THIRD COMMITTEE SPEAKERS CITE POVERTY AS ROOT CAUSE OF CHILD PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Press Release
GA/SHC/3541

THIRD COMMITTEE SPEAKERS CITE POVERTY AS ROOT CAUSE OF CHILD PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Heavily indebted countries had been unable to reach the goals agreed upon at the world summits and their children had been affected the most, the representative of Barbados, also speaking on behalf of CARICOM, told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), this morning, as it continued its consideration of issues related to promoting and protecting the rights of the child.

Calling for poverty eradication and debt forgiveness, that representative said the achievement of goals relating to children was a fading dream for many countries, especially with the reduction of development assistance. The situation must be reversed and education provided, she added.

The anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child had been shadowed by frustration for those in the developing world, especially in Africa, the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania said. Poverty had been exacerbated by heavy external debt and had negatively impacted social services, most of which were child- focussed, she added.

The representative of Rwanda said that since close to 70 per cent of her country’s national income was devoted to debt servicing, poverty and unemployment were serious problems. The latter was a major contributing factor in the extent to which parents had to send their children out on the streets to beg.

Success in ameliorating socio-economic conditions in affected countries would inevitably lead to the elimination of child labour in its worst forms, the representative of Pakistan said. He called for the adoption of measures at the national and international level to eradicate poverty.

Statements were also made by the representatives of the Democratic Republic of Korea, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Oman, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Israel, Argentina, Republic of Moldova, Mali, Iraq, Andorra, Nigeria, Haiti, Singapore, Cuba, Tunisia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Third Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SHC/3541 27th Meeting (AM) 29 October 1999

The Committee will meet again on Monday , 28 October at 10:00 a.m. to continue its consideration of issues related to promoting and protecting the rights of the child. It is also expected to begin its consideration of issues related to the programme of activities of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.

Committee Work Programme

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this morning to conclude its current consideration of questions related to the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

Statements

JONG MYONG HAK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) said it was important for states to arouse social interest in protecting children and to increase investment in ensuring children’s rights to existence, health care and education. Since children were the most vulnerable segment of society and not yet mature, they had the right to receive preferential protection and treatment. Protecting and educating children, who were the future of humanity, was imperative for the planet.

To protect children and promote their rights, the role of the international organizations assisting in the efforts of states needed to be strengthened, he said. Implementation of the Convention was hampered by difficulties, especially in the developing countries that were feeling the lack of substances and resources, making them unable to increase their investment in that effort. Donor countries should provide financial assistance to the international organizations involved in work with children’s rights. In addition, the two optional protocols to the Convention should be completed speedily.

JOSEPH MUTABOBA (Rwanda) said the Convention on the Rights of the Child had been ratified, but the rights of children continued to be violated. The gap between ratifying conventions and implementing them was evident. In his country, the recent genocide had severely impacted children. Mentioning the atrocities that had been perpetrated, he said a significant outcome of the genocide was the destruction of the social fabric. Overnight, tens of thousands of children had become unconventional heads of households. Trauma counselling services were provided for all children, along with education. Minors suspected of having committed genocide had been taken to rehabilitation centres.

Nevertheless, he said, street children were a major challenge. Studies analyzing the root cause were underway, but poverty and unemployment were an obvious, major contributing factor in the extent to which parents had to send their children out on the street to beg. Other street children were orphans and many were separated from families. The government had called for assistance and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had responded. Rehabilitation centres had been set up for street children (those involved in prostitution and those who were disabled). These centres made only a small dent in the problem, however. Eradicating poverty would be the only solution. That was hampered by the fact that close to 70 per cent of Rwanda’s national income needing to be devoted to debt servicing. Rwanda needed greater international support to make a better world for future generations.

EDOM G. ASSEGID (Ethiopia) said her country’s constitution ensured adherence to the rights of children. It set forth the following: that every child had the right to life; to name and nationality; to know and be cared for by his or her parents or legal guardians; not to be subject to exploitative labour practices neither to be required nor permitted to perform work which was hazardous to his or her education; and to be free from corporal punishments or cruel and inhumane treatment in schools and other institutions responsible for the care of children.

In her country, the work of children for their families was not seen as exploitative or as detrimental to their growth and development. It was accepted as one of the principal means to impart basic family skills and responsibilities at an early age. “It is considered a necessary element of their upbringing, training and socializing process towards adulthood”, she added. Under the new education policy, primary education was free of charge and the goal was to raise the enrollment rate from 30.1 per cent in 1996 to 50 per cent by the year 2002. Although her Government was doing its best to collaborate with relevant international and non-governmental organizations in order to change the social situation in the country, technical and financial assistance was necessary to further improve the existing situation.

LALA IBRAHIMOVA (Azerbaijan) said her country was going through a difficult transitional period, so implementing programmes in general was not an easy task. There were one million refugees and displaced persons in her country. They lived in tent camps, and conditions were such that they could not have a normal life. There had been an increase in child mortality in her country. Conditions under which children spent their normative years had a strong effect on their later lives. Humanitarian assistance did not only mean supplying people with food and supplies, but letting them know that the international community really cared for them.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) had carried out an important campaign to help children in her country. The well-being of children greatly depended on stopping wars, on a strong economy and on good health and education services, all of which benefit humanity as a whole.

SARAH ALI MOHAMMED AL-MOOSA (Oman) said the issue before the Committee was important for the global community. Oman had given priority to improving the status of the family, so that parents could do their work in raising children. Health care and education were provided by the Government. Children had been affected by modernization: there was a gap between societies and children suffered most. The debt burden of nations affected the rights of children, as did the aftermath of war. The Sultan had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child to signify consideration of the issue at the highest level.

Programmes, plans and policies were implemented on behalf of children and families, she said. The Sultanate’s first report had been submitted to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the report had been commended. Great improvements had been made rapidly in the area of infant and child mortality. That was a result of women being better informed about health and of vaccination programmes. It was also a product of the overall standard of living being improved.

BETTY RUSSELL (Barbados), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the international community could now boast that the rights of the child were high on the international agenda. However, there were gaps in societies, which affected children for life. The prospects for world betterment could not improve if prospects for children did not. Basic health care, education and sanitation had been identified as important for eradicating poverty and enabling the enjoyment of basic human rights. Those could not be provided when countries were overburdened by debt.

It had been proven that the debt crisis affected children the most, she continued. It had prevented many countries from reaching the goals agreed upon at the world summits. With impoverishment through debt and the ill effects of globalization, the achievement of those goals by 2000 was a fading dream for many countries, especially with the reduction of development assistance. The situation must be reversed.

She called for poverty eradication and debt forgiveness and for education to be provided. She described many regional initiatives in connection with education and with implementation of the Convention, including regional workshops and such bodies as child-care boards. The ILO Convention on the worst forms of child labour called for international cooperation and assistance to eliminate those practices. That also underscored the importance of completing the two optional protocols. The issue of children in armed conflict was of particular concern for CARICOM because of the small arms trade that played a role in drug trafficking. Public information campaigns were critical to control the scourges addressed by the protocols.

CHRISTINE KAPALATA (United Republic of Tanzania) said the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child had been shadowed by frustration for those in the developing world, especially in Africa. In her country, poverty and HIV/AIDS were of great concern. Poverty had been exacerbated by heavy external debt and had negatively impacted on social services, most of which were child- focussed.

The scourge of HIV/AIDS in her country’s population had affected children by threatening their survival and leaving many as orphans. According to UNICEF reports, one quarter of the 11 million African people who had died of AIDS had been children. She commended UNICEF’s proposed project in her country to prevent mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission. Partnership and international economic cooperation was essential in promoting and protecting children’s rights.

ADELA HACHEMI FARHADI (Afghanistan) said children needed to grow up in an atmosphere of peace, dignity, tolerance and equality. They should not live in an intolerant environment, such as the one imposed by the Taliban. Children had been made targets in the ongoing conflict in her country. There were child soldiers, child refugees, displaced children, orphan children, children traumatized by war and those victims of landmines. She regretted the situation of children after the Taliban offensive of July 1999 north of Kabul. After that event, families and their children had become refugees in the valley of “Pansher” and had no shelters, food or medical supplies.

The participation of non-Afghan combatants in the Taliban forces was unacceptable, she said. The High Commissioner for Refugees had reported that in the past two weeks about 2,000 to 2,500 youngsters had been recruited by Taliban forces in Pakistan. Also, the United Nations had reported in August of this year that students 14 years of age were being recruited to be part of the Taliban forces. She hoped those actions would stop soon, since wars had a tragic impact on civilians, especially on children and women.

JASMI MD.YUSOFF (Malaysia) said he strongly deplored the practice of the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. His country had criminalized those practices, but remained concerned that an increasing number of girls and boys from developing countries were being trafficked to developed countries, as well as between regions and states for exploitation. The rise and unabated misuse of new information technologies, including the Internet, for purposes of sexual abuse of children, including for sex tourism, must be arrested immediately. Internet service providers must comply with existing legislation curtailing those activities. The industry must strengthen its own self-regulatory measures.

In addition, he said Member States must strengthen cooperation among themselves to counter such activities as trafficking of children. They must also increase their effectiveness in considering the needs of children affected by armed conflict. That would be done by disseminating information and by sharing experiences, best practices and lessons learned. Children who were victims must be given assistance for their physical and psychological recovery and their reintegration into society.

