Preparatory Committee for the 2001

Special Session of the General Assembly

 on the Children’s World Summit

1^st Meeting (AM)

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN

OPENS WEEK-LONG SUBSTANTIVE SESSION AT HEADQUARTERS

Objectives Include Initial Review of Draft Outcome Document;

General Assembly President, UNICEF Executive Director Address Committee

The Preparatory Committee for the General Assembly’s special session to follow up the 1990 World Summit for Children opened its second substantive session this morning at Headquarters, with delegates being told their work during the next few days was crucial to the outcome of the special session, which is scheduled for 19-21 September.

The Chair of the Preparatory Committee, M. Patricia Durrant (Jamaica), said that there were two main objectives for the session:  to conduct a preliminary examination of the end-of decade reviews of the implementation of the World Declaration and Plan of Action adopted at the Children’s Summit; and hear initial comments on the provisional draft outcome document.  She called on delegates to hold the picture of a particular child in mind as they did their work.  “What you wish for the child who is close to you –- health, education, happiness, freedom from fear and want, success and more –- that vision of a child with rights fully realized should be our compass over these next few days”, she said.

The President of the General Assembly, Harri Holkeri (Finland), told the Committee that children were entitled to participation, development and a clean environment.  They were also entitled to protection from natural disasters, genocide, and armed conflicts.  And as President of the General Assembly, he was entrusted to follow up the implementation of the Millennium Declaration.  The special session on children was one of the tools in the implementation process.  It was also an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to the rights of children and to develop partnerships.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Carol Bellamy, said that despite the many millions of young lives that had been saved and for all the young lives that had been bettered in the 1990s, it was clear that overall gains had fallen far short of national commitments and international obligations.  That was why governments and citizens “must seize the historic opportunity before us”.  Together, she said, “we have the power and the resources to mobilize a global movement for children -– a movement that will put the world on a path to end the poverty, ill health, violence and discrimination that needlessly blights and destroys so many lives”.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Iran (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Sweden (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Bangladesh, Morocco, Italy, France, Panama, Germany and Pakistan.

Also, a brief video presentation of a preview on the progress of children worldwide during the 1990s was made by the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Kul C. Gautam.

The Committee also adopted its agenda and the Chair drew attention to an annotated provisional agenda as a reference guide for the agenda and work programme.

Concerning the organization of work, the Chair recalled that, at the first substantive session, the Committee had adopted a decision on the participation of non-governmental organizations.  As a result, a list of those organizations had been adopted on a no-objection basis and invitations had been issued to them.

Before the start of the session, the Chair asked delegates to observe a minute’s silence in memory of those who had died in the earthquake in India.  She conveyed the condolences to the delegates from India and Pakistan.

The Committee will meet again today at 3 p.m.

Committee Work Programme

The Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General Assembly for follow-up to the 1990 World Summit for Children met this morning to begin its one-week second substantive session.  The Committee’s final substantive session will be held from 11 to 15 June.

By resolution 54/93 of 7 December 1999 the General Assembly decided to convene the special session and established the Preparatory Committee.  The Preparatory Committee's first substantive session was held from 30 May to 2 June 2000 and was preceded by a two-day organizational session in February 2000.  By resolution 55/26 of 20 November 2000, the Assembly decided to hold the special session from 19 to 21 September 2001.

The main objective of the 2001 special session on children is to review the implementation of the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and the Plan of Action, which were adopted by the World Summit at Headquarters in September 1990.  The special session will also provide an opportunity for world leaders to renew commitments and consider future action for children. 

The Committee had before it a report of the Preparatory Committee on its first substantive session (document A/55/43 (Part II)), which contains the provisional programme of work for the second substantive session.  The report also contains a decision adopted at the first session on arrangements for accreditation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  The chairperson's summary of a debate on emerging issues for children in the twenty-first century is annexed to the report, as well as summaries of two panel discussions held during the first substantive session.

