranded and orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and when so many were victimized by poverty. One of the Federation’s priorities was to support its network in Africa, where there were an estimated 14 million children living as orphans and vulnerable as a result of HIV/AIDS. It was estimated that this number would grow to 25 million by 2010.
TheFederation believed that the most effective first step in addressing the plight of children was to work towards preserving the right of children to be reared by their own parents and relatives. It urged all Governments and international organizations concerned about the welfare of children to maintain y unity and provide communities with resources to care for and protect children.
Furthermore, the Federation believed the participation of children in the search for solutions to problems involving them was critical. Governments must, therefore, encourage processes allowing for children to define their own problems and needs and to be involved in programme design and implementation.
ANA MARIA HERMOSO, Programme Officer, International Labour Organization (ILO), said that in 1996 the ILO had published its global estimate of 250 million children workers. The number drew international attention to the magnitude and scope of the problem, and this helped mobilize many governments and civil society groups into action. The ILO’s New Global Estimates on Child Labour, published in 2002, revealed that 246 million children still worked; 180 million were intolerably exploited, 8.4 million children were trapped in human trafficking, debt bondage and other illicit activities, and 73 million were less than 10 years old. Each year, 22,000 children died from work-related accidents.
Awareness raising and advocacy activities were designed to change social attitudes and encourage respect for the rights of the child, she said. In 2002, the ILO had initiated the “Red Card to Child Labour” campaign that took place during international soccer competitions. This Campaign was intended to raise public awareness of the scourge of child labour and mobilized support for its elimination. The problem of child labour must be addressed in the context of national economic and social development initiatives. A comprehensive approach to sustainable development must include action and policies to curb both the supply of and demand for child labourers.