AMIRA ARNON (Israel) described a wide range of legislative measures and initiatives that had been undertaken in her country by various governmental agencies and others on behalf of children. In addition, she said that in response to an increase in violence among teenagers in Israel, a special conference had been organized by the President’s wife and had been held at her home. The conference had emphasized the role of education and the importance of teachers as role models for teenagers.

Israel had put the subject of children on its international cooperation agenda, she said. The social characteristics of the country had provided unique experiences that had led to the establishment of singular programmes in the early childhood domain. Those would be relevant to other countries. Protecting children’s rights was not only morally justified, it was an investment in the future, one that would reflect the nature of the society that had been created. RICARDO BOCALANDRO (Argentina) said the effect of armed conflicts on children deserved special attention by the international community. Existing legal instruments which regulated the participation of children in armed conflicts were not perfect or adequate. For that reason, negotiations on the protocol that would raise the minimum recruitment age to 18 years needed to conclude promptly. However, agreeing on international instruments was not enough, they needed to be applied. There was a great degree of non-compliance. A strong decision by the international community to comply with them was essential.

In most of the world, obstacles that impeded the proper development of children were lacking, he said. Many of them had inadequate social conditions and suffered from poverty. An effective response by the global economic system was required in order to strengthen the education of children and the role of the family.

ION BOTNARU (Republic of Moldova) said that just like many other countries undergoing radical structural changes, his country had sought to protect children from such changes. However, the process of transition and the negative effects of the economic and financial international crisis had lead to a steady growth in the number of homeless children, beggars and children who were not enrolled in schools. A comprehensive national agenda for the development and protection of children had been established.

The plight of children in the eastern part of his country, under the separatist regime, violated the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the population, as well as the rights of the child. For example, about 35,000 children in that area were unable to follow their studies in their mother tongue. Furthermore, children graduating from schools under the secessionist regime were deprived of the right to obtain a higher educational degree, because they had been taught according to the official curricula of the regime there. In spite of that situation, his Government had made great efforts to improve the situation of those children and had provided all the necessary assistance for them.

SIDI MODI SIDIBE (Mali) said his country had always had a political will to improve the plight of children. Combatting poverty, illiteracy and health hazards was high on the agenda. Over 1,000 NGOs were working in Mali in the social improvement area. Programmes aimed specifically at children had been initiated and governmental agencies established. Of the country’s total budget 30 per cent went to social services. He hoped Mali would receive debt relief.

Mali was combatting child labour and the practice of female circumcision, he said. Beginning in 1993, legislation had been instituted to accord with the Convention on the rights of the child. Infanticide was penalized, as was abandonment of children. Institutions had been set up to assist abandoned and abused children. Mali was seeking democracy so that all had a recourse in ensuring their individual human rights. To ensure children’s rights, solidarity and cooperation were needed within the international community.

MOHAMMED AL-HUMAIMIDI (Iraq) said the tenth anniversary of the Convention would be celebrated within days. Still, there were hundreds of thousands of children who were victims of armed conflict and of economic blockades. The international community had an obligation to implement conventions by creating an environment where every child had a right to enjoy basic human rights.

Iraq had guaranteed health, education and the right to be creative in society to its children, he said. However, the sanctions imposed on Iraq had led to the deaths of children. It had led to impairment of education and to a rise in both infant mortality and maternal deaths. That constituted genocide.

JULI MINOVES-TRIQUELL (Andorra) said the number of victims of armed conflict of the past 10 years, with 2 million dead and six million people affected was frightening. That was especially true for a country such as his, which had not experienced war since the thirteenth century. The sale of children and their sexual exploitation was of great concern. Many times, the economic situation determined those painful realities. More coordinated work among United Nations bodies was necessary to fight those problems. Without education and development, which prepared everyone to respect human rights, little progress would be made.

Child labour was still of great concern, he said, as were expectations for the future of the young population.

OLUSEGUN AKINSANYA (Nigeria) said the Convention on the Rights of the Child had become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. However, ratification was not enough. “There is a need to turn all the commitments and guarantees into practical action”, he said. That was a major challenge which all States Parties to the Convention needed to address.

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Youth Development was the national machinery in charge of children’s issues in his country. For effective implementation of the principles of the Convention, the Ministry discharged that function through the Child Development Department. In addition, a National Child Rights Implementation Committee had been established in 1994, in order to ensure the implementation of the Convention. Similar committees were also being established at state and local government levels to facilitate grass- roots participation. In addition, Nigeria was totally committed to improve the economic well-being of its people and called on the international community to give the necessary assistance to those countries which needed it. Also, he called for banning of landmines. “Our innocent children have the right to play freely without being fearful of being maimed for life”, he said. Also, their families had the right freely to cultivate the farms without fear in order to feed their children.

NICOLE ROMULUS (Haiti) said children were the future, but adults were making blunders with regard to them. Children were being sent out into the street. They were being abused. What could be offered to the children of today who would be the leaders of tomorrow? Today, they were being given aggression, neglect and abuse. Since 1995, when Haiti had ratified the Convention, it had been held back by its financial situation. Yet its ministries and government institutions had struggled to provide children with education and to help those on the street.

