COMMISSION CONTINUES GENERAL DEBATE ON CHILDREN'S RIGHTS

Commission on Human Rights
MIDDAY

8 April 2005

The Commission on Human Rights continued its general debate on the rights of the child in a midday meeting today, hearing from Representatives of countries and inter-governmental organizations who spoke about their efforts to promote and protect children's rights.

National delegations outlined their policies to ensure the promotion and protection of children's rights, problems affecting children in their countries and Government efforts to overcome them. Problems affecting children included physical violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking of children, child conscription, and child labour, among others. The effects of terrorism and occupation and how they violated human rights of children were also raised, as were the challenges posed to children and adolescents by HIV/AIDS.

Some speakers noted the vulnerability of specific groups of children, especially migrant children, indigenous children, refugee children, and children from religious and ethnic minorities.

The United Nations Children's Fund said today, children continued to suffer major violations of their human rights all over the world. In many parts of the world, girls were being abandoned, abused, exploited or neglected because of gender-based discrimination. Children's rights to survival, protection and participation could not be advanced without realization of women's rights. Everything started with education and all States must deliver on the promises made to children, especially girls, regarding education by increasing resources.

The International Labour Organization recalled that 2002 global estimates on child labour had estimated that 246 million children aged five to 17 were engaged in child labour, of which 171 million had been involved in work hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in "unconditional" worst forms of child labour, including forced and bonded labour, armed conflict, trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Representatives of the following national delegations addressed the Commission: Ethiopia (on behalf of the African Group), Congo, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Russian Federation, Republic of Korea, Mauritania, Sudan, Honduras, Malaysia, Kenya, China, Brazil, Eritrea, Iran, Yemen, Oman, Norway, Iraq, Syria, Angola, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Monaco, Venezuela, Bahrain, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Croatia, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, Nicaragua, San Marino and Azerbaijan.

Also speakers for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and World Health Organization took the floor.

The Commission today is holding three back-to-back meetings from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. When it concluded its midday meeting at 3 p.m., the Commission immediately started its afternoon meeting during which it is expected to debate a report on the Sudan, presented by Emmanuel Akwei Addo, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan. After it concludes its discussion on Sudan, the Commission is expected to conclude its general debate on the rights of the child.

General Debate on the Rights of the Child

FISSEHA YIMER (Ethiopia), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said the situation of children in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa, remained precarious as a result of the persistence of poverty, inadequate social and economic conditions in an increasingly globalized economic environment, pandemics, particularly HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The vulnerability of specific groups of children, particularly migrant children, indigenous children, refugee children, children from religious and ethnic minorities and children of peoples of African descent had significantly increased over the past year. They were increasingly subjected to numerous forms of violations of human rights such as physical violence, emotional ill-treatment, worst forms of child labour, commercial sexual exploitation, the sale and trafficking of children, child conscription, abduction, early forced marriage, genital mutilation and other forms of maltreatment.

The underlying reality, particularly in Africa, was the inextricable link between poverty, underdevelopment and conflicts. Poverty and underdevelopment were fertile ground for breeding conflicts. These in turn created and exacerbated poverty, the disintegration of communities, displacement of peoples, the separation of children from their families, the destruction of schools and health services, rape and sexual violence among other violations. The multiple and interlinked problems facing children in Africa, therefore, could not be resolved by articulating the obligations of duty-holders alone. Unless the international community joined hands in concrete terms with Africans in addressing poverty and underdevelopment, the major causes of the violations of the rights of children in the continent would remain. The international community should support the global efforts for poverty eradication at all levels, primarily supporting efforts of the most affected countries, recognising that strengthened availability and equitable allocation of resources were required in order to ensure that all the development and poverty reduction goals, as set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, were realised within their time framework, including to achieve the goals for realising the rights of the child.

JUSTIN BIABAROH-IBORO (Congo) said the universality of the United Nations had been proven, including by the high level of ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which 192 States were party. All States that had not yet done so should ratify the Convention, and all States should implement it fully, as well as its two Optional Protocols on children in armed conflicts, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Congo had followed with great interest the recent decision by a State, not a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, whose highest judicial body had decided to prohibit the death penalty from being imposed against minors. The immense body of international opinion that opposed the imposition of the death penalty to minors would welcome this decision.

Africa continued to confront problems associated with the use of child soldiers, he noted. African countries should continue efforts to end conflicts, and to demobilize, disarm and reintegrate child soldiers. Trafficking also remained a source of grave concern. Note had been taken of the report of the High Commissioner on the kidnapping of children of Africa, and he hoped that the draft resolution on this subject would be adopted by consensus.

DEBABRATA SAHA (India) said India had the largest child population in the world. This brought with it huge responsibilities to protect their rights and prevent exploitation in all its forms, as well as unlimited opportunities to create a better future for the coming generations of young Indians. India had one of the most comprehensive legal regimes for the protection of children, and its commitment to the rights of the child was enshrined in the Constitution. Experience showed that poverty was the greatest enemy of children, and to address this problem several direct intervention programmes were under implementation.

Being a vibrant democracy, change necessarily took place in an environment of consensus and participation of the people. This process could be time consuming, but the results were resilient and sustainable. India's achievements vis-à-vis indicators for children over the past decade had been positive if not total. As a pluralistic society, it was committed to bringing about change of attitudes through decentralised, democratic means and a complementary and dynamic partnership with social activists and grassroots field workers, as well as with participation of civil society.

