PERSISTENT POVERTY, INADEQUATE RESOURCES ARE MAIN OBSTACLES TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT, SPECIAL SESSION PREPARATORY COMMITTEE TOLD

Preparatory Committee for the
Special Session of the General Assembly
on the Children’s World Summit
12 June 2001
4th Meeting (PM)




It was clear that the special needs of African children had not yet been adequately reflected in international policies and programmes, the Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General Assembly for follow-up to the World Summit for Children was told this afternoon.

As it continued its discussion of the Secretary-General’s report, entitled “We the Children”, the Personal Representative of the President of Nigeria (speaking on behalf of the African Group of States) said that a decade ago the needs of children in Africa had been most acute, and yet it was there that the least progress had been made. If the continent were to play a meaningful role in the twenty-first century, its countries must invest in its children and youth. They also required a special place in all policy-making structures and in the forthcoming special session. Further, Africa’s modest efforts needed to be complemented by its partners at the international level.

Most speakers this afternoon agreed that the main obstacles hindering development of children worldwide were persistent poverty and inadequate resources. Presently, children were facing more and more challenges, including HIV/AIDS, increasing sexual exploitation of children and conflicts, which needed to be adequately addressed. Remarking on the decreased level of official development assistance (ODA) to the developing countries, several speakers noted the obligation of the developed countries to provide increased assistance towards sustainable development of the poor nations, without which they would find it difficult to achieve the goals set at the World Summit for Children in 1990.

In that connection, the representative of Cuba said that as 50 per cent of the 3 billion poor people were children, a serious analysis of the situation was needed, along with actions to eliminate poverty and move towards sustainable development in all parts of the world. No substantial progress could be made, unless effective and concrete strategies were put in place to confront the problem of poverty, ensure fair access to resources and elimination of external debt of developing countries, and create a fair and participatory decision-making mechanisms. Official development assistance was not a gift of the developed countries, but a payment of their historic debt to the countries they had plundered and colonized in the past.

In line with concerns over emerging issues, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs of the United States suggested strengthening the language in the outcome document for the special session. Specifically, the protection of children affected by armed conflict should include education, reunification and support for families, as well as community-based actions for psychological and social rehabilitation. As for the sexual exploitation of children, he strongly suggested the need for an increased focus on both preventing children from being drawn into the sex trade and on helping those who had already been victims.

Emphasizing the role of the family, the Deputy Foreign Minister and Personal Representative of the President of Iran said that promoting religious, cultural and moral values and adopting programmes and policies geared to the promotion of responsible and spiritual patterns of life would contribute to the realization of the rights and welfare of the children. Different forms of political pressure, economic sanctions and embargoes, unilateral coercive measures and insufficient and discriminatory humanitarian assistance effectively undermined the human and material resources of governments in pursuing national capacity-building.

Also speaking this afternoon were the Deputy Chairman of the National Working Committee on Children and Women of the State Council of China; the Chairperson of the Committee for the Protection and Care of Children of Viet Nam; the Personal Representative of the President of the Republic of Korea; the Deputy Director, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of the Russian Federation; the Special Representative of the President of Brazil; the Assistant Secretary of State for Education of the Dominican Republic; the Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of Mongolia; the Personal Representative of the President of Cameroon; and the First Lady of Guyana.

In addition, statements were made by the representatives of Peru, Colombia, Fiji (on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum), Indonesia and New Zealand. The Deputy Director of the Swiss Development Agency, and the representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Bank and the World Food Programme also spoke, as well as the Chairman of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the President of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Preparatory Committee will continue its discussion of the Secretary-General’s report at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 13 June.


Background

This afternoon, the Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General Assembly for follow-up to the 1990 World Summit for Children was expected to continue its consideration of the Secretary-General’s report, entitled “We the Children”. For background information regarding the current five-day session of the Preparatory Committee, see Press Release HR/4536 of 11 June.


Statements

MOVSES ABELIAN (Armenia), President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said that in the past decade the Executive Board had reviewed the progress achieved in the implementation of the goals of the World Summit for Children. This year, the Board was particularly fortunate to have, as a basis for its discussion, the report of the Secretary-General and the national follow-up reports.

Around the world, in Berlin, Cairo, Beijing and Katmandu, people from all walks of life had been coming together to form a true global movement for children, creating remarkable momentum, he said. Many delegations felt that the document under consideration accurately reflected the situation and captured quite well the collective wisdom and experience embodied in many national reports. The report provided an honest and open stocktaking and could serve as a good guide for the outcome document.

The national reports reflected not just the views of governments, but also the inputs of others engaged in the participatory review process, he continued. That provided what one delegation called “a global mirror of the child”. During the Board’s deliberations, mention was also made of the wide range of information and data, and new information on child protection issues was welcomed. The report also documented such new problems as HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, mental illness and tobacco use.

Some had expressed concern over the lack of resources, he added. Delegations also noted important lessons learned from the review, including the facts that advocacy must be accompanied by concrete action and that partnerships were essential at all levels. Other important issues included the need to invest in health and the social sector; to adapt a goal-based approach; and to achieve a mixture of vertical and horizontal programming. The priority actions for the future had been found particularly useful. Many delegations had also spoken about regional meetings that had been taking place.

JORGE LUIS VALDEZ CARILLO (Peru) said that the drawing up of the declaration and action plan on children would help the international community face up to the challenges regarding the future of children. It must be recognized that the drafting of those documents required the active participation of all States. It was only natural that differences might persist due to the specific situations of States. What was most important was to remember why and for whom the meeting was taking place.

The States in Latin America and the Caribbean had agreed on a number of documents for the protection of children’s rights, including the Lima Plan of Action and the Kingston Declaration. The outcome document arising from deliberations during the week should promote and protect the human rights of young people. It should also be recognized that young people have specific health needs which were different from those of adults. It must be borne in mind that sexual and reproductive health, issues that had been debated several times, were crucial to the overall well-being and development of young people. Another issue that must be given priority was gender mainstreaming.

JAVAD ZARIF Special Representative of the President of Iran, said the report contained a wide range of themes, portraying a real picture around the world. Chronic poverty, child mortality and disparities between the rich and poor, foreign occupations and violence against children and sexual exploitation of children were the depressing realities. Those must be targeted in the future actions and programmes.

Globalization was a two-sided phenomenon, which generated profound exclusionary consequences for children, he said. The special session should make sure that the actions taken remedied its negative impacts. Undeniably, increasing poverty and unleashed forces of international and national consumer markets had highly contributed to the persistence of that evil phenomenon.

Family played an essential role in society, creating a safe and enabling environment for children and preventing them from all forms of exploitation, he continued. The role of parents was crucial in leading children and adolescents to a happy and secure life. The role of the family and enhancement of its status should be accorded due attention in the outcome document. Promoting religious, cultural and moral values and adopting programmes and policies geared to the promotion of responsible and spiritual patterns of life would contribute to the realization of the rights and well-being of children.

Creating an enabling environment for the protection of children at the local and international levels was of key importance, he said. Different forms of political pressure, economic sanctions and embargoes, unilateral coercive measures and insufficient and discriminatory humanitarian assistance effectively undermined the human and material resources of governments in pursuing national capacity building, which was indeed central in the implementation of the goals and objectives set in the World Summit documents. Individual development and social contribution of children shaped the world’s future. Children were central to human progress, and should be fully developed as priceless assets for the future.

GU XIULIAN, Deputy Chairman of the National Working Committee on Children and Women of the State Council of China, said the two main obstacles hindering development of children worldwide were persistent poverty and inadequate resources. Poverty not only made it difficult to meet the basic needs of children, but also made it difficult to sustain the progress made. Presently, children were facing more and more challenges, including HIV/AIDS and conflicts, which were the consequences of poverty. Also, inadequate resources constrained to a great extent the development of children. The developed countries should assume more responsibility for the development of children in the developing countries by increasing official development assistance (ODA).

On China’s experience, she said that development in the rural and urban areas was uneven. There were still a lot of people living under the poverty line, and their children were facing more challenges. The Government had promulgated the 2001-2010 Plan of Action for child development. The new Plan of Action provided a comprehensive review of the current situation and put forward goals for the survival, development, protection and participation of children, as well as measures to achieve those goals. The four areas covered in the Plan of Action were children and health, education, children and the environment, and legal protection.

TRAN THI THANH THANH, Chairperson of the Committee for the Protection and Care of Children of Viet Nam, said her country had conducted a thorough review of its national plan of action in preparation for the special session. Regarding the outcome document, she said that children should be protected from the horrors of armed conflicts. It was necessary to step up cooperation to solve the painful and long-term consequences of war on its victims, especially children. That had not yet been addressed in the outcome document. As one of the root causes of child labour was poverty and the lack of access to education and training, it was vital to emphasize the important role of poverty eradication in eliminating child labour.

Continuing the mobilization of resources, she agreed with the measures mentioned in the draft, including the enhancement of investment for social development. However, it was also necessary to emphasize that social development programmes should include a focus on children. That was because, in many cases, although resources for social development had been increased, due attention had not been paid to investment for children. It was important to keep the document concise and action-oriented, with realistic goals and measures to achieve those goals.

MERCEDES DE ARMAS GARCIA (Cuba) said that it was important to objectively evaluate the goals not achieved and the remaining problems, which the international community still had to confront. The report of the Secretary-General constituted a good starting point for the analysis that was needed. Some gains of the past decade were encouraging, including the reduction in the mortality rate in many countries, the near-eradication of polio and the overall progress made in the area of child survival. However, the report itself referred to over 10 million children that died annually of preventable causes. It also referred to the children who were still out of school.

Chronic poverty remained a single cause of remaining problems in many countries, she continued. Fifty per cent of the 3 billion poor people were children, and that required a serious analysis of the situation and actions to eliminate poverty and move towards sustainable development in all parts of the world. No substantial progress could be made, unless effective and concrete strategies were put in place to confront the problem of poverty, ensure fair access to resources, eliminate external debt of developing countries, and create fair and participatory decision-making mechanisms.

Official development assistance had reached an all-time low in the past years, as mentioned in the report, she said. That assistance was not a gift of the developed countries, but a payment of their historic debt to the countries they had plundered and colonized in the past. It was also important to ensure a just and lasting peace in the world. The vestiges of colonialism and occupation, poverty and differences among and within countries, the struggle to take control over the resources and power were some of the factors that led to conflicts, and those root causes needed to be addressed.

She said the criminal blockade against her country by successive United States administrations had had a negative impact on the children of the country. The embargo was just one of the unilateral measures against her country, which breached international law and violated the purposes of the Charter. One of its consequences was the impossibility of purchasing fuel and accessing the nearest markets. As a result, the country had fewer resources to improve the rights of the children and meet their needs. Cuba had limited access to medicines and modern technology. How was it possible to explain to a child that the medicine he needed could not be purchased, because the most powerful country on Earth was denying Cuba access to medicine, food and the most essential products.

Nobody doubted the absolute dedication of her people and Government to children, she said. As a result of their efforts, infant mortality had been reduced in the country, immunizations were being provided to children, and the enrolment rate at schools was high. Survival, protection and child development should not be used to promote agendas that had not been approved by the United Nations international bodies. The report often referred to issues and concepts which were not clear and provided criteria that ignored some principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and various documents and resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, international conferences and summits. Her delegation deemed it extremely important to comply with the principles of the Charter and the international legal framework in the area of the rights of the child. It was important to develop a serious and transparent negotiating process.

LEE KYUNG-SOOK, Personal Representative of the President of the Republic of Korea, said that indicators had showed that his country had achieved an overall satisfactory level of standards regarding the well-being of its children. However, when polled in a recent survey, a majority of children responded that they were not happy. Children claimed they were unhappy despite being well cared for and having nearly universal access to primary and higher education. Specifically, they cited alienation from parents and teachers as their main source of unhappiness. Thus, the focus of Korea’s policies on children was undergoing a major shift to address the needs expressed by children and adolescents.

Improving the quality of public education, she said, could be an important way to address the issue of alienation. Teachers were being encouraged to become more connected to their students, and periodic training programmes to build on their expertise were being provided. Furthermore, efforts had been made to raise the morale of teachers through higher salaries, reduced administrative workloads and improved work conditions.

Another area of concern, she added, was child abuse. In January 2000, the Government re-enacted the Child Welfare Act, which provided a legislative framework for combating increasing child abuse. In accordance with that measure, an emergency alert system for reporting abuse was established and centres for the prevention of child abuse would be installed in every city.

NIKOLAI TCHULKOV, Deputy Director, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, noted with satisfaction that the authors of the report had met their goals, and he supported the basic provision of the report.

He noted that the report referred to the problems of children in countries with economies in transition. The situation of children there remained complex, and the solutions were often not available because of the lack of resources. A whole number of negative problems had been reflected in the document, but it hardly reflected the positive actions to improve the living conditions of children and protect their rights. Such efforts were being undertaken by all the countries of the region. The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the declaration of the Summit remained the main guidelines for his Government's policies in relation to children.

Russia had adopted more than 200 laws in conformity with the Convention, he said, and the national report submitted by the country contained many actions in favour of children. Among the regional measures was a recent conference on the situation of children in Minsk and last month's preparatory conference in Berlin. The decision of those conferences should be appropriately reflected in the outcome document of the special session. He also suggested issuing the outcome of all the regional conferences on children as an addendum to the outcome document of the special session.

JUAN MANUEL URRUTIA (Colombia) said that if adults were really able to undertake their commitments, children and the rest of humanity could have a better future. At the end of the decade, a lot of children and adolescents were still not in a position of well-being. If young people were not educated and healthy, they could not reshape the world. It was crucial to eliminate exclusion and eradicate poverty, as well as build a world which was within the reach of children. The impact of the polices and actions of countries with regard to their commitments must be measured.

Colombia, he said, had been taken aback by ongoing conflict, in which many children and young people had suffered. The country was undertaking great efforts, with the help of the international community, to build true peace and coexistence. The presence of children in the armed forces was a multifaceted issue. It must be recognized that not all children associated with the conflict were in the armed groups. Many were the children of those fighting while others were recruited on a voluntary or forced basis. Colombia was working to ensure the end of the recruitment of those under 18 and involved in reintegrating them in schools. Demobilization must be accompanied by an immediate block on recruitment. For that, the support of the international community and the friends of the peace process was necessary.

AMRAIYA NAIDU (Fiji), spoke on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum Group (Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Fiji). He said the end-decade review had identified the need to bridge the gap between consensus and action. In that context, it was important that consideration be given to the needs of developing and least developed countries.

Ten years after the World Summit, many global and national challenges remained to be tackled, he said. The special session should aim to give greater voice to children and seek to ensure appropriate participation by children in critical national processes. Moreover, to enhance the quality of life for all children, countries must safeguard the world’s natural environment and promote inter-generational equity.

He was confident that the Committee would reach consensus on a realistic and manageable framework to achieve the goals and targets set for the next decade. To secure a world fit for children, realistic time-bound targets would improve prospects for reaching the set goals. The outcome document must place the goals and targets for children within the holistic framework of international development goals and objectives of the special session package. That approach would ensure implementation and follow-up of all those objectives in a sustainable and cost-effective way.

P.O. OKUNROMADE, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Youth Development and Personal Representative of the President of Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said that the report had shown clearly that while significant progress had been achieved in implementing the goals set at the World Summit for Children, those achievements had been uneven. For instance, a decade ago, the needs of children in Africa had been most acute, and yet it was there that the least progress had been made. Besides, major new challenges had emerged, in some cases, reversing the modest gains made. Among them were deepening poverty and inequality, the debt burden, proliferation of armed conflict, and the consequent spread of violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The concerns of African governments had been expressed in different forums, leading to concrete declarations and plans of action, he said. African leaders had never relented in their efforts to improve the lot of African children. Last year, the world conference on malaria -– a disease responsible for the death of millions of children in Africa every year -- took place in Abuja.

Turning to the AIDS epidemic, he said that Africa was an endangered continent facing a monumental catastrophe that threatened the future of its children. In leading the crusade against the disease, the African Summit on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious disease was held in April in Nigeria. At the Summit, the participating leaders took a far-reaching decision to allocate 15 per cent of annual budget to the health sector. They also agreed to make available the necessary resources to improve a comprehensive multi-sectoral response to the problem. However, their collective efforts needed to be complemented by the international community. Africa called for a true partnership involving all stakeholders in the fight to overcome the scourge.

He was deeply concerned that Africa continued to be plagued by war and armed conflicts, he said. Protection of children in situation of armed conflict was a special imperative. It was necessary to use all possible means to reduce the devastating impact of war and give the children caught up in armed conflict increased care and protection. The issue of child soldiers also required urgent attention.

He went on to say that Africa’s children and youth were its present and its future. If the continent were to play a meaningful role in the twenty-first century, its countries must invest in its children and youth. It was clear that the special needs of African children had not yet been adequately reflected in international policies and programmes. They required a special place in all policy-making structures and in the forthcoming special session. Africa’s modest efforts needed to be complemented by its partners at the international level. The special session presented an opportunity to address the challenges that had emerged in the last decade and the obstacles in the way of implementing decisions.

GILBERTO VERGNE SABOIA, Secretary of State for Human Rights and Personal Representative of the President of Brazil, said that, according to the Secretary-General’s report, enormous progress had been achieved in many areas, but, overall, the results had been mixed. It was unacceptable that despite the advance of science and technology, 10 million children died every year of preventable diseases. Also unacceptable was the high level of discrimination against women and girls and violence against children.

In his country, much had been achieved, but many difficulties remained, he continued. The situation of young citizens was much better than it had been 11 years before, however. The legal framework had been put in place during that period. The country had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and signed both optional protocols to it. The implementation of the Convention had led to an adoption of a rights-based approach for protection of children and to a change in attitudes and methods in the country. Among other achievements, he cited the promotion of breastfeeding, which had led to improvement in children’s health, and the use of contraceptives had increased. Pre-natal care was being successfully implemented.

Among the remaining challenges was the need to reduce early pregnancy and eliminate disparities in the health and nutrition standards between the rural and urban population, he said. He supported the focus of the Secretary-General’s report on the need to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and his Government had been implementing a prevention and treatment programme towards that end. Urgent and decisive action must be taken to address the issue of vertical transmission and affordable treatment of the mother and child.

Education in Brazil had significantly improved, he said. Increased levels in social participation and sustainable policies had led to the increase in literacy rates, primary school enrolment and the availability of primary and secondary education. A school nutrition programme was benefiting many children. Successful programmes were being implemented to keep children in school by providing grants to needy families.

In the future, it was important to ensure consistent implementation of legal measures for the protection of children, he said. It was also necessary to develop specific regional and national targets in support of the global ones. There should be a thorough and continuous evaluation of the countries’ performance in implementation of the goals for the promotion of the cause of children.

CLARA S. JOA, Assistant Secretary of State for Education of the Dominican Republic, said that her Government had taken specific steps to reduce poverty and empower women, children and adolescents. The budget of the Social Affairs Ministry had been increased this year, and a social affairs cabinet had been set up.