The situation of children in domestic service in Haiti had deteriorated dramatically, she said. First, their numbers had increased enormously, particularly that of girls in such service. In addition, wealthy families who had hired such children in the past had looked after their welfare. That was no longer the case. Children were being poorly paid and they had no recourse to protect their rights. Education and eradication of the poverty that put young children in such situations was the answer.

LEE LORLING (Singapore) said a proactive approach to any violations of children’s rights was critical. Action needed to be taken at the source, rather than make it necessary to deal with consequences down the road, when recovery actions would be too little too late. Safeguards needed to be built into laws to protect that vulnerable group in society, as nation’s children represented its future. For two centuries, society had equated children with family and had described the development of happy, protected children as the ultimate purpose of the traditional family. That was still the primary institution for care of the young. Good family values must be made part of the social context. However, the family alone could not discharge the big responsibility of seeing young people through from childhood to young adulthood, complete with academic pressure and career problems.

The government could support the family in caring for the young in a number of ways, she said. Singapore had set up a childcare programme that had made child centres widely available, while acceptable standards were maintained. For family violence situations, a number of programmes had been established, including mandatory counselling and group work programmes for perpetrators and victims. And finally, for the juvenile delinquents, the small segment of children who would remain at risk in every society, there were rehabilitation programmes to reintegrate them into society through probational arrangements, community service orders and institutional rehabilitation.

MUNAWAR SAEED BHATTI (Pakistan) said child labour did not exist in a vacuum. It was intrinsically linked to the socio-economic conditions prevailing in any society. The underlying socio-economic conditions that lead to the appearance of child labour needed to be addressed. That required measures at the national and international level to eradicate poverty. “Success in ameliorating socio-economic conditions in affected countries will inevitably lead to the elimination of child labour in its worst forms”, he said. Education played the key role in eradicating child labour and in the empowerment of people, he said. For that reason, his Government had made provision of universal access to education a priority. Over the past decade and a half, the literacy rate in his country had increased by 74 per cent. “Our priority objective is to achieve universal primary enrolment both for boys and girls by the year 2003”, he said. His Government had also taken a number of steps to prevent exploitation of child labour by the enforcement of laws and regular inspections. Under the Employment of Children Act, the employment of children was punishable with imprisonment or fine. In addition, breaches of statutory law had resulted in approximately 6,000 prosecutions and nearly 1400 convictions.

MERCEDES DE ARMAS GARCIA (Cuba) said 250 million children worldwide worked, many of them in difficult situations under which they were being exploited. Also half of the 2.9 million people who lived under unsanitary conditions were children. In a world of plenty it was unthinkable to have children die of preventable diseases and of malnutrition. To expect normal development of children without an integrated social and material developed environment was inconceivable.

Great progress had been made in childcare in her country. The Government made every effort to see that every child had access to complete development. Her country had the highest rate of teacher per inhabitants (1 teacher for every 42 students) in the world. In addition, the infant mortality rate was 7.1 for every 1,000 births. Also, a 100 per cent enrolment rate in primary education had been achieved. Her Government had spent $30 million over market prices for drugs and vital medical equipment for treatment of some childhood diseases. Many of those medicines and technical products were produced in the United States. In that connection she referred to the difficulties of her country arising form the economic embargo of the United States.

ALI HACHANI (Tunisia) said significant efforts had been made in past decades to help the children of the world. Even so, their situation remained of major concern to the international community. The reports of abuses of children’s rights, including trafficking in them, were striking. Country capacities should be strengthened to protect children from such actions.

Tunisia had established a council on the child with the purpose of coordinating actions to protect children, he said. There had been a drop in child mortality and a rise in vaccination rates. Tunisia had also reached out to Tunisian children in foreign countries, offering them assistance to come home.

DONKA GLIGOROVA (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said the adjustment of the social and economic system towards a market economy, combined with a worsening economic situation, had negatively impacted on the enjoyment of social and political rights in her country. Instituting measures to protect and improve the situation of children was a priority for the Government, which relied on assistance from international organizations such as UNICEF in Skopje. The importance of cooperation between the government, institutions, NGOs and international agencies had been clearly shown during the recent crisis of the flow of refugees from Kosovo, the majority of whom had been women, children and the elderly.

The value of deliberations in the Committee was to focus attention on a future direction for the issue, she said. In the area of promoting and protecting children’s rights, the views expressed had indicated agreement on the need to create the necessary conditions for children to grow up healthy, well educated citizens. The focus should therefore be on eradicating the root causes of violations of the rights of the child. That involved alleviating poverty, first of all, then ensuring universal access to primary education and elimination of sexual and labour abuse.

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