The Committee also had before it a report of the Secretary-General on the state of preparations for the special session (document A/55/429).  According to the report, strong momentum is building for the special session.  Substantive preparations are under way at the national, regional and global levels.  Governments, NGOs and international agencies are actively involved in a variety of preparatory activities, spurred by the follow-up to the World Summit for Children, the nearly universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the convening of the special session.

In 1989, one year before the World Summit for Children, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted.  It has become the most ratified human rights treaty in history, embodying the commitment of States parties to respect, fulfil, promote and protect children's rights.  The Convention entered into force on

2 September 1990.  Subsequently, two Optional Protocols were adopted on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.  To date, 140 countries have signed the Convention and 191 countries have ratified it.

According to the report, at its first substantive session, the Preparatory Committee authorized the Bureau to prepare a draft outcome document for the special session.  The Bureau recommended that thematic consultations involving experts in various fields be held to determine how to shape operational strategies to achieve practical and measurable outcomes for children.  The strategies will form the basis of an agenda for the future, to be adopted at the special session.  The future agenda should be innovative, concise and action-oriented, and it should address the concerns of children in both developing and industrialized countries.  It should also prioritize key actions that will make a major difference to the most disadvantaged children.

In the report, the Secretary-General also comments on the participation of key actors in the special session, including personal representatives of the heads of State and government, NGOs, children and adolescents, and the United Nations system.  The role of personal representatives is to ensure broad and high-level participation in the national review of the Summit follow-up, to provide substantive input to the preparation of the outcome, and to mobilize broad civil-society participation in the events leading up to the special session.

In the report, the Secretary-General also outlines regional reviews and preparatory activities.  Among activities which have taken place, the Summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Lomé, Togo, from 10 to 12 July 2000, adopted a decision "Africa's children, Africa's future", in which it welcomed the convening of the special session.  An African position, prepared by the OAU secretariat, will be made available before the special session.  The Summit recognized HIV/AIDS as a priority challenge and committed the OAU to follow up activities in collaboration with international organizations and donors.  The Summit also discussed a plan of action on strategies to support orphans, vulnerable children and children infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and to address child-trafficking issues. 

A number of events have taken place in East Asia and the Pacific, the report continues.  Last May, in Manila, Philippines, the Global Network to Protect Children against Commercial Sexual Exploitation organized an international meeting on young people's participation in the struggle against the commercial sexual exploitation of children.  The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) collaborated in drafting a report "ASEAN vision for children", which examines the state of children's rights in ASEAN countries.  An Asia/Pacific Television Forum on Children and Youth is scheduled for 4-7 February 2001 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Several recent global events are also expected to have an impact on the preparatory process of the special session on children, the report says.  The Framework for Action adopted at the World Economic Forum in Dakar, Senegal, in April 2000, confirmed the expanded vision of education outlined 10 years ago at the World Conference on Education for All, in Jomtien, Thailand, and proposed a new set of time-bound goals in basic education.  The thirteenth International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2000 underscored the importance of closing the gap between knowledge and action against the pandemic.  At the United Nations Millennium Summit held in September 2000, heads of State and government agreed on a Summit Declaration which contained specific commitments relating to children and youth.

Also before the Committee was draft provisional outcome document, entitled "A world fit for children", submitted by the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee (document A/AC.256/CRP.6).  The draft document is organized in the following eight sections:  our vision; our challenge; new opportunities; goals, targets and reduction of disparities; our tasks; our strategies, monitoring; and our commitments.

Under the heading “our vision”, the draft document states that at the 1990 World Summit for Children, world leaders made the urgent appeal that every child be given a better future.  While much progress had been made in the past decade, a brighter future for all had proved elusive.  The joint commitment and appeals of the States parties and signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child -- the most ratified human rights instrument -– must, therefore, go beyond words to political will on a global scale, with resources and actions to match.  The text will have States parties affirm the obligation to safeguard the rights of all children and reaffirm the link between the human rights of children and women.  It will also have them vow to break the cycle of poverty within a single generation.  Poverty reduction must begin with children and the realization of their rights.