JONNY SINAGA (Indonesia) said cooperation and consultations at the international and regional levels were vital to increasing awareness, exchanging views and best practices, and identifying gaps and challenges that persisted in the protection and promotion of children's rights. Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General on violence against children, Indonesia encouraged future studies to take the outcomes of previous regional consultations on children into account, including the East Asia and Pacific Regional Ministerial Consultation on Children, which had been held in Bali in 2003, and the World Tourism Organization's Regional Consultation on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism, also held in Bali in 2003. Since 2003, the Government of Indonesia had made significant headway in improving the situation of children. In addition to new legislation, various policies and measures had been launched to promote the rights of the child, including a law on child protection by which Indonesia's reservations to the Convention on the Rights of the Child had been withdrawn.

In 2004, the Government had launched the National Programme for Children 2015, which addressed key issues related to health and nutrition, basic nine-year education, HIV/AIDS and child protection. The National Plan of Action for Human Rights (2004-2009) also included significant provisions for improving the situation of children. Indonesia was currently considering revising the law on the juvenile code and child labour. Child labour was a result of poverty, thus the reduction of poverty was crucial to ensuring a sustainable improvement in the situation of children. Children represented a nation's most valuable, yet vulnerable, asset. Their protection was paramount to sustained economic growth and social development. International cooperation was essential to strengthening national capacity for the protection and promotion of children.

SEGOWANE SAMUEL KOTANE (South Africa) said the vision of the Government for South Africa's children was that of creating conditions that would enable them to live in a society in which they could achieve their full potential - physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. In this regard, South Africa had engaged in the development of policies and legislation that would give effect to this vision. It had ensured that children's rights were afforded specific mention in the Constitution, and had made significant advances in establishing a rights-based culture that addressed the State's responsibility to give effect to the rights of the children. It had made the improvement of children's social development and access to basic social services one of its main priorities. Recently, significant progress had been made in developing and strengthening the system of social assistance, its key instrument for direct poverty relief.

Despite substantial progress made in strengthening children's developmental opportunities, children in South Africa were still vulnerable to sexual violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. In conclusion, more needed to be done to promote and protect the rights of the child. All should commit themselves to the pledge made to children as stipulated in the "World Fit for Children" and the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals, namely, promoting healthy lives, providing quality education, protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence, combating HIV/AIDS and mobilising additional resources for much-needed investments in basic social services and the protection of children.

SARALA FERNANDO (Sri Lanka) said Sri Lanka attached great importance to the discourse on child rights and endeavoured to constantly keep up to date with evolving normative standards. The Constitution of Sri Lanka guaranteed to all citizens including all children, specific rights and freedoms. The provisions of free and compulsory education and free health care including universal preventive immunization had been the bedrock of Sri Lanka's commitment to child rights for long years. The country had signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 and had ratified it a year later. During the tsunami disaster of 26 December 2004, it was found that children were among the most vulnerable: children made up a large proportion of those who died and those who were displaced. In some families, children were the sole survivors while many children had lost at least one of their parents. That had had immediate care implications for surviving children. A special policy framework and guidelines for the protection and care of affected children were prepared by the Children's Desk-Centre for National Operations in the immediate humanitarian response within the context of providing basic needs to the displaced families living in welfare centres.

The initial surveys done were further periodically updated and expanded to include those children living with close relatives outside welfare camps, which proved a difficult time-consuming exercise. According to the initial surveys by the National Child Protection Authority, 3,202 children had lost one parent, 858 lost both parents and 38 were unaccompanied. All those children had special psychological, emotional and social needs that had to be met for them to grow and develop normally.

GALINA HVAN (Russian Federation) said last year the world bore witness to the tragedy in Beslan as it unfolded. Terrorism was a direct challenge to the children of the world. There was no more important and noble task than saving them from terror and fear. The twenty-first century had no more important task than protecting the rights of children. The priorities continuing to guide all in their work regarding the rights of children lay in the document "A World Fit for Children". Children's well being was an absolute value, and their rights should be guaranteed, as provided for in many international documents, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the first universal document. Those countries that had not yet become party to the Convention should do so.

The Russian Federation had adopted many measures regarding the implementation of the Convention. Improving the situation of children was one of the key parts of Russia's priorities and plans. A strategy paper for state policy had been developed to improve the situation of children up until 2010. A finalised version of this national plan would be submitted to the President of the Russian Federation. Great importance was placed on cooperation with UNICEF, and bilateral talks held, and a new cooperation programme would be launched in the future involving all State structures. The rights of the child were a priority for national development, and there was a need to bring together all the international community in order to enhance the protection of their rights in this context.

IN-KOOK PARK (Republic of Korea) said the Government of the Republic of Korea had stepped up its commitment to the promotion of children's rights since the last session of the Commission. In addition to the ratification last September of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Government had launched last year a National Coordination Committee on Children's Policies. Its mandate covered overseeing the implementation of the Convention and its Optional Protocols. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasised that education should be directed at the strengthening of respect for human rights. Instilling in children a sound view of the world through history education, based on correct facts, was of particular importance.

Only by truthfully teaching children about the past could hope be fulfilled to prevent in the future the atrocities and systematized human rights violations which had tainted history. In that regard, the Government of the Republic of Korea expressed regret that as in 2001, certain Japanese middle school history textbooks which had recently passed the Japanese Government's approval process contained contents that attempts to justify and glorify Japan's wrong-doings in the past. The Japanese Government had the responsibility to acknowledge the past, and to ensure that its children were given a truthful education in history through accurate, undistorted textbooks.

MOHAMED SALECK OULD MOHAMED LEMINE (Mauritania) said it had ratified the principal judicial instruments relative to the rights of the child, including the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. National policies in health, education and nutrition were focused on the interests and development of the child. The National Plan of Action for the period 1992-2001 had already significantly contributed to the well being of this important part of the population and its access to essential services. A second Plan of Action was currently being elaborated, and would put the issues relative to childhood at the heart of national development policies.

Violence towards children was rare in Mauritanian society where the family and the community had always played an essential role. Civil society actions participated actively in sensibilisation campaigns aimed to fight violence against children and to provide assistance to the victims. To consolidate all judicial advantages and give further visibility and coherence to the rights of the child, the Government was in the process of finalising a Penal Code Project for minors. Children were frequently the victims of their surroundings, and particularly of the worsening of living conditions. Therefore, the blossoming of the child passed through the fight against precarity and poverty. The eradication of these scourges was the best guarantee of a harmonious development of the child, and, consequently, the preparation of the citizen of tomorrow.

IHSAN MOHAMED (Sudan) said Sudan had been one of the first States to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A number of measures had been taken to reinforce the protection and promotion of children in Sudan. A national plan of action had also been adopted in 1990 to implement policies on child rights. Sudan had ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on children and armed conflicts. The relevant domestic laws had been reformed in conformity with the requirements of the provisions of the Convention. In order to eradicate traditional practices affecting children and women, a conference had been in held Sudan. Particular attention was drawn to the practice of female genital mutilation and on its complete eradication. The Government of Sudan was also actively participating in regional conferences aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of children.

In order to eliminate the phenomenon of abduction and kidnapping of children, which was attributed to the armed conflict in the southern part of the country, the Government had taken measures. A number of children, who were victims of abduction and kidnapping, had been reunited with their families. Efforts would also be made to do the same concerning other children who had been found in that situation.

J. BENJAMIN ZAPATA (Honduras) said the Government of Honduras had continued efforts for internal reform to ensure its full compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international instruments to strengthen children's rights. Noting that Honduras was susceptible to natural catastrophes, which had had serious consequences for families living in poverty, he said the State had set up programmes for family and social assistance, including for the provision of basic food, with international organizations and non-governmental organizations. The quality of education had been improved and schools had been built in rural areas to reduce high dropout rates. Other programmes provided for the gradual elimination of child labour, and a national committee for physical and moral protection of children had been created. Legislative changes with direct and indirect protection for children included those on the rehabilitation and social reintegration of former gang members, HIV/AIDS and police and social coexistence, registration, migrants and foreigners. On migration, Honduras had signed agreements on the repatriation of children who were victims of trafficking. An agreement under the HIPC initiative had been achieved, which would favour children by progressively reducing obstacles to growth and development of the poorest part of the population.

Following the 1998 Hurricane Mitch, there had been an increase in crime and insecurity in the country. The Government had taken measures to clear up crimes against children, reiterating that there was no tolerance for such criminal acts. There was a situation of crisis in the country's prisons due to the large number of youth detainees, members of gangs that threatened the civilian population. There must be an increase in education programmes and social reintegration. Government agencies were working in an integrated manner with non-governmental organizations and civil society. To combat impunity, the Government had established special investigation units to investigate deaths of children, and to bring those responsible to justice. As noted by the Independent Expert, the problem of juvenile violence affected a number of countries in the sub-region. At a recent meeting of leaders of the Central American sub-region, a plan had been adopted to combat the problem of gangs, with the leaders committing to establish a Central American Fund to save and rehabilitate young people at risk, or in conflict with the law.

RAJA REZA RAJA ZAIB SHAH (Malaysia) said the seriousness and emphasis that Malaysia placed on the protection and development of its children were evidenced by the formulation of the Plan of Action for Children, as well as sustained efforts and enormous resources being devoted towards improving their well-being. Malaysia was proud to have achieved almost all of the 13 objectives of the First National Plan of Action for Children, which was developed to address the issues of survival and protection of children. The Second National Plan of Action 2001-2020 was now being formulated, focusing on all issues related to the development of children in facing the challenges of globalization. The target was to achieve the goals set during the World Summit on Children, taking into account the country's own national experience and circumstances. As a country that believed in multi-sector collaboration and smart partnership, the Second National Plan would take into account, not only ideas and opinions of relevant government agencies and child-related non-governmental organizations, but most importantly, the voices of Malaysian children themselves. The Plan was compatible with the principles contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Children were the most helpless victims of violence, abuse and exploitation. Reports revealed that hundreds and thousands of children all over the world were subjected to all forms of violence. Countless of them, both boys and girls of very tender age had been scarred psychologically by the violence and trauma they had undergone. In that regard, Malaysia had taken various efforts to address the issue of violence against children. The issue of children with HIV/AIDS posed a serious medical and social problem that needed to be addressed.

JEAN W. KIMANI (Kenya) said the Government of Kenya remained committed to the protection and promotion of children's rights, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international and regional instruments for children's rights. As a party to the Convention, Kenya had vigorously pursued implementation of the rights set forth in that document. Among recent measures, she listed the Children's Act of 2001, which enshrined these principles as part of domestic legislation. It guided the rights and welfare of the child, and provided for the rights and responsibility of parents. A national steering committee had been established to monitor, prevent and combat cases of child labour. Having also ratified the Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, Kenya was in the process of completing a comprehensive review of the Constitution. The draft Constitution contained a comprehensive section on human rights, including children's rights.

Following the 2002 elections, the new Government had introduced free and compulsory primary and secondary education, she noted. The introduction of a feeding programme and of a mobile education programme had enhanced rights among marginalized and vulnerable groups. Radical changes had been affected for former street children as well, including a three-year training programme with the National Youth Service. Recognizing that children were vastly affected by disease and malnutrition, the Government was committed to reducing child mortality. The support of the international community had enhanced immunization capability, but HIV/AIDS continued to ravage society. The national strategic plan on HIV/AIDS had identified youth, particularly girls, as a vulnerable group in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Government had launched a countrywide sensitization campaign to target youth. However, she also recalled that improving the status of children and providing them with a dignified life would not be possible for the majority of developing countries unless human development and reduction of poverty were properly addressed at the international level. The international community should strive to build structures directly to affect the status of millions of children all over the world. Importantly, the Millennium Development Goals, and particularly that to reduce poverty by half by 2015, must be achieved.

XU YU (China) said the Chinese Government had always attached importance to the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. It spared no efforts in promoting the cause by adopting a series of legislative and administrative measures and taking an active part in relevant international cooperation. China had become a party to major international instruments on human rights related to the protection of the rights of the child. China had set up a relatively comprehensive domestic legal system for the protection of the rights of the child, forming a coordinating mechanism for safeguarding the rights of the child which ran from the top all the way to the grassroots. The Committee on Women and Children under the State Council served as an inter-agency working mechanism for children 's affairs. Its member units had increased from the initial 19 to 33 in number and included 27 government departments and 5 non-governmental organizations. The Committee played an increasing role in safeguarding the rights and interests of the child and in coordinating children's affairs. At the local level, coordinating groups or joint meetings for safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children had been instituted in 29 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central Government.

China's achievements in promoting and protecting the rights of the child had attracted world attention. Nevertheless, as a country with 350 million children, China was also faced with many problems and challenges in protecting the rights of the child. For example, there were millions of children still living in poverty and there was imbalance between regions and between urban and rural areas in terms of conditions for children's survival and development and in terms of the level of the protection of their rights. The Chinese Government took those issues and challenges seriously. It would continue to make efforts in promoting the healthy growing of children and the sustainable development of the children' cause. It was also ready to work together with the international community for a better future for its children.

CHRISTIANO SAVIO BARROS FIGUEROA (Brazil) said Brazil had presented its initial report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The information contained therein had referred to Brazil's implementation of the obligations set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Brazilian Government had carried out the task in consultation with civil society, and had received the recommendations of the Committee as useful tools to support efforts undertaken at the domestic level. Brazil had advanced legislation regarding the protection of the rights of the child; the Statute of the Child and the Adolescent incorporated the rights contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and supplied guidelines for public policies to promote these rights. Those public policies were streamlined by the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents and a network of state and municipal councils. In follow-up to the special session on children, Brazil had launched the President's Friend of the Child and the Adolescent Plan in December 2003, which sought to unify all the actions devoted to protecting and promoting children's rights, and which comprised a network of non-governmental organizations to monitor implementation of the plan.

Among policy successes, there had been substantial reduction in infant mortality, and HIV/AIDS infection among children, he said. Immunization campaigns had led to the eradication of measles and poliomyelitis. Together with a significant expansion of primary education, these policies had resulted in fewer children dying, and more attending school. Another improvement was found in the area of child labour. Brazilians had become progressively more aware of the harm caused children by underage work, and the population was now cooperating in identifying those breaking the law, and in submitting them to due punishment. Provision of a minimum income to families of children and adolescents freed them from exploitation, and conditioning payment of that benefit on proof of school attendance had proved to be effective measures.

AMARE TEKLE (Eritrea) said the welfare and protection of the Eritrean child had been a priority objective of the liberation struggle and was now enshrined in the Constitution and other legislation of the State, which considered children as the strategic assets of its future. To that end, every effort had been made by Eritrea to create a salubrious social environment which would foster the care and protection of children, as well as the advancement of their cause. The family had been recognized by the Constitution as "the natural and fundamental unit of society" which would care for the child. Eritrea had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in August 1994. The Convention was translated into six of Eritrea's languages with a view to sensitizing Eritrean society of its contents and to give it the respect and attention it deserved.

Eritrean law prohibited child labour and the Government had gone a long way in the implementation of programmes related to orphans, street children, children who were displaced and deported by Ethiopian aggressions, as well as traumatized children. In the effort to achieve the noble objective of "A World Fit for Children", Eritrea had been searching for innovative approaches to address the problems facing its children. The challenge was big but Eritrea hoped it would be equal to that challenge.

MOHAMMAD MAHDI AKHOUNDZADEH (Iran) said the years of childhood should be a time during which all children should be healthy, protected from harm and surrounded by loving and nurturing adults who helped them grow and develop to their full potential. It was noted that five years after the Millennium Summit, children remained under the threat of poverty, armed conflicts, and HIV/AIDS. Trafficking in children, which was a clear affront to human rights and human dignity, had reached epidemic proportions and was escalating out of control. Trafficked children faced a range of dangers, including violence and sexual abuse.

Children were always among the first affected by armed conflicts which altered their lives in many ways. Much more deliberate efforts should be made to undertake concrete steps in the areas of public advocacy, fact-finding and independent investigations of atrocities and grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict and foreign occupation. More efforts were needed to ensure the earliest possible prosecution of persons responsible for war crimes against children. It was hoped that the people of the world, wherever they were and whatever the level of development of their country, were committed in practical terms to providing a more human, secure and prosperous social environment for children.

JOY CHING-YA MULLER, of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the International Federation attached the highest significance to addressing the vulnerability of children. There was a need for fresh engagement by bodies such as the Commission to find new ways of meeting the challenges posed to children and youth living with HIV/AIDS, including the vulnerability of orphans. Sub-Saharan Africa was home to 24 of the 25 countries with the highest levels of HIV prevalence, and this had been reflected by the rapid rise in the number of orphaned children. In the Southern African region, 10 Red Cross societies had made support for orphans made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS their top priority. Work in this area targeted children at particular risk, such as street children. The pandemic had contributed significantly to increased numbers of such children, who were all too often forgotten and marginalized. The Commission should take urgent action to defend the human rights of children living on the streets, recognizing that HIV/AIDS presented a huge threat to health and security.

Another point that should be stressed was the absolute importance of the provision of information and skills to children, she said, which would equip them with the ability to understand and deal with the HIV/AIDS threat themselves. It was essential that Governments and civil society worked together to protect children from ignorance, and to further the realization of the priorities contained in the outcome document adopted at the United Nations General Assembly's special session on children.

SULAIMAN MOHAMMED TABRIZI (Yemen) said Yemen was committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. To that end, it had ratified a number of international instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A national plan of action had also been designed to effectively implement the rights of the child. In September 2004 school children had elected representatives with the aim to represent them and to exercise their freedom of expression. The Children's Parliament had also been functioning with children electing their deputies. A number of other programmes had also been taken by the Government to protect and promote the rights of children. Most of the programmes designed to promote and protect children were aimed at enhancing their social and economic development. They were also aimed to integrate children in the mainstream of the social fabric of the society.

ZAKARIYA AL-SADI (Oman) said children were the very foundation of a society and its future. They represented the possibility for change, and this was why Oman encouraged a positive environment for their development so they could play a full role in the nation. Oman was party to several international conventions and protocols on children, and was committed to the protection of children, as could be seen in the different activities carried out over past decades, and the different policies implemented at the national level.

Children around the world were exposed to a high degree of risk, and these innocent young persons should be protected, although even now in the twenty-first century, some children were deprived of their most fundamental rights. For example, they could be forced to participate in armed conflicts. There had been great concern for the situation of children over the last few years, and it was hoped that the United Nations would take an increasing role in protecting their rights.

WEGER STRØMMEN (Norway) said that armed conflicts represented extreme dangers to children, and severely hampered the protection and promotion of children's rights. Norway remained deeply concerned about continuous reports of large-scale abuses and violence against children in armed conflicts, including killing and maiming of children, recruitment and use of child soldiers, and sexual violence against children. A comprehensive set of norms had been established over the years, including the Convention of the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, to provide an effective basis for common efforts to protect the life, rights and health of children. It was vital to implement these norms.

Norway welcomed the proposal to establish a monitoring, reporting and compliance mechanism on children and armed conflicts, she said. Impunity for those who abused children must be ended. Allowing and enabling boys and girls to take part in the rebuilding of society was also crucial to sustain peaceful development. Community reintegration programmes for children must receive support, and the specific needs of boys and girls must be taken into account. The international community should never accept the denial of the fundamental right to life of a child, she added.

OMAR WASO (Iraq) said Iraq had been moving in the right direction for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, following the election that had taken place recently. The country now had a President and a Parliament representing the will of the people. In the past, the human rights of children had been severely repressed for three decades. The new Iraqi institutions were now engaged in the promotion and protection of the rights of the child by, among other things, providing post-trauma support to children. The situation of families had been improved through the provision of social assistance. Kindergartens had been rehabilitated to serve all children. The new authorities had taken measures to uphold the rights of children and to rehabilitate them after long years of suffering at the hands of the former regime.

Iraq called the international community, including the United Nations Children's Fund, to help the children of Iraq so that they could live in peace and in a sustained and health environment.

SOUHEILA ABBAS (Syria) said although it was well known that childhood was a significant stage in the life of the individual where an open mind was developed, and although the Convention on the Rights of the Child was comprehensive, children continued to be deprived of the most basic rights, and continued to be threatened by hunger, disease and war. This meant that a billion children around the world were robbed of their childhood. The report of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories had indicated that there were serious violations of human rights, including children's rights, which constituted war crimes, including the demolition of homes. Children were detained in Israeli prisons and detention centres, and were subjected to torture and cruel and degrading punishment.

The children of Palestine and Iraq had only a right to oppression, fear, destitution, blood and bullets. In Syria and the occupied Golan, they were deprived of the most basic rights, and subjected to numerous violations by the occupying forces which had negative effects on their psychological and physical health. This was a blatant challenge to the international community as a whole.

JOAQUIM BELO MANGUEIRA (Angola) said the Government of Angola had always paid special attention to the protection of children through policies and programmes designed specifically to promote, protect and implement its commitments under Constitutional law, and under the international instruments to which it was a party. The Government had established special bodies, such as the Child National Institute, to carry out its commitments, and had worked with non-governmental organizations in the field of the protection of the rights and well being of children. Civil society had played a very important role in the defence of children's rights.

Special mechanisms had been created to protect the rights of children, such as the Chamber of the Family within the provincial courts and the Trusteeship Commissions of the minor "Julgado", he added. Yet despite these measures, many barriers had hindered efforts. The negative environment had been recognized by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which had noted the impact of many years of armed conflict. The Government of Angola welcomed the recommendations of that Committee as an important contribution to improvement of its skills, policies and practical measures for the promotion, defence and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Angola had recently ratified the two Optional Protocols to the Convention as well.

DANG TRAN NAM TRUNG (Viet Nam) said Viet Nam had always attached paramount importance to the rights of the child. For Viet Nam, the promotion and protection of children was not only the responsibility of the Government but also the responsibility of each and every family and society as a whole. Viet Nam was among the very first countries to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. On 28 November 2001, the country had ratified the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on children in armed conflicts. To implement its obligations under the Convention, the Government had adopted several policies regarding children's health, nutrition, education, and social welfare for children with special needs. A programme of action had also been adopted to protect children with special circumstances by putting an end to homeless and labour-exploited children; preventing commercial sexual exploitation of children; and preventing drug abuse by children.

TANYA NORTON, of World Health Organization, said for years the world had been witnessing a silent and largely invisible crisis, resulting in the annual deaths of close to 11 million young children, and more than half a million women, including adolescent girls. They died during pregnancy or childbirth, of conditions that could be easily prevented or treated through readily available and affordable means. Yet the fate of these children and women continued to be too often overlooked or ignored. Now, more than ever, Governments and the international community should make the rights to life, survival and to health of women and children a higher priority, both on the human rights and public health agendas. This meant taking systematic account of international human rights norms and standards at all facets of planning and programming processes.

International commitment to seriously address the unacceptable numbers of maternal and child deaths was gaining ground. It was however of the utmost importance that efforts in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, including the many initiatives and partnerships established to do so, were firmly grounded in fundamental principles of equity and human rights. This year offered several opportunities for advocacy and action on the issue of violence against children. States should make the most of these tools and opportunities.

LESLEY MILLER, of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), recalled that the world had welcomed the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 15 years ago. Yet, today, children continued to suffer major violations of their human rights all over the world. In many parts of the world, girls were being abandoned, abused, exploited or neglected because of gender-based discrimination. Children's rights to survival, protection and participation could not be advanced without realization of women's rights. Everything started with education, she affirmed, and all States must deliver on the promises made to children, especially girls, regarding education by increasing resources, better investment in girls' education, and commitment to achieve effective results. Also underlying the importance of every child's right to health, she added that there was no progress when children were without parental care due to conflict, poverty, violence, societal breakdown and the impact of HIV/AIDS.

UNICEF strongly supported the decision of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to recommend drafting of United Nations guidelines on the protection and alternative care of children without parental care, and urged the Commission to consider the issue. The devastating effects of armed conflict on children were all too familiar, she added, and rape had often been used as a deliberate tactic of war in the past two years. In situations of armed conflict, women and girls were routinely raped, trafficked, used in prostitution, held by armed groups in sexual slavery, mutilated, forced to carry pregnancies, and left with lasting physical and psychological wounds. Peacekeepers and humanitarian workers who sexually exploited children and women must be held accountable for their actions.

U THA AUNG NYUN (Myanmar) said the Government of Myanmar accorded top priority to the rights of the child as a matter of policy. Being a State party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Myanmar had steadfastly implemented a series of national plans for the well being of the children. The Child Law had been enacted and the National Committee on the Rights of the Child had been formed in 1993. Myanmar had submitted its first national report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1996, and the second in 2004. Children were the future of a country. The Government of Myanmar had also laid down the "Education for All" policy. That would facilitate children's accessibility to education even in the remote regions of the country. In that regard the number of schools at the basic education level had increased to 970 schools in 19 border regions. Human rights education lessons had been introduced in the curricula of middle and high schools in Myanmar in 2004-2005.

The creation of a Child Projection Day on the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was part of the joint efforts of United Nations agencies, international non-governmental organizations and government ministries to raise awareness of the rights of the child throughout the country.

PHILIPPE BLANCHI (Monaco) said the Principality had always paid particular attention to the protection of children. This fundamental preoccupation was manifested by the regular update of legislative and reglementary dispositions on the civil level, as well as at the penal level, and a permanent action in the field of prevention, education and assistance, led by the public powers, including the judiciary, with the help of specialised associations. Externally, its engagement in the field of childhood was shown in the context of cooperation programmes.

International instruments showed the fundamental concern of the international community to ensure the widest possible and most effective protection of children against the multiple forms of violence of which they were the innocent victims. Despite this, children remained vulnerable throughout the world. Above cultural, political or religious differences, the world had the duty to work together to prevent and throttle an odious form of criminality which knew no borders. It would be a form of homage to those young lives which had been broken, and a hope for the new generations.

JOOST KOOIJMANS, of International Labour Organization, recalled that 2002 global estimates on child labour had estimated that 246 million children aged five to 17 were engaged in child labour, of which 171 million had been involved in work hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in "unconditional" worst forms of child labour, including forced and bonded labour, armed conflict, trafficking and sexual exploitation.

A number of countries had translated commitments to combat child labour into action by engaging in time-bound programmes with the assistance of the ILO, he said. The TBP was a programme approach of comprehensive policies and measures with clear goals, specific targets, and a defined timeframe aimed at preventing and eliminating a country's worst forms of child labour. A recent study on the costs and benefits of eliminating child labour had shown that the objective could be achieved over the next 15 to 20 years, at a total cost of $760 billion – neither exorbitant nor insurmountable. That price constituted less than 10 per cent per annum of the world's total debt service over the next two decades. By contrast, the benefits were astronomical; over $5 trillion in improved productivity, increased wages and reduced health costs. In addition, there were the humanitarian, political and ethical -- non-economic -- benefits.

ENZO BITETTO (Venezuela) said the Convention on the Rights of the Child played a significant role within the framework of policies in the protection and promotion of the rights of the child. The ratification of the Convention had prompted the Government of Venezuela to take further actions to strengthen the protection and promotion of the rights to the child. The Government had also ratified the Optional Protocols to the Convention. After it ratified the Convention, Venezuela had adopted a series of laws in order to implement its provisions. While elaborating the country's Constitution in 1999, children and adolescents were allowed to provide their views during the drafting stage. They were able to give their opinions particularly with regard to the articles concerning the promotion and protection of the rights of children. The Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents was a vanguard to all policies and measures towards the rights of the child. The Law also emphasized the social, educational and legal aspects concerning children.

The negative process of globalization had impacted on economic and social programmes, particularly for vulnerable groups of children. However, through its cooperation, the Government was able to overcome the problems and had taken measures, which had improved the conditions of children by reducing the infant mortality rate, among other things.

MOHAMED R. ALSOWAIDI (Bahrain) said it had always paid particular importance to the rights of the child, protecting them in all circumstances according to the principles of tolerant Islam. The Constitution stressed the importance of the social protection of children and of education at all stages of their life, including with free education and health checks. This was also part of the legal system, which was in complete conformity with the Convention. Bahrain had made efforts to protect children from violence, and to raise awareness of the issue. A national institute had been organised for children and sport, with the responsibility of organising different cultural events and ensuring application of the different rights of the child. Measures had been taken to avoid mistreatment of children and to ensure professionals could help children in difficult situations.

Work had been done at all levels of society to teach democracy and human rights as an obligatory subject at primary and secondary levels. Human rights and the principles which stemmed from them were being published so they were well known at all levels of society, and all bodies and agencies were being coordinated in their activities in order to ensure complementarity and to ensure the country could fulfil its international commitments, given the importance of childhood as a stage preparing for the rest of life.

SEBASTIEN MUTOMB MUJING (Democratic Republic of the Congo) noted that hundreds of millions of children continued to be victims of various forms of exploitation, sexual abuse, and violence. Children continued to be pushed into situations of debt slavery, and other forms of slavery including child trafficking. Children had also been forced to become soldiers. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had not escaped that tragic situation, as a result of the long conflict. Having ratified a number of international instruments on children's rights, the Government took this threat very seriously.

To respond to the situation of child soldiers, the Government had adopted the National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Programme, through which action had been pinpointed to develop transit and orientation centres and to place material for the care of demobilized children, including for their care, education and training. More than 40,000 child soldiers had been demobilized since 2000, and some had been directed toward schools and university. Another situation of serious concern was the thousands of street children, for which the Government envisaged urgent policies to implement policies favourable to consolidating the institution of the family.

ENCYLA SINJELA (Zambia) said many children in Zambia today were orphaned due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Those who could not be cared for by the extended family as a result of economic hardships had found themselves on the streets and dropping out of school. This had made the task of the Government even greater. Together with non-governmental organizations, the Government had embarked on providing shelter, health, and community education for these children in order to get them off the streets and to give them hope for a bright future. Unfortunately, the education sector in Zambia was among those that had been critically affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

To ensure that all children had equal opportunities to basic education and to encourage enrolment of children in schools, the Government in 2002 had reverted back to free primary education for all, and had implemented the school health and nutrition programmes. It had also campaigned extensively on the importance of educating the girl child, especially in rural areas. The Government would continue to work towards improving the welfare of the child and in addition to its own programmes would strive to implement in full the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

GORDAN MARKOTIC (Croatia) said Croatia placed great importance on the protection of children's rights, and had ratified all key international instruments in the field. It had presented its second report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child in September 2004. The Croatian Government had already begun implementing the Committee's recommendation concerning the protection of children's privacy in criminal proceedings. Croatia had also ratified both Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and would submit its national report on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography to the Committee on the Rights of the Child later this year.

Trafficking in children represented an enormous danger to the victim, and to society as a whole, he acknowledged. That crime could lead to the dissolution of the family structure, its economic crisis and to uncertainty and vulnerability affecting all family members. A working group had thus been established to elaborate a special plan concerning trafficking in children. Child victims must be entitled to special protection in line with the principle of the best interests of the child. As the roots of violence against children were deep and complex, and the crucial interest was to find effective and appropriate measures to deal with occurrences of violence among children, the country had adopted the programme of activities for the prevention of violence among children and adolescents in 2004.

IRENE F. KASYANJU (Tanzania) said Tanzania was a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and both its Optional Protocols. It devoted maximum efforts to implement those instruments in full, through submission of periodic reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as by incorporating them into its domestic legislation, including amending relevant laws to comply with the provisions of the those instruments. The Government continued to pay much attention to the situation of most vulnerable groups of children in the country. There were efforts to eliminate all forms of child labour, carried out in close cooperation with the International Labour Office and its social partners; to assist children living under difficult conditions such as street children; orphans; drug addicts; refugee children; the abused; as well as children with disabilities. The Government was now working on the harmonization of various legislation in order to have one children's law, an exercise that was preceded by a white paper.

Tanzania recognized that realization of children's rights required enough resources. However, the key element in that effort was the "will of the international community" to help.

ADEL AL MAHRI (United Arab Emirates) said the United Arab Emirates appreciated the sincere efforts made by the Commission to protect the rights of children, and attached great importance to the rights of children due to its beliefs, Constitution and legislation. The State had done the best for its children to ensure they lived in healthy conditions. It had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the ILO Convention number 182. Care for children was a priority for the United Arab Emirates. The Government had provided free education for children at all levels, and had developed curricula for children at all levels. It had reduced the infant mortality rate. Particular attention was given to children with special needs, with centres for them ensuring they would be integrated in society.

Special laws had been set up for juvenile delinquents, ensuring their rehabilitation. The interconnection between care for children and advancement of women had been noted, and a national mechanism had been set up to care for children and their mothers. A child parliament had been set up to ensure participation of children in decision-making. The authorities were dealing with the issue of child jockeys in the context of camel racing and there would be no further violations of the strict rules governing such competitions.

ALJAZ GOSNAR (Slovenia) said children around the world continued to be subjected to appalling mistreatment, with many suffering from discrimination, harassment, violence and sexual abuse. Slovenia was honoured to host the United Nations regional consultation to contribute to the global study on violence against children in July, and would also host the Council of Europe's conference against commercial sexual exploitation of children.

As Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Slovenia had launched a human rights education pilot project for children, he said. This new teaching tool would contribute to raising awareness among children about their rights, and to combating intolerance, prejudice and hatred. Another area of specific attention was the situation of children in post-conflict areas. The psycho-social rehabilitation programmes of the Regional Centre TOGETHER had made a difference in the lives of more than 200,000 children from south-eastern Europe and Iraq. A project was in the works for North Ossetia, with the aim of helping the victims of the school siege in Beslan last September.

PATRICIA CAMPBELL (Nicaragua) said since ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Nicaragua had made major progress in applying its provisions and making people aware of its contents. The Government had followed an integrated approach to the rights of the child, making it possible to integrate policies and ensure policies for protecting children and adolescents. The general principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child were predominating elements in the National Action Plan, with specific goals evidencing the Government's commitment to enhancing the rights of the child and to promoting the necessary situation for economic development.

Attempts were being made to reduce infant mortality, and efforts were being carried out to promote an integrated approach to health for all children up to the age of six. A plan to prevent juvenile violence was also being developed. Many other measures were being elaborated, particularly with regard to poverty which had been a concern for the Government and the whole population; solving the problem of poverty was necessary to ensure economic development.

FEDERICA BIGI (San Marino) said she wished to reaffirm the importance given to the protection and promotion of the full realization of the rights of the child. At the national level, San Marino had taken an important step in ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 which had been preceded by an in-depth study of the state of legislation and policies, and followed-up by the engagement of all public services in the implementation efforts. In 2002, the country had adopted a law on the prevention of the sexual exploitation of children, which had been integrated into the penal code.

Internationally, the Government and people of San Marino remained very sensitive to the effect of crises upon children. Efforts had been made to provide material and political support to the humanitarian projects of international and non-governmental organizations. Among the gravest problems affecting children, that of kidnapping by armed groups, which had increased in recent years, was of the greatest concern. San Marino's Parliament had adopted a resolution expressing its concern over the situation in Uganda, and had firmly condemned the kidnapping of children and their forced participation in the conflict.

SEYMUR MARDALIYEV (Azerbaijan) said despite all efforts made by the international community so far, the situation of children remained grave and unacceptable and all actors both at national and international levels should spare no effort and time to elaborate protection standards and concrete initiatives to make the life of future generations better. Poverty widened social, economic and gender disparities that prevented children from enjoying equal opportunities and left them vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, violence and discrimination. An integrated and multifaceted approach was needed to reduce poverty, including elaboration and implementation of poverty-reduction strategies, expansion of the basic social, primary health and educational services, and promotion of families, among others.

Armed conflicts were not only threatening the protection of child rights, but in most cases they generated poverty, violation and stigmatization. All children affected deserved the attention and protection of the international community. There was concern for the continued recruitment of children all over the world. All perpetrators of this crime should be brought to justice. Azerbaijan was committed to doing its utmost to ensure a better future for children while addressing their immediate and long-term needs and to achieve the noble goals of the World Summit and Special Session on children.


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