COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD OPENS THIRTY-EIGHTH SESSION

Committee on the
Rights of the Child 10 January 2005


Hears Statement by Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights;
Observes Minute of Silence in Memory of Victims of Tsunami



The Committee on the Rights of the Child this morning opened its winter session by hearing an address by the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Mehr Khan Williams. It also adopted its agenda and programme of work.

In her opening address, Ms. Khan Williams told the 18-member Committee that the tsunami natural disaster was a human tragedy that touched all so deeply largely because of its unprecedented scope affecting communities in several countries in Asia and Africa, and also foreigners from all over the world. Today, many children had been injured or killed by the tsunami, in fact a disproportionate number of children were victims of the floods; and UNICEF estimated that no less than 1.5 million children had been seriously affected by this monumental catastrophe.

Ms. Khan Williams said efforts everywhere should ensure that children were protected from abuse and exploitation. Experience had shown that in times of tumult like this, when families were broken apart, when incomes, dignity and hope were lost, children were the most vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. The international community should help children cope with the trauma by providing psychological support and getting them back in school as quickly as possible.

At the beginning of the meeting, Committee Chairperson Jacob Egbert Doek said that 150,000 persons had so far perished as a result of the tsunami. He also noted that about 200 young persons had died in Argentina due to a fire accident in a discotheque in December. In 2004 alone, about 10 million children had died as a result of curable diseases. A minute of silence was observed in memory of all the young victims.

Also this morning, a new Committee Expert, Ms. Alison Anderson of Jamaica, made a solemn declaration to perform her duties and exercise her powers as a member of the Committee honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously. She replaces Ms. Marjorie Taylor who resigned last year for health-related reasons.

During its three-week session, the Committee will consider reports from Sweden, Albania, Luxembourg, Austria, Belize, the Bahamas, Iran, Togo, Bolivia and Nigeria on their efforts to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 11 January, it is scheduled to take up the third periodic report of Sweden (CRC/C/125/Add.1). (For further information, please refer to the background release HR/CRC/05/1 of 6 January 2005.)

Statement by Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

MEHR KHAN WILLIAMS, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the tsunami natural disaster was a human tragedy that touched all so deeply largely because of its unprecedented scope affecting communities in several countries in Asia and Africa, and also foreigners from all over the world. Today, many children had been injured or killed by the tsunami, in fact a disproportionate number of children were victims of the floods. UNICEF estimated that no less than 1.5 million children had been seriously affected by that monumental catastrophe.

Ms. Khan Williams said her Office fully endorsed UNICEF’s four priorities relating to the protection of children with regard to that unprecedented disaster. The relief effort everywhere should focus on keeping children alive. That meant clean water, adequate sanitation, basic nutrition, and routine medical care. It should be ensured that separated children retained family ties. Across the region, children who had lost their families should be found, identified and reunited with their extended families and communities.

She said that efforts everywhere should ensure that children were protected from abuse and exploitation. Experience had shown that in times of tumult like this, when families were broken apart, when incomes, dignity and hope were lost, children were the most vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. One should be especially attentive to preventing any occurrence of trafficking and sale of lost, orphaned or separated children for the purpose of illegal adoption and sexual exploitation. The international community should help children cope with the trauma by providing psychological support and getting them back in school as quickly as possible.

During its recent fifty-ninth session, the General Assembly had approved the proposal of the Committee to work simultaneously in two chambers starting as of October this year, Ms. Khan Williams noted. The new working method might also inspire the ongoing process of reform of the human rights treaty bodies system. The Assembly had also decided for the first time to invite the Chairperson of the Committee to present an oral report on the work of the Committee during its sixtieth session.

On the Committee on the Rights of the Child's follow-up workshop, Ms. Khan Williams said that her Office, with the support of the Government of Thailand and UNICEF, had organized a very successful workshop last November in Bangkok. The workshop aimed at identifying measures, including best practices, taken by Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam to implement previous recommendations of the Committee and had agreed on measures to take in the future.

In conclusion, Ms. Khan Williams informed the Committee that in the framework of an agreement between her Office and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights of the African Union, three members of the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child would visit the Committee during this session.


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