To reaffirm its focus on children and adolescents in its national policies, the Government had launched a national plan in line with the goals of the World Summit, she said. It had ensured the continuation and broadening of projects destined to help children, particularly regarding school breakfasts. It had also set up 200 community child-care centres in the poorest areas and hoped to set up 2,000 of them in the future. In order to reduce the level of exclusion in the area of health, the Government was giving priority to basic health services. It had set up health centres and was involved in programmes to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission from mothers to infants.

With the help of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Government had carried out a survey to gather information on child labour in the country and had ratified ILO Conventions 138 and 182. On guaranteeing the rights of young people, a committee had been set up to recommend changes to the legal code on minors, and a tribunal had been set up to rule on family cases and cases relating to minors, she added.

JEAN-FRANÇOIS GIOVANNI, Deputy Director of the Development Agency, Switzerland, expressed hope that the special session would reaffirm clear commitments for the protection and promotion of children’s rights around the world. He supported an approach based on law, and it was crucial that the draft conclusions should deal specifically with the rights of the child, reaffirming the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child -– the most ratified international instrument in the world. It was also important to promote the ILO Convention against the worst forms of child labour. In addition, the protection of children against all forms of discrimination was a fundamental objective. Each child had a right to have a name and should be registered immediately after birth.

The chapter on violence, abuse and exploitation of children was also of extreme importance, he said. Violence against children should be reflected in the outcome document in all its forms, including State and institutional violence. The adoption of special laws and procedures to deal with child suspects should also be included with other measures to protect children. He hoped the draft conclusions would refer to the question of child soldiers and the need to ratify the optional protocol on the issue. In August 2000, a conference in Geneva had pointed out the need to strengthen the monitoring mechanisms of human rights, and he hoped that its results would be reflected in the outcome document.

MAKMUR WIDODO (Indonesia) said that over the past 10 years many measures had been undertaken to protect children. However, at the time when many developing countries were in a state of economic recession, suffering from the negative consequences of globalization, the levels of ODA had dropped to a very low level.

Indonesia was committed to implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, he continued. The toll of HIV/AIDS had been reflected in the report, and although the incidence of that disease was small in his country, measures were being taken against it. He concurred with the conclusion on the need to provide immunizations for children, adding that his country was implementing an important immunization programme. Other health issues would be addressed through a partnership approach, incorporating various players, including the civil society.

He went on to say that significant progress had been achieved in providing iodine supplements to children. Regarding nutrition, the country was putting additional responsibility for relevant programmes at the local level. Indonesia had identified a number of areas where improvements were needed, including the quality of education and access to education for all children. Ultimately, the country would continue to address its social development issues. Its national efforts included promotion of opportunities, investment in the poor and provision of basic services.

E. MICHAEL SOUTHWICK, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs of the United States, said that as the Secretary-General pointed out in his report, many of the goals in the 1990 plan of action remained to be achieved. Of particular concern was that targets established for water and sanitation, easily prevented and treatable infectious diseases, and nutrition had not been met. Furthermore, new challenges, such as HIV/AIDS, children in armed conflict and the significant increase of children being sexually exploited, were of growing importance.

In line with concerns about those emerging issues, he suggested strengthening the language in the outcome document for the special session. Specifically, the protection of children affected by armed conflict should include education, reunification and support for families, as well as community-based actions for psychological and social rehabilitation. As for the sexual exploitation of children, he strongly suggested increased focus on both preventing children from being drawn into the sex trade and on helping those who had already been victims.

A key component of an effective plan of action for the next decade, he said, was, once again, consensus on achievable goals. He, therefore, called on his colleagues to agree on realistic, concrete targets, which could serve as guidelines for individual national plans of action.

BATBAYAR SHIILEG, Minister for Social Welfare and Labour and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of Mongolia, said he supported the strategy addressing the attainment of full rights, development and sound living conditions for children by giving priority to children, women and families living in vulnerable conditions. The impact of that strategy could be far-reaching without requiring a heavy investment of finances or other resources. Most importantly, the outcome of that strategy would be improved living standards of children resulting from the positive impact it would have on the ability of parents to take better care of their children.

Earlier this month, a National Children’s Forum was convened in Mongolia where 250 children from all 21 provinces participated, he said. They came together to review the Government’s national report on the follow-up to the World Summit. He was pleased to note that the children worked hard with great enthusiasm and insight to put forward their voices and opinions for the development of a new national plan of action for 2001-2010.

The United Nations team and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), he added, had conducted an adolescent needs assessment survey in 2000, which furnished answers to many of the problems that his society had to address. Among the priorities was to forge broad partnerships between the Government, NGOs, communities and the private sector to address the development challenges of adolescents, involving them in society and creating a positive environment for development.

MARIE MADELEINE FOUDA, Personal Representative of the President of Cameroon, said that while countries had ratified a number of legal international instruments relating to the rights of the child, the track record of many countries was dampened concerning the children’s development. Cameroon had assumed the commitment to establish the necessary conditions to guarantee the effective realization of the rights of children. While theoretically childhood covered ages up to 18, her Government had deliberately extended programmes to cover children up to 21. The policy developed for the protection of children was based on the view that children were a resource to be developed.

In 1991, she said, Cameroon adopted a national plan of action giving priority to infants, basic education for all children, the fight against HIV/AIDS and the protection of children in situations of hardship, among others. Ten priority areas had been defined under the sectoral programme, including education, reform of the public health system, the fight against poverty, good governance and public awareness of the provisions of national and international legislation on the rights of children.

In spite of governmental efforts, the enjoyment of children’s rights were not always a reality for all children, including some in Cameroon, she said. Changes resulting from the transition to democracy and the impact of structural adjustment programmes did not favour social programmes aimed at children.

DON MACKAY (New Zealand) said the document before the Committee was an excellent basis for further discussion. It was important to create a concise and action-oriented final document to mobilize the global efforts for children. Highlighting the areas of particular concern, it was also important to achieve consensus on the text. Certainly, if the implementation of the plan of action was undertaken with the good will demonstrated in the Preparatory Committee’s debate, success would be assured.

The areas of particular priority to his Government included the need to place the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the foundation of all future efforts. There was no need to reinvent the wheel in that respect. The Convention had more than proven its durability and worth both as a binding instrument and as a focal point for raising awareness of the children’s rights. The Secretary-General’s report clearly endorsed the important role of the Convention, and the outcome document should draw on the principles espoused in it. The main purpose of the special session was to build on the Convention and help governments, in partnership with other agencies and each other, to implement it.

He went on to say that the report highlighted the disparities between indigenous and other children. It was important to ensure that the outcome document matched that evidence with new or stronger commitments to address the issues of indigenous children where they occurred. He was particularly interested in promoting references to the specific education and health needs of indigenous peoples. The outcome document should reflect the importance of promoting and protecting the rights of indigenous children to live successfully and safely in their own social context.

The special needs of children should be seen in the broader framework of human rights, he said. The role of transparent and accountable government in securing the rights of children could not be overstated. The outcome document should include reference to such issues as: adolescents as a distinct group of children; issues of migrant children; the rights and special needs of disabled children; and juvenile justice. As the Pacific region had particular concerns, the outcome document should also serve as a blueprint for that region, as well as others.

VARSHNIE JAGDEO, First Lady and Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child of Guyana, said that many documents had been signed on the rights of children, and 192 countries had signed or ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Yet, how could the international community translate the commitments into meaningful action? How could the boundary of action be expanded to include not only the government, but all political players? It was counterproductive if the government of a country was committed to protecting the rights of the children, and other irresponsible political players had no such regard and practised terrorist activities. The draft outcome document called for many essential actions, saying “we the Governments” -– but how could the actions of a government be separated from other political groups if the outcome of violating the rights of the children was the same? It was important to consider a way to make political players outside government accountable for their actions.

The draft document also called for investment in children, she continued, but the reality required at the very least a healthy economy. The irresponsible activities of some players, who attempted to make a country ungovernable by burning down businesses, inciting racial hatred and violence and resorting to terrorist activities, undermined both domestic and foreign confidence in a government. That affected the children and the nation at large. The international community needed to be more vigilant.

Another area of growing concern for her country and the Caribbean region was the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It was with some disappointment that Guyana noted that the Secretary-General’s report had neglected to highlight the fact that after sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean region was the worst affected. High priority should be accorded to that issue, and assistance should be tailored to individual countries’ needs.

JAAP DOEK, President of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, said that the Committee appreciated the reference to the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the revised draft outcome document. However, it noted that other references to the Convention that had been included in the first draft had been eliminated, and it remained deeply concerned about the absence of stronger and clearer references to relevant child rights standards throughout the text. Also, the report of the Secretary-General had not mentioned that more than
160 States parties had submitted initial reports on their implementation of the Convention, and four had submitted their second reports. He hoped that that would be reflected in the final document.

In order to not leave any child behind, all children should be registered, he said, and mention of that should be given greater importance. The Committee regretted the very limited attention paid to the issue of juvenile delinquency and the treatment provided to them. He hoped that after further deliberations, more attention would be paid to that issue. Yet, the Committee felt that the draft was a good and important instrument in enhancing and promoting the full implementation of the Convention.

BACRE NDIAYE, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, noted that the special session would be taking place soon after the World Conference on Racism, to be held in South Africa. At both events, human rights would be at the centre of the international community’s attention. The adoption in 1989 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its rapid ratification by 191 States parties proved the enormous support that existed for taking a human rights approach to national and international action for children.

The emphasis placed during the preparatory process on discrimination against girls, particularly in the area of education, was warmly welcomed, he said. It must be accompanied by similar awareness of the impact of gender discrimination regarding health and protection issues. It must also be accompanied by more systematic attention to the impact of other forms of discrimination faced by millions of children, particularly that which was based on ethnic origin or economic status. A stronger emphasis on non-discrimination would also ensure that the special session focused clearly on racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance faced by many children, particularly those from minority groups.

STEVEN COMMINS, Adviser to the Vice-President of the World Bank, said that to fully develop the life potential of each child, it was essential to invest in and support programmes for improved care of children of early pre-school age, especially in vulnerable circumstances. Such programmes should include cognitive and language development elements and address the children’s health, nutrition and motor development. The global equity gap in health was largest among children, and the Bank’s Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses was directed towards reducing childhood deaths, illnesses and disability, and improving children's growth and development. It included preventive and curative interventions, such as provided child and infant nutrition, breast feeding promotion and immunization. It was particularly focused on the poorest and most disadvantaged children.

He said it was important to address the problem of malnutrition, which was a poverty condition in its own right. Also important were school health programmes, which should include steps to improve safe water and sanitation. Young people’s contributions to their communities and their own development were often greatly undervalued and under-recognized. Community initiatives and projects provided ideal opportunities for young people’s participation in committees for management and decision-making, as well as parallel youth structures. It was important to give proper attention to the participation and involvement of the young generation.

NAMANGA NGONGI, Deputy Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said that the WFP found many parts of the report encouraging, but despite the progress made, in Africa, both infant mortality and instances of low birth weight had increased. For that reason, it was important to redouble efforts in Africa, especially in its sub-Saharan part.

Malnutrition was cited as a major cause of child mortality, he continued, but little direct action was taken to ensure that pregnant and nursing mothers and their young children were properly nourished. Working in partnership with national governments, NGOs and sister United Nations agencies, the WFP had developed and implemented programmes that provided nutritious food to vulnerable women and children.

He said that as education, and in particular girls’ education, was key to resolving problems of poverty, malnutrition and infant mortality, the WFP was committed to ensuring that every child had access to basic education. The United Nations system was also working together with the Subcommittee on Nutrition and other bodies to harmonize positions of standard strategies and programmes to achieve stated nutrition goals.



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