Under the heading “our challenge”, the draft text states that many of the promises made for children at past world summits and international conferences remain unfulfilled.  Discrimination promotes a vicious cycle of social and economic exclusion.  Social and economic pressures are undermining the crucial role of parents and families to ensure the right of children to grow in a safe environment.  Some 1.2 billion people -- half of them children -- struggle to survive on less than $1 per day.  More than 10 million children under the age of five die each year, mostly from preventable diseases and malnutrition.  More than 1 billion people cannot obtain safe drinking water and 2.4 billion lack access to adequate sanitation.  At least 40 million children a year are unregistered at birth, violating their right to a name and the right to acquire a nationality.  Further, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is reversing decades worth of gains for children, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.  The text goes on to highlight the problems of inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene, unsafe drinking water, air pollution, hazardous wastes and crowded housing, drug abuse, basic literacy, children in armed conflict, and children exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation. 

Under the heading “new opportunities”, the draft text states that the world now has the normative framework, the communications capacity, technical knowledge and financial resources to meet the most pressing needs of children.  Efforts to overcome poverty and exclusion must be guided by universal values and human rights, beginning with the rights of the child.  A human rights-based approach to development addresses discrimination at all levels.  The protection of children in armed conflict has moved closer to the centre of the international peace and security agenda.  Enhanced partnerships with the private sector carry the promise of accelerated progress for children.  The General Assembly's proclamation of 2001-2010 as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World offered an opportunity to promote respect for the life and dignity of every person.

Under “goals, targets and reduction of disparities”, the draft text states that goals and targets are powerful spurs for social development.  They both motivate and mobilize national actors and international partners into action and provide benchmarks for measuring progress.  At the World Summit for Children, world leaders agreed on a set of goals for the 1990s and for an end-of-decade review.  Goals were also formalized at subsequent gatherings, including commitments made for 2015 during the review of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and at the Millenium Summit. 

By the draft, world leaders at the special session commit to a set of core objectives for the next decade.  These objectives include:  the urgent universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; universal ratification by 2003 of its Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; universal ratification of International Labour Organization Convention No.182 to eliminate the worst forms of child labour by 2005; the registration of all births and possession by all children of a birth certificate by 2010; and reduction by one third of the proportion of children growing up alone. 

The core objectives also include, among others:  the development of policies and programmes to protect children from violence; reduction of HIV infection rate in persons 15 to 24 years old by at least 25 per cent in the most affected countries by 2005 and by 25 per cent globally by 2010; provision of effective treatment for some 75 per cent of HIV-infected women throughout the world to reduce mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus by 2010; and reduction between 2000 and 2010 of infant and under-five mortality rates by at least one third and maternal mortality rates by the same.  Also included is the certification by 2005 of the global eradication of poliomyelitis and the immunization of 80 per cent of children under one year of age against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis.  The number of people without access to adequate sanitation and safe water would be reduced by one third by 2010.

Under “our tasks”, the draft text states that three key outcomes have emerged as a framework for action:  a good start in life; the opportunity to complete a basic education; and, for adolescents, the opportunity to develop individual capacities that enable them to participate in society. 

Under “our strategies”, the text states that action will be centred on five major strategies, including a strategy to tap into the resourcefulness of children and young people themselves.  Children are regarded as strategic partners, not simply members of target groups.  The second strategy is to use a child-centred approach in national policies and programmes, as well as in decision-making.  The third strategy is to enhance efficiency in the use of resources, while promoting greater allocation of resources for children.  The fourth strategy includes steps to increase participation of families and communities in decision-making.  The final strategy is to strengthen partnerships with civil society and the media for and with children.

After stating that monitoring of how effectively child rights are being realized must improve, the draft text states, under “our commitments”, that with concerted action, major progress is possible within a generation.  States then commit themselves to:  mobilizing resources in a way that favours the social sectors over military expenditure; restructuring their budget and aid flows to achieve universal access to basic social services; giving special priority to addressing the special needs of children in the least developed countries, such as improving market access for export products from those countries, granting more generous development assistance, and cancelling all official bilateral debt of countