PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR 2001 SPECIAL ASSEMBLY SESSION ON CHILDREN CONCLUDES FIRST SUBSTANTIVE SESSION

Press Release
HR/4479

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR 2001 SPECIAL ASSEMBLY SESSION ON CHILDREN CONCLUDES FIRST SUBSTANTIVE SESSION

The Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly in 2001 for Follow-up to the World Summit for Children met this morning to conclude its first substantive session. As it did so, it adopted a report on its work for the four-day session.

The Committee’s Rapporteur, Lidija Topic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), made an oral presentation of the report, which she noted would be issued as a document subsequently. She said the Committee had considered the Secretary-General’s report on emerging issues for children in the twenty-first century, modalities for the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the special session, and proposals regarding the outcome of the special session. Two meetings of the Committee had been devoted to panel discussions during which 12 panellists had made inspiring presentations.

She said the Committee had also discussed the outcome of the special session, with special attention paid to identifying key trends and issues, and had considered and taken action on six draft decisions and two conference room papers.

The Committee decided to adopt the report, as orally presented, with the understanding that amendments would be brought to the attention of the substantive secretariat within one week.

Also this morning, the Committee decided to postpone to its second substantive session action on a draft decision on arrangements regarding participation of NGOs in the special session.

In a closing statement, Preparatory Committee Chair M. Patricia Durrant (Jamaica) said the fact that the session had enjoyed constructive cooperation and friendly and sincere understanding shown by various delegations was an indication of the importance everyone involved placed on it.

She said that the mandate of the Preparatory Committee, though simple, was ample. It had to address a wide range of issues and deal with many relevant actors. Its task had been made easier by the support given to the Committee by the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and her staff, who had provided excellent reports for consideration.

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She underlined the Committee's appreciation of panel members and various speakers, particularly the youth representative who had been the keynote speaker.

Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, also made a closing statement. She thanked the leadership of the Preparatory Committee, the Bureau, the interpreters and the secretariat, and expressed her appreciation to the panellists, who had added immeasurably to the substantive discussion. She was pleased to see that a significant number of colleague agencies in the United Nations had participated.

She was encouraged with the outcome of the meeting, she continued. In the whirl of the United Nations, the session had shown how children could be a cause for solidarity and unity, and she hoped that attitude could prevail. The most important work now would have to be done at the country and community level. She had asked the UNICEF country offices and national committees to assist with the national reviews and mobilization.

Special thanks were due to the children and young people who had participated as part of delegations and made presentations, and to the NGOs, she said. She acknowledged the high-level participation in the session. Assuring the Committee of the cooperation of the substantive secretariat, she asked the participants “to support us in supporting you”.

Round-up of Session

During its first substantive session, which was held from 30 May to 2 June, the Committee adopted draft decisions on:

-- Extending the deadline for the approval on a no-objection basis of the participation of NGOs in the preparatory process;

-- The dates and venue of the substantive sessions of the Preparatory Committee in 2001;

-- The dates and venue of the special session of the General Assembly in 2001 for follow-up to the World Summit for Children;

-- Arrangements for accreditation of NGOs; and

-- Participation of associate members of regional commissions in the special session.

In her opening statement to the Committee, Ms. Bellamy, UNICEF’s Executive Director, said that for all the setbacks, disappointments and lowered expectations over the last 10 years, much had been achieved in fulfilling the goals of the 1990 World Summit for Children. Action was needed to achieve the commitments made at the Summit and at the ensuing United Nations development conferences of the 1990s.

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In considering the reports before the Committee, many delegates stressed the importance of alleviating poverty and eliminating child labour, and drew attention to the negative effects of globalization on children. Other challenges in developing future actions for children were inequality, proliferating conflict, the deadly spread of HIV/AIDS, and continuing discrimination, particularly against women and girls.

There was consensus on the importance of three key outcome areas for children: all children should have a good start in life; they should have an opportunity to complete a good-quality education; and adolescents should have opportunities to fully develop their individual capacities.

On a proposal of the representative of Jamaica that young people be part of the next substantive session of the Preparatory Committee, the Committee decided that arrangements should be made -- in accordance with rules of procedure of the General Assembly and based on experiences of previous special sessions of the Assembly -- to include, where possible, the participation of children and young people in the preparatory process, and to ask the Bureau to consider ways in which young people could participate.

Representatives of a number of NGOs made statements during the session, as did representatives of agencies within the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions.

Also during the session, the Committee engaged in two panel discussions. The panel discussion on emerging issues addressed, among other issues, the impact of armed conflict on children and of HIV/AIDS on child survival and development. The second panel discussion, on future action for children, addressed issues of early childhood development, basic education, adolescence, and cross-cutting issues and themes.

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