COUNCIL HOLDS PANEL DISCUSSION ON PROMOTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

Human Rights Council
MORNING
11 March 2009

The Human Rights Council this morning opened its annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child with a panel discussion on promoting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the international level.

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, opening the panel discussion, said it was very timely and appropriate to focus on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which, twenty years after its adoption, enjoyed almost universal acceptance. There was no doubt that the Convention had transformed the way the world viewed children - they were no longer viewed as the property of parents or the passive recipients of charity or goodwill, but as rights-holders. This conceptual shift also underscored States' accountability in fulfilling their obligations towards children's rights.

Dainius Puras, Member of the Committee on Rights of the Child, a panellist, said the challenges the Committee on the Rights of the Child faced were many. The backlog of reports was growing. While the Committee was encouraged by the compliance with reporting obligation, the Committee must consider creative ways of dealing with this backlog. While many reports were submitted, there were some long overdue reports, including six outstanding initial reports. The Secretariat assisting the Committee on its work had not grown over the years as the Committee and its workload had, rather it had decreased. Also the Committee was worried at the numerous and sometimes very broad reservations entered by States upon ratification. The Committee urged States to reconsider these so that all the rights enshrined in the Convention could in reality be enjoyed by all children.

Philip O’Brien, Director of Private Fundraising and Partnership of the United Nations Children’s Fund in Geneva, a panellist, said that since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1989, more children were living beyond their first or fifth birthdays and fewer children were suffering from preventable childhood diseases. More children, including girls, were in school and staying in school longer. More children had access to safe drinking water. Fewer girls were being married as children. More births were being recorded, and more children were receiving life-saving treatment for HIV/AIDS. Generally awareness about the rights of children was much greater among policy makers and community leaders, as well as among children themselves, underscored Mr. O’Brien.

Asma Jahangir, Chair of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures, a panellist, said that this was an important opportunity to discuss how the Council could further integrate a child rights perspective into its work. In this regard, Special Procedures played a crucial role, as their work to an important extent informed the Human Rights Council's debates and deliberations. In its recently adopted resolutions on different thematic issues, the Council had encouraged Special Procedures to devote specific attention to the situation of children under their mandates. A number of mandates by their very nature paid specific attention to the situation of children.

Alan Kikuchi-White, Representative of the NGO Group for the Convention of the Rights of the Child, a panellist, said that the NGO Group noted that the Universal Periodic Review focused largely on violations of the rights to life, survival and development, and on discrimination-based abuses. Other issues, such as education and health had found a place in the Universal Periodic Review but were viewed only through the lens of special protection for vulnerable groups, and discrimination against, for example, children with disabilities, or migrant children. The NGO Group suggested that efforts were required by stakeholders and the Council alike to ensure that certain overlooked clusters of rights, for example, civil rights and freedoms, family environment and alternative care, and not least of all, the principle of child participation in all spheres of social life, were appropriately represented in the Universal Periodic Review.

Maud De Boer-Buquichio, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, a panellist, said that many cases concerning children’s rights had been brought before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Those cases raised issues such as the prohibition of degrading and humiliating treatment, the right of children to a fair trial and the right to a respect for private and family life. Cases concerning corporal punishment of children provided the international community with a good illustration of how the Strasbourg Court increasingly applied the standards of the United Nations Convention in judgements related to children.

Countries raised several issues during the interactive dialogue, including the focus on development potential in the Universal Periodic Review process; sexual abuse of children; awareness-raising efforts of the Convention; special measures for the protection of girls; education of children; strategies for social protection and social inclusion of children; strengthening of the international legal framework; and attention to the ongoing violence that children suffered every day in private spheres. A speaker said that 20 years after the Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force, the world situation of childhood was not very encouraging, with children threatened by wars, hunger and inequality. A number of speakers suggested that the Committee on the Rights of the Child needed a bigger secretariat. Some delegations urged States to reduce the number of reservations to the Convention.

The following delegations spoke in the interactive dialogue following the panel discussion: Chile on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries, the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union, Switzerland, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Cuba on behalf of Non-Aligned Movement, Iceland, Lithuania, New Zealand, Russian, Burkina Faso, Yemen on behalf of the Arab Group, Slovakia, Tunisia, Haiti, Jordan, Thailand, Japan, Italy, Spain, Australia, China, Bangladesh, Turkey and Malaysia. Representatives of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and the European Commission also took the floor.

The Ombudsman of Children Rights of Poland and the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines took the floor, as did International Save the Children Alliance, and Plan International, in a joint statement with several NGOs1.

The Human Rights Council is scheduled to conclude its panel discussion on promoting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the international level when it meets at 3 p.m. this afternoon, before starting a panel discussion on the achievements and obstacles in implementing the Convention at the national level.


Opening Statement by High Commissioner for Human Rights

NAVI PILLAY, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, opening the Human Rights Council Panel on the Promotion of Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the international level, said it was very timely and appropriate to focus on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which, 20 years after its adoption, enjoyed almost universal acceptance. There was no doubt that the Convention had transformed the way the world viewed children - they were no longer viewed as the property of parents or the passive recipients of charity or goodwill, but as rights-holders. This conceptual shift also underscored States' accountability in fulfilling their obligations towards children's rights. The Convention anchored these obligations to the principles of non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, children's right to life, survival and development, and respect for children's right to express their views.

In the course of the past two decades, national mechanisms and practices had furthered children's rights. At the international level, the Convention inspired the development of additional standards, including its Optional Protocols. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, the custodian of the Convention, had played an invaluable role in providing guidance to States and the international community on the implementation of different provisions of the Convention - and efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals had brought some progress in areas such as poverty reduction and education. Despite these many positive developments, there remained ample ground for very serious concern. According to UNICEF, every year nearly 10 million children died from preventable causes before their first birthday. Some 80 to 98 per cent of children suffered physical punishment in their homes.

Furthermore, children suffered disproportionately in situations of conflict, Ms. Pillay said. More than 250,000 children had been recruited as soldiers. Wars and civil unrest concentrated in the most disadvantaged areas of the world - poverty and war exposed children to hunger, displacement, abuse, homelessness, disease and ultimately death. Currently, the global financial crisis, coupled with the effects of unaffordable food and fuel, undermined children's survival, access to housing, health and education. When crises struck, social spending in programmes protecting children were to be counted among the first casualties of budget adjustments. And in times of hardship, children could be forced to abandon school and join the workforce, and could in this situation become more vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.

Ms. Pillay said as the Council celebrated the achievements stemming from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it should remain vigilant in order to confront emerging challenges and ensure that the spirit and letter of the Convention shaped the responses and remedial measures of the international community. The Council could play an important role in advocating and advancing measures for the protection of the rights of the child. For its part, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights spared no efforts in promoting children's rights and in supporting the Committee on the Rights of the Child with the implementation of the Convention, as well as to ensure that the human rights of children were permanent features of all pertinent aspects of the work of human rights mechanisms. The Office would continue to draw attention to the rights of children, and help States to fulfil their relevant responsibilities. The international community needed to translate its commitment, engagement and work on children's rights into a tangible reality for each and every one of them.

Statements by Panellists

DAINIUS PURAS, Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, said that the workload of the Committee had seen a steep rise since its first meeting in 1991. All along its activities had been supported by States parties to the Convention. At the outset, the ten-member Committee met once a year to discuss modalities of work. Then, in 1993 the Committee began consideration of reports and had two sessions, at the time it considered reports over three meetings, allowing for the consideration of five reports per session, or ten per year. Now, the Committee had grown into a Committee of 18 experts, it met three times a year, monitored implementation of three treaties and would meet again in 2010 in two chambers as it did in 2006, during which time the Committee would consider approximately 46 reports. The pace was intense and Mr. Puras could only appeal to the Council to support the Committee and its secretariat further.

Over the years, the Committee had witnessed the adoption of two substantive Optional Protocols to the Convention, and was now witnessing discussions related to a possible procedural protocol, expressions of support for such a Protocol were also made by States parties. As the High Commissioner mentioned in her introductory remarks, the way that children were viewed had shifted significantly over the years. This would of course not be possible without the commitment of the States parties to the Convention. Mr. Puras also mentioned the crucial role partners of the Committee have played over the years. The tireless efforts of non-governmental organizations, supported by the NGO Group of the Convention, have played a key role in the implementation of the Convention. Within the United Nations family, the role of UNICEF had been and continued to be unprecedented.

The challenges the Committee faced were many: the backlog of reports was growing, while the Committee was encouraged by the compliance with reporting obligation, the Committee must consider creative way of dealing with this backlog; while many reports were submitted, there were some long overdue reports, including six outstanding initial reports. The Committee would like to have the opportunity to dialogue with each and every State party to the Convention; the secretariat assisting the Committee on its work had not grown over the years as the Committee and its workload had, rather it had decreased; while the Committee was able to boast having a almost universal ratification, the Committee was worried at the numerous and sometimes very broad reservations entered by States upon ratification, and urged States to reconsider these so that all the rights enshrined in the Convention could in reality be enjoyed by all children.

PHILIP O’BRIEN, Director of Private Fundraising and Partnership of UNICEF, said that it was a pleasure to participate in this panel discussion on children’s rights. Partnership was the operative strategy for implementation of child rights at the global, regional and country levels. A principle partner for all was the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Committee was managing a staggering number of country reports. It had produced 12 General Comments, and Committee Members had been generous in making time to participate in national and regional consultations. Through all those efforts the work of the Committee served as an essential connection between human rights and development agendas for children. The NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child also played an important role at the international level as did a growing number of United Nations partnerships in areas such as education, adolescent girls, children in armed conflict, and child health, to name just a few. Public and private partnerships with corporate and philanthropic foundations were providing to be effective in leading child rights campaigns at the global level by bringing together cutting edge research, new technologies and refined business practices.

Since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1989, more children were living beyond their first or fifth birthdays and fewer children were suffering from preventable childhood diseases. More children, including girls, were in school and staying in school longer. More children had access to safe drinking water. Fewer girls were being married as children. More births were being recorded, and more children were receiving life-saving treatment for HIV/AIDS. Generally awareness about the rights of children was much greater among policy makers and community leaders, as well as among children themselves, underscored Mr. O’Brien. By taking a rights-based approach to programming, UNICEF and partners had been able to support broad social movements that promoted the centrality of children, adolescents and youth in the mandates of Governments at national district and municipal levels.

In the Philippines the Government was implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child through a national Children Friendly Movement, to create child friendly cities, child friendly communities and child friendly schools. All sectors of the society were engaged in a range of actions aimed at the fulfilment of children’s rights. In every region of the world taking a rights-based approach to this work meant that everyone not only aimed to meet the material needs of children and adolescents, but that everyone aimed to build the capacities of the duty-bearers, those who were accountable under the law, for fulfilling and protecting children’s rights. As recommended in the Innocenti summary review of the Impact of the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF recommended, among other things, that implementation of the best interests of children was the primary test of governance; effective implementation of the Convention required law reform, financial and political support for independent national institutions to monitor and report on the situation of children, and national coordinating mechanisms for the promotion of children’s rights; and that it was necessary to develop the capacities of families, community leaders, local and national Governments and the private sector to realize the rights of children, stressed Mr. O’Brien.

ASMA JAHANGIR, Chair of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures, said this was an important opportunity to discuss how the Council could further integrate a child rights perspective into its work. In this regard, Special Procedures played a crucial role, as their work to an important extent informed the Human Rights Council's debates and deliberations. In its recently adopted resolutions on different thematic issues, the Council had encouraged Special Procedures to devote specific attention to the situation of children under their mandates. A number of mandates, by their very nature, paid specific attention to the situation of children. Among them were the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education; and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on children in armed conflict also contributed to highlighting the situation of children exposed to this extreme form of violence.

While these were the obvious examples, there were issues of relevance under virtually all mandates. Both the Special Rapporteur on torture and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women had tackled the issue of female genital mutilation, the Special Representative on internally displaced persons had touched upon issues such as displacement of children and recruitment by armed groups or displacement and sexual exploitation, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing had discussed the vulnerability of children in the context of evictions. Ms. Jahangir said she herself had flagged her concerns to the Human Rights Council at the abuse and violence against children who were accused of witchcraft. Other non-child specific mandates had also devoted thematic reports to children.

During the last annual meeting of Special Procedures, there was an opportunity to discuss the integration of children's rights into their work. While mandate holders recognised that a lot of work had been done in this area, there was a need for a more coherent and consistent attention to children in the work, and a need for more focused attention to the situation of girls was also highlighted. A number of concrete suggestions had been discussed by mandate-holders to help strengthen Special Procedures' work in this area. The exchange of views at today's panel discussion was of utmost importance for the work of the various mandate-holders and the Coordination Committee. Their stage of development made children particularly vulnerable, and they were entitled to specific rights - the Special Procedures mandate-holders reaffirmed their commitment to promote within their mandates the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

ALAN KIKUCHI-WHITE, Representative of the NGO Group for the Convention of the Rights of the Child, said that the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child noted that the Universal Periodic Review focused largely on violations of the rights to life, survival and development, and on discrimination-based abuses. These indeed represented grave breaches of child rights that definitely called on the Council for action, whilst, at the same time, confined children to the role of mere recipients of protection. Other issues, such as education and health had found a place in the Universal Periodic Review but were viewed only through the lens of special protection for vulnerable groups, and discrimination against, for example, children with disabilities, or migrant children. The NGO Group suggested that efforts were required, by stakeholders and the Council alike, to ensure certain overlooked clusters of rights, for example, civil rights and freedoms, family environment and alternative care, and not least of all, the principle of child participation in all spheres of social life, were appropriately represented in the Universal Periodic Review.

The institution-building package recognized the Universal Periodic Review as an evolving mechanism and the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Day drew attention to the evolution of a clear and more explicit language of recommendations in the interactive dialogues. Whilst the MGO Group could point to the non-specific nature of some recommendations, it also noted occasions when important questions and observations on child rights during earlier dialogues simply did not crystallize into the listed recommendations. Stakeholder submissions and interventions in the dialogue needed to be focused on a straightforward logic of identifying the problem, presenting the evidence and recommending the solution. Through this sort of logic, particularly given the time constraints during the dialogue, the Universal Periodic Review could be made more effective, by resulting in specific and time-bound recommendations for follow-up.

While welcoming the fact that child rights had found a space in the Universal Periodic Review, the NGO Group noted situations where child rights issues had potentially been misused to avoid scrutiny of more politically touchy or egregious issues. Further, there were occasions when a pressing child right issue had dominated child rights discourse in the dialogue to the virtual exclusion of other child rights issues. This begged the question as to how the fullest reflection of the child right situation in any State under review was measured, avoiding misuse, duplication and repetition. Raising these risks did not deflect the NGO Group from the basic principles that all children were rights-holders, that child rights were human rights, and that the Universal Periodic Review was an entirely appropriate forum to discuss child rights.

MAUD DE BOER-BUQUICHIO, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, said that 20 years ago, the United Nations offered a wonderful gift to children throughout the world – the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This gift came with a promise from 193 countries to respect, protect and empower children. Unfortunately, the current state of the world with respect to children showed that States still had many promises which had not been kept. The starting point for the work of the Council of Europe was in recognising that children were not mini-persons with mini-human rights – in fact they needed more protection, not less. Adults wanted children to grow up and respect the world into which they were born. It was high time that the adult world developed its respect for children’s rights.

Ms. De Boer-Buquichio said the Council of Europe was a regional organization, but their message and tools could be applied worldwide. The Council of Europe combined highly effective tools such as standard-setting, monitoring, policy development, assistance programmes, awareness-raising, training, capacity building; and additionally, mobilised Governments, parliaments, and local authorities and NGOs to take action. One of the Council of Europe’s most important and successful ways of building a human rights culture lay in their capacity to set standards. Regional and global action both helped to advance the human rights cause, and was certainly what was happening with the Council of Europe’s instruments and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Setting standards was one thing. State’s compliance with them was of course critical to actually changing the lives of children and adults. Monitoring compliance with human rights standards was of utmost importance. The Council of Europe had several monitoring systems, ranging from parliamentarian monitoring and peer reviews to monitoring by independent experts.

Many cases concerning children’s rights had been brought before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Those cases raised issues such as the prohibition of degrading and humiliating treatment, the right of children to a fair trial and the right to a respect for private and family life, stressed Ms. De Boer-Buquichio. Cases concerning corporal punishment of children provided the international community with a good illustration of how the Strasbourg Court increasingly applied the standards of the United Nations Convention in judgements related to children. The very idea of European advocacy for a change of national laws regulating the issue of corporal punishment had irritated some people, including politicians. It even provoked comments about Europe wasting taxpayers’ money to meddle in something which was clearly not their business. Ms. De Boer-Buquichio begged to disagree. Corporal punishment sent a message to children that violence was an acceptable means of resolving conflicts between people, and ultimately even between peoples. Moreover, any intentional use of force to cause pain, discomfort and humiliation was an attack on physical and psychological integrity. And it was a violation of human rights. If this was true for adults, it was even truer for children. Yes, they were smaller, but their human rights were not!

Interactive Discussion

TOMAS HUSAK (Czech Republic), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the Convention on the Rights of the Child was the primary basis for an efficient fulfilment of the task to improve the situation of children, which could only be improved by intensifying efforts at both the national and international level. Withdrawing reservations, in particular those that were incompatible with the objective and purpose of the Convention and its Optional Protocols, could significantly contribute to better implementation of the international instruments. Regional instruments could also strengthen the Convention's norms. As for the Human Rights Council, it undoubtedly had an extreme potential to enhance the implementation of the Convention, above all by its unique Universal Periodic Review mechanism, as well as by its Special Procedures and other bodies, where room for involvement of more of them still existed.

Could an assessment already be made of how the Special Procedures and other Council mechanisms dealt with the Council request to integrate the rights of the child into the implementation of their mandate; what did the High Commissioner think of the idea of having a bigger secretariat for the Committee on the Rights of the Child; what was the updated situation on the process of appointment of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children; and where were the most worrying shortcomings and gaps in the protection of children's rights according to the Council of Europe and where and how could the activities of UN bodies and the Council of Europe be mutually benefited by their elimination, the European Union asked.

CARLOS PORTALES (Chile), speaking on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries, said that the countries of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries conferred great importance to the promotion and protection of human rights, especially those of boys and girls. Now, they had the opportunity to discuss how the rights of the child had been integrated in the Universal Periodic Review process. They were concerned that there had been no appointment of a Special Rapporteur on violence against children. The Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries welcomed the holding of the third international conference on sexual exploitation of children and adolescents which had recently been held in Brazil. The protection and well-being of children was very important and the Group reiterated its commitment to fight scourges against children. The Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries restated its firm commitment stemming from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially toward the protection of the right to life, education, and participation in decisions relating to children. The Group wanted to hear the views of the panellists relating to loopholes in the Convention.

JURG LAUBER (Switzerland) said the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocol was a priority for Switzerland. Switzerland welcomed the presence of the High Commissioner and thanked her for her contribution, as well as the contribution of the other panellists. The Council’s resolution on the rights of the child was an important instrument allowing Member States to take a position on the topic. However, Switzerland was in favour of a thematic resolution, which focused more on key points, and which would better reflect the issue facing children’s right. Last year, Switzerland’s demands were met with the Council decision to have an omnibus resolution on the topic every four years. With this in mind, Switzerland asked what topic should the Council focus on next year, and how could the Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights contribute to this work?

With regard to the Universal Periodic Review, Switzerland said that it should focus on development potential, and here everyone had a role to play as States could give a better impetus to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols. There were a number of existing bodies that already contributed to the work on the rights of the child, such as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children in Armed Conflict, UNICEF, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Security Council and of course the Human Rights Council. Given that, what could the panel recommend that the Human Rights Council do in light of all the efforts underway in the United Nations to further better implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols, asked Switzerland?

IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI (Pakistan), speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the Convention on the Rights of the Child was the most widely-ratified human rights instrument, and the efforts of the High Commissioner to promote implementation were welcomed. Children were the future of mankind, but often happened to be among the worst sufferers and the most vulnerable - the vicious cycle of poverty that adversely affected many countries in particular affected children. Millions of children continued to languish in refugee camps and in situations of displacement, as well as lying in the street. The sexual abuse of children was a serious problem for the protection of children. The World Summit had been followed by a Summit on Children, which culminated in the land-mark document "A world fit for children".

Efforts aimed at generating awareness of the Convention over the last 20 years had brought about the understanding that children were not the property of their parents, but were rights-holders. This had brought about a change of view of children. The Convention also provided a framework for individuals to protect the rights of the child. In order to promote the implementation of the Convention at the national level, States should implement changes to their laws in order to ensure their conformity with the document. Proper education and access to health should be ensured for every child. The Convention on the Rights of the Child remained a symbol of the collective commitment to the rights of the child, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child should continue its activities to protect and promote the rights of the child in the context of the Convention.

JUAN ANTONIO FERNANDEZ PALACIOS (Cuba), speaking on behalf of Non-Aligned Movement, said that the subject the Council was debating today was of vital importance for the future of humanity. From the Non-Aligned Movement’s humanist conceptions, nothing was more important than a child. Defending of today’s childhood was the guarantee of a more equitable, just and sustainable world in the future. Twenty years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the world situation of childhood was not very encouraging. Today, children were threatened by wars, hunger and inequality. The Non-Aligned Movement had historically maintained a clear and unequivocal principled position in favour of the promotion and protection of the rights of the child in all parts of the world.

In the latest summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, held in Havana in September 2006, and in the Ministerial Meeting held in Teheran in July 2008, the Non-Aligned Movement Member States reaffirmed once again their commitment to the defense of the right of the child. In this sense the Non-Aligned Movement had condemned the killings of many Palestinian children, who had died as a result of the use of excessive and indiscriminate force, and extrajudicial executions against the Palestinian people. Today, the Non-Aligned Movement reiterated its call on the international community to implement its commitments to address the special needs of the South countries, particularly in Africa, and to contribute to the goal that all children had access to complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality, as well as to basic health care.

INGIBJORG DAVISDOTTIR (Iceland) expressed Iceland’s gratitude for the organization of the annual discussion of the Council on the rights of the child. Iceland felt that it was important to address two points: one was the proactive nature of the Convention and the other was the lessons to be learned from the success already achieved. The Convention provided a common framework for enhancing children’s rights all over the world. What was the key to this great success of the Convention, asked Iceland? One answer could be the unique characteristic of the Convention, it’s twofold nature: on the one hand it contained descriptive rights and on the other normative rights. The “descriptive” rights referred to the already established rights in existing legislations and therefore specified the rights that were currently embodied in a particular legal or cultural system. By contrast, “normative” rights referred to what ought to be that case, the desirable rights, responsibilities and duties. While the former represented the legal rule as its source, the latter represented the normative rights that required a value framework to be adopted. Therefore the Convention provided for proactive measures and a basis for further elaboration, including potential international tools with added value, designed to further the rights of the child.

EDUARDAS BORISOVAS (Lithuania) said the Convention on the Rights of the Child had had a considerable impact on improving the situation of children around the world - near universal ratification was one of the factors contributing to this. Further ratifications and in particular wider acceptance of the Optional Protocols would contribute to advancement of the rights of the child. The number of reservations to the treaties should also be reduced. The Committee on the Rights of the Child had become a victim of the success of the Convention and the high number of ratifications resulted in a high number of reports that led to increased time necessary for their consideration - States had to create the necessary conditions for the Committee to cope with the workload.

Reducing the backlog in considering reports would allow all to achieve greater results. During the preparation of reports, State institutions and civil society were sensitised to the provisions of the Convention. This momentum could be used for devising and implementing even better measures if the period of time between preparation of a report and its consideration could be shortened. With common efforts by States and the Committee, this could be achievable. What additional measures would be necessary to reduce the backlog, Lithuania asked.

AMY LAURENSON (New Zealand) said that New Zealand believed that the rights of the child should be an important component of the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. New Zealand was a longstanding supporter of the rights of the child. It wanted to know what steps it should take to improve the rights of the child, especially the girl child. In the work of the Committee, there had been an emphasis on discrimination, should States also put special emphasis on the combat of multiple discrimination, for example against discrimination against children of indigenous peoples? Also, how could existing mechanisms be improved to show greater respect for the rights of the child?

VLADIMIR ZHLEGOV (Russian Federation) welcomed the fact that the Council was examining the issue of children, and thanked the panellists for their contribution. The role and contribution of both UNICEF and the Committee on the Rights of the Child was important to note. The Russian Federation was particularly concerned that armed conflicts continued to bring suffering and grief into the lives of children around the world, and here there must be a resolution made to ensure the safety of civilians and most of all of the children who were victims of such crimes. The Russian Federation condemned the murdering of children through terrorist attacks and the disproportionate use of force, and as such called for all perpetrators to be tried and justice to be served to children who were victims of such acts. In this regard the Russian Federation asked the panellists what could be done to bring those violations to an end?

SOMDA MARC (Burkina Faso) said in just a few short months, the Convention on the Rights of the Child would be celebrating its twentieth birthday - 20 years during which the United Nations and the States Parties had tried to implement the instrument, and a lot had been done, with a lot remaining to be done. This anniversary should allow the international community to take stock of the situation, but should also represent a starting point in the implementation of new strategies to ensure children were protected everywhere. Forty-nine per cent of the population of Burkina Faso was under 15, and this was why the Government believed it was important to protect the rights of the child as human rights, and was fully committed to do so, having set up a legal framework to this end.

Burkina Faso had taken many different measures to protect the rights of children. Different strategies in different sectors had been developed to protect children's rights, in education, health, and others including violence and trafficking in children. Burkina Faso was committed to fighting all forms of discrimination, including female genital mutilation, and had been one of the leaders in the region in adopting legislation aiming at the eradication of this phenomenon. However, technical assistance was required to ensure there was full implementation, as well as the help of international non-governmental organizations.

SAMIRA SAFAROVA (Azerbaijan) said that the promotion and protection of the rights of the child was at the center of human rights protection in Azerbaijan, which was a State party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, along with Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Various legislative acts and relevant State programmes had been adopted and were now implemented. The law of Azerbaijan on the rights of the child defined the priority of the rights of the child in activities of State organs and all legal entities as well. Any act restricting the right and interest of the child was against the law. The Law of Azerbaijan on nutrition of babies and infants of 2003 stipulated that the State guaranteed adequate nutrition of children as a main direction of State policy in this regard. 2009 had been announced the year of the child in Azerbaijan. Special measures had been recently approved by a presidential decree which included the creation of a website on the child year, implementation of necessary measures related to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and improvement of training courses in this regard. Despite the measures for the protection of the rights of the child introduced by the Government, Azerbaijan was still facing problems in this area caused by the consequences of external aggression against it and foreign occupation.

IBRAHIM S. AL-ADOOFI (Yemen), speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, welcomed the fact that the Human Rights Council was holding an annual day on the rights of the child. The rights of children in every region of the world had to be considered today. In some regions of the world, the day children were born was the day they died, as had been seen recently by Palestinians in Gaza. The recent incursion by Israel in Gaza left children as the main victims, with many children severely wounded, and even many cases of a serious pathological and psychological nature as a result of destruction waged by Israel. Many children were displaced and had to leave their homes due to roughly 14,000 houses that had been destroyed, including schools, due to Israeli attacks. This was a violation of every humanitarian law, and in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians during armed conflict. The Human Rights Council had a responsibility to clearly condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza. Yemen said that access to food for children was a problem, particularly in southern countries and south east Asia, and as such the international community had the responsibility to address this. In addition, the role of children in armed conflicts needed to be addressed and their safety needed to be ensured.

ANTON PINTER (Slovakia) said the Convention on the Rights of the Child was the most complete statement of children's rights, and therefore should be seen as the standard in their protection and promotion. The almost universal recognition of the Convention had been confirmed by 193 ratifications, resulting in it being the most widely accepted international human rights treaty. On the other hand, it was the only international human rights treaty with a mandatory reporting procedure which still did not have a communications procedure. Even if some children's rights could be pursued by the mechanisms established under other international instruments, they did not cover the full range of unique rights guaranteed by the Convention.

The wide recognition of the Convention and the Optional Protocols had contributed to significant positive developments in the area of protection and promotion of the rights of the child, but the situation was far from ideal. Even if national remedies for breaches of children's rights should be further developed and enhanced, an international procedure available in case of their ineffectiveness could bring an improvement in the quality of the protection of children's rights. How did the Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe view the idea of enabling children to submit individual communications for breaches of their rights, Slovakia asked.

MOHAMED CHAGRAOUI (Tunisia) said that Tunisia welcomed the holding of this panel discussion at a moment when the international community was preparing for the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. This Convention and its Optional Protocols had opened the way for the promotion of the rights of the child and for the implementation of the superior interests of the child. Tunisia had created favourable conditions for the effective implementation of all texts relating to the promotion of the rights of the child. The articles of the code for the protection of the child promulgated in 1995 detailed the principles that guaranteed the child’s right to development, with particular attention to physical, mental and social development; and the right to protection from any form of exploitation. All indicators in this area showed that Tunisia had made the right choice in instituting all these mechanisms. Tunisia had also put in place a national strategy for children with disabilities.

JUDE BAPTISTE (Haiti) thanked all Member States who had already ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols, and urged States who had not yet done this to do so. The General Assembly’s adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20 November 1989 had shed new light on this mechanism and had offered a new perspective for States in this regard. The rights0 of the child was an issue of great concern to Haiti, and as such Haiti was delighted that the Human Rights Council had devoted one day to this cause. Haiti welcomed and invited interested Member States to join them in the drafting of a draft resolution on parental authority for children born out of wedlock, which aimed to allow the child the right to maintain a relationship with both parents. Those separated or divorced should share the responsibility equally for the education and up bringing of their children. This initiative would help single mothers and fathers take a role and responsibility in their children’s lives as well. A child today, an adult tomorrow, the future of each and every State hinged upon their children and their safety and security.

ANDREJ LOGAR (Slovenia) said it was the international community's responsibility to ensure that the rights of the child were respected in all countries and that all children were guaranteed the childhood they deserved. This could be achieved by international, regional and national mechanisms to monitor and implement the Convention. Proper data collection and the participation of children and youth were equally important. Eradication of poverty was not just the greatest global challenge facing the world today, but also an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Special attention should be given to the strategies for social protection and social inclusion of children as one of the most vulnerable social groups.

In the 20 years of promoting the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the international community had become aware of the extent of the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, as well as of the impact of armed conflict on them. Both Optional Protocols had become indispensable mechanisms to enhance children's rights in this regard. The twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was a unique opportunity to make a step forward with the full realisation of children's rights. In particular, the international community should aim to strengthen the international legal framework, with the establishment of the Working Group to explore the possibility for a communication procedure to the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

LIBERE BARARUNYERETSE, of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, said that starting from the holding of the World Summit on Children, the issue of the rights of the child had mobilized the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, which called on those members who had not done so, to ratify the Convention. A series of serious activities had been conducted with partners like UNICEF and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in French-speaking countries for the promotion and implementation of the rights of the child. The French-speaking countries pursued mobilizing the whole of institutional networks, like the national commissions on human rights, the economic and social councils, mediators and ombudsmen, the French-speaking and African high jurisdictions, the authorities charged with the protection of personal data, among others, to promote the rights of the child. A programme had been developed in collaboration with the Francophonie’s diverse partners, which would be implemented in 2009. This programme was designed to stimulate the creation of institutions specialized in children’s rights, information on professionals active in the field of children and in contact with children; and promotion of the rights of the child and by the implementation of a documentation base aimed at following-up on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention.

GHADEER EL-FAYEZ (Jordan) welcomed the holding of the annual day to discuss the important matter of the rights of the child. It was an opportunity to examine relevant international instruments and initiatives as well as an opportunity to exchange views and discuss challenges and how to overcome them. In view of the second ten-year plan for children 2004-2015, and the Millennium Development Goals, Jordan adopted a National Plan for Children 2003-2014, which was a general framework for drawing up a strategy for ensuring the rights of children for all age categories. The National Plan for Children focused on providing a safe environment for children to grow, which provided administrative and legislative guarantees to ensure the safety and development of children in Jordan. The main aim of the national plan was to provide a general framework and approach for the implementation of practical measures for them. It was aimed to promote private partnerships, and reduce geographical and economic disparities by increasing and providing access to services, among other things. Jordan also provided protection services for children and their families, and Her Majesty Queen Rania had adopted a plan set up jointly with UNICEF for the rights of the child. Jordan reiterated its commitment to continue to work with relevant actors and cooperate with the Council to continue the work in promoting and protecting the rights of the child.

FATIH ULUSOY (Turkey) said this year marked the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and provided a good opportunity for States to renew the commitment to the implementation and promotion of the Convention. The commemorative event to be organised by the Committee would give a fresh impetus to advocacy activities. In the last decade, there had been a considerable increase in the awareness of children's rights worldwide - the Convention was the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. Despite significant progress, challenges and obstacles remained. Millions of children were faced with very difficult circumstances, sometimes having no shelter, food, education and prospect for a better future in some parts of the world.

The current economic and financial crisis was likely to leave many more children in dire conditions. The international community had a daunting task ahead to make human rights a reality for all children around the world; concerted action by all stakeholders was much needed today. The Human Rights Council now had at its disposal different mechanisms to effectively address the rights of the child. What were the views of the panellists as to how the Council could ensure that children's rights were more systematically considered during the Universal Periodic Review process, Turkey asked.

PAWEL JAROS, of the Office of the Ombudsman on Children's Rights of Poland, said that Poland had made significant contributions to the creation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. First, in the context of the essential question on how to achieve the purposes of the Convention and full implementation of its provisions, it would be appropriate to enable the Committee on the Rights of the Child to receive and consider communications submitted by or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals, under the jurisdiction of a State Party, claiming to be victims of a violation of any of the children rights set forth in the Convention by the State Party. The Committee on the Rights of the Child was the only one of treaty bodies which did not have this possibility. If they wanted to treat child rights seriously, they should provide this rule to enter into force in the near future. At the European level, Poland’s Ombudsman of Children Rights said that it was concerned about the situation of children and their parents in one of the European States.

CECILIA R. V. QUISUMBING, of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, noted with appreciation the landmark joint statement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and hoped this marked the beginning of more joint interventions by them in the Human Rights Council. The Commission called attention to the current challenges to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of the child in the hopes that States and civil society would consider these in their plans and programmes for the next few years. The global economic crisis was forcing Governments to adopt austerity programmes. The Commission hoped that they would maintain or even increase their programmes for the provision of basic needs to children including food, education, shelter, and health care.

ERIC NYMAN, of International Save the Children Alliance, said the ongoing violence that children suffered every day in private spheres like homes and families still needed to receive the same level of condemnation as did arbitrary detentions and other extreme forms of violence such as sexual exploitation or recruitment and use as child soldiers. This was the way for violence against children in private spheres to be stopped and prevented. These forms of violence were perpetrated by the children's primary care-givers, and were violations of child rights. International Save the Children Alliance called for responsibility by the State to act to prevent, respond and redress them as a matter of urgency. Governments should set up mechanisms that allowed children to speak up, in confidence and trust, and to receive social, psychological and legal assistance.

ANNE-SOPHIE LOIS, of Plan International, in a joint statement with several NGOs1, said that the reporting procedure and the concluding observations on States’ reports issued by the Committee on the Rights of the Child revealed persisting grave breaches of the full range of children’s rights. As the Committee had emphasized, for rights to have meaning, effective remedies must be available to redress violations. When States failed to provide such remedies at the national level, children and their representative needed to be able to hold States accountable for their obligations. There was nothing to prevent children and their representatives from using the communications procedures under other instruments. However, the Committee represented the children’s convention and it contained numerous unique and essential rights for the child that were not protected under other treaties. Establishing a communications procedure under the Committee would not only allow communications from children and their representatives to be dealt with by the Committee, but would complement States’ reporting obligations, enabling individuals and groups to take up non-compliance of rights directly with the Committee.

DAINIUS PURAS, Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, thanked the Council and delegations for recognizing the importance of the work of the Committee and for sharing the challenges faced in this regard. This testified the importance the Council gave to the rights of the child. The Committee had an enormous workload, with almost universal ratification of the Convention plus two Optional Protocols. With regard to the two chambers planned for next year, this was not a long-term solution, and the Committee welcomed any suggestions States may have in this regard. The Committee was always exploring how to improve its methods of work and in this vein the Committee supported an increase in the capacity of support it received from the Secretariat, and welcomed continued support from States parties.

Regarding the question on existing gaps and how to better coordinate efforts at the international level, Mr. Puras said that the biggest challenge was the implementation of the Convention and how this implementation could reach all children suffering in all parts of the world. There was no better way, he said, than for all to join forces and coordinate the mechanisms already in place, such as the Universal Periodic Review and Special Procedures, which should compliment each other better. The Committee was encouraged by the meaningful way in which the Universal Periodic Review was received by States. Mr. Puras said that the question of how could forces and coordination of mechanisms be better used was a question for all relevant bodies. On the question on a communication procedure, the Committee supported this process, as it would contribute to the better implementation of the Convention.

PHILIP O'BRIEN, Director for Private Fundraising and Partnerships, UNICEF Geneva, responding to questions and issues raised by speakers, said he very much welcomed the idea that the Human Rights Council continue this annual day on the rights of the child. One of the essential issues was the state of law reform in national settings vis-à-vis the Convention, and a national analysis of whether laws had made a significant change in children's lives. On the issue of whether there was a need for further work on trafficking, the Council should look at education in this regard. The World Bank had recently launched a new initiative on education, including the empowerment of girls in conflict and post-conflict countries. The way to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty was to invest in young girls, who were today in a particularly vulnerable situation.

On the issue of inner-United Nations coordination, this should be encouraged. There needed to be more organization and coordination, and UNICEF was pleased to see so many parts of the United Nations discuss the issue. The issue of children's rights should be more clearly included in peace and security agreements. The number of countries that could reduce reservations and adopt the Optional Protocols should increase. On the issue of the communications procedure, UNICEF would certainly support any initiative on this either from the Committee or from the Member States - the next frontier on child rights was the most appropriate forms of child participation, ensuring that children had a voice and an opportunity to express themselves in situations affecting them.

ASMA JAHANGIR, Chair of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures, said regarding the implementation of the rights of the child in each mandate, many steps had already been taken for thematic issues, as well as for country reports. The issue of child rights was seen as a mainstream issue, rather than an issue that had to be dealt with by one Special Rapporteur. She also mentioned that progress, rather than shortcomings, was what they had to concentrate on. Culture was often limiting to the development of girls, they were often not able to participate in sports, arts, music and alike. This was an area that needed special attention, as well as the impact of natural disasters and climate change on children and the girl child in particular.

ALAN KIKUCHI-WHITE, NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in his response to questions raised during the interactive dialogue, said that with respect to the questions raised on the gaps which remained, there were two thematic gaps that needed to be addressed with respect to the Universal Periodic Review and the work of the Human Rights Council: one on civil rights and freedoms and the other on family environment and care. In response to Switzerland’s question on what could be a potential thematic topic for next year’s discussion, he said that civil rights and freedoms could be a good topic. Addressing these two thematic topics would ensure that they would not be forgotten in the Universal Periodic Review and the Human Rights Council in future discussions. In addition the systematic participation of children affected in these forums was vital and important as they had the right to be heard too and to hear what was being discussed with respect to their rights. A question on how one could increase the monitoring and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was raised by New Zealand. Those limitations could be addressed through establishment of a complaints mechanism to the Committee, and this would complete the framework of child rights to allow children to express their views and have them addressed. On the question raised by Switzerland on synergy, Mr. Kikuchi-White stressed that the Human Rights Council was the highest body on human rights, and as such strongly encouraged that the Council take a leading role in addressing this.

MAUD DE BOER-BUQUICHIO, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, responding to the questions and issues raised by speakers, said with regards to the statement by the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union and where were the shortcomings in the implementation of the Convention, the origin of the lack of success was to be seen in the fact that children were still not recognised as rights-holders. Lack of recognition that children were entitled to respect of their rights was a problem. At a policy level, there was a clear need for integrated strategies for child's rights, including legal and policy measures, and covering all areas, including justice, health, and the economy. The Council of Europe was currently developing policy guidelines in that respect.

With regards to the other question on the cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe and how they could complement each other, there was excellent cooperation, with agreements with UNICEF, for example, and excellent cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. There was however increasing space for the sharing of information, which would give mutual benefit. The United Nations should favour the accession to Council of Europe Conventions, which were sometimes better operationalised in favour of implementation of United Nations Conventions. These Conventions were not just open to Members of the Council of Europe, but also to non-Members, and some of these had acceded to the Conventions, which had turned out to be extremely beneficial. As to the question as to the possibility for individuals and children to bring individual communications and complaints, Ms. Boer-Bogquicchio was very much in favour of this.

SIHASAK PHUANGKETKEOW (Thailand), speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said that last year was a particularly significant year for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in terms of human rights, with the coming into force of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Charter. Under the Charter, human rights were given the highest priority and it was specifically indicated that one of the principles and purposes of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was currently in the process of establishing an Association of Southeast Asian Nations Human Rights Body in which the promotion of the rights of the child should be considered. All of this underscored the fact that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was fully committed to human rights and that the rights of women and children ranked very high on its agenda. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was proud that all 10 Member States of the Association were States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In this regard, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations welcomed this opportunity to discuss the promotion of the rights of the child in the Human Rights Council, and joined the international community in celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Convention, which the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations continued to attach great importance to.

KAZUYOSHI SONEDA (Japan) welcomed the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. Japan also welcomed the acceptance of the Convention as the international standard for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, together with its two Optional Protocols, which had also been ratified by many States. The Government of Japan emphasized the importance of States parties to continue their efforts to realize the rights of the child enshrined in the Convention and its Optional Protocols by amending domestic laws and policies in accordance with those instruments, and through the examination of reports by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

With regard to the implementation of the Convention at the international level, which was the theme of this panel, the Government of Japan supported the use of the Universal Periodic Review as one of the tools to measure such progress, and as a way to integrate the rights of the child into work of the Human Rights Council. Japan felt it was vital for the State being reviewed, and other States and related organisations participating in the Universal Periodic Review process, to submit fair and accurate information on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as sources of the review, so that they were also reflected in the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review.

ROBERTO VELLANO (Italy) said while the Convention was one of the most widely ratified international instruments, there was growing concern for its effective implementation; there were gaps that needed to be addressed, in terms of capacity, knowledge and protection. The Universal Periodic Review and the related follow-up activities, through an integrated and synergic approach between all stakeholders, namely States, Special Procedures, treaty bodies, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations, should help to reduce the distance between theory and practice.

Among the several areas of concern, Italy wished to use this opportunity to draw the Council's attention to two specific issues: first, the right of children to identity and registration at birth, an aspect which was often neglected in public debates, although it represented a pre-condition for the enjoyment of the most fundamental rights of the child, including education and health; and secondly the prohibition of capital punishment for juvenile offenders. The panellists should provide indications as to how, in their view, the different parts of the human rights system could play a more active and effective role.

SILVIA ESCOBAR (Spain) said that the commemoration of the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child gave Spain the opportunity to stress that girls and boys must be visible in society. Their opinions must be taken into account and their rights must be respected. Spain emphasized that there was special protection for children in the framework of fundamental freedoms. Everybody knew that children suffered particularly hard from a lack of education and from poverty. Therefore, there must be sanctions for those who exploited children. Spain had promulgated stronger sanctions regarding the sexual abuse of children, committed by Spanish citizens or foreigners on Spain’s territory. Further, Spain has modified the law to protect children in the judicial process and implemented measures in order to ensure that children would not have to confront their torturers. Spain’s security forces had put in place systems that identified child pornography.

MARIANNA LINNIK (Australia) said Australia placed the highest priority on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child and welcomed the full-day meeting on the rights of the child as an opportunity to raise the profile of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention set the standard against which all States could be measured and scrutinised. Australia urged those States that had not yet done so to ratify the Convention, and to give early consideration to signing and ratifying its Optional Protocols. In order to create a better future for all children, as an international community, all must reaffirm their commitment to working together with other Member States and international organizations, as well as with non-governmental organizations and civil society. Australia considered the Universal Periodic Review process to have the potential to improve the human rights situations in all countries, and presented a new opportunity to draw attention to the rights of children.

Australia asked Mr. Philip O’Brien, with regard to his mention of public and private partnerships as being effective in protecting the right of the child and that there were opportunities for more innovative partnerships in the future, if he could elaborate on this further?

YANG XIAONING (China) said this year was the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - the number of States parties over the past years had increased to 193. The rights of the child were fully respected and protected, and the International Court for the Rights of the Child was making progress. Civil society had been making efforts. The implementation of the rights of the child required Governments to adopt legislative and law-and-order measures, at the same time striking at the root causes of violations, and increasing international cooperation. The ideas of Member States should be listened to. China supported the mechanisms of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the rights of the child was nominated, and this was an issue of concern. The child was the future of the world. China had one fifth of the world's children, and the Government had been paying considerable attention to the rights of the child, having set up a range of legal systems aimed at protecting their rights. It had also issued specific action plans aimed at resolving the difficult issues of child development. It would continue to give input to health and education, work to improve welfare, and would continue to strengthen international cooperation and work with the international community to create a world fit for children.

MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN (Bangladesh) said that Bangladesh hoped that the discussion the Council had today would provide impetus to the global efforts in implementing the internationally agreed legal framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of the child. The Convention on the Rights of the Child had received near universal ratification. With its two Optional Protocols, the Convention was equipped with the necessary legal framework. Built on varied legal system and cultural traditions, the Convention was universally agreed on and set non-negotiable standards and obligations. It had incorporated the full range of human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. States were obliged to develop all action and policies for the best interest of the child. Yet, every day 16,000 children died from hunger, and hunger-related disease. A large number of children were dying from diseases like HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS had a massive impact on children. It was predicted that as many as 40 million children in developing countries will lose one or both parents due to this deadly disease.

DAVIDE ZARU, of the European Commission, said the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child guided the European Union’s policy on children’s rights. While implementing this policy, the European community legislated and undertook actions at the normative level to pursue the promotion and protection of the rights of the child in full conformity with the Convention. Examples of such actions included legislation on combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, combating child trafficking and child pornography on the internet, and finding missing or sexually exploited children, among others. Furthermore, the European community supported the action of NGOs worldwide for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. Areas of support included capacity building activities for monitoring of the implementation of the Convention, education and training persons working with children, and awareness raising on the rights guaranteed by the Convention.

SITI HAJJAR ADNIN (Malaysia) said it was 20 years now since the Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force, enshrining childhood within a human rights framework, and defining a set of commitments to ensure that all children enjoyed the same opportunities. The vision of children's rights set forth in the Convention had in recent decades resulted in advances in fulfilling children's rights around the world. While there were admirable achievements, the childhood of millions of children around the world remained very much under threat. There were also emerging challenges, faced by both developed and developing countries including Malaysia, namely "lifestyle diseases".

There were other threats to child survival and protection, such as the implications of the economic and financial crisis, the emerging global recession, and the increase in food prices. The Government viewed the protection of children, their health, educational development and participation in society as important building blocks in the growth of nations, especially developing countries. Although Malaysia still had reservations under the Convention, efforts were being undertaken to review these with a view to lifting them. The international community should keep its eyes firmly on its ultimate goal, which was to ensure that every child survived and thrived throughout childhood. The primary responsibility lay with the national Governments and international organizations.
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1Joint statement on behalf of: Plan International; World Vision International; SOS - Kinderdorf International; World Organization against Torture; International Save the Children Alliance; and International Federation Terre des Hommes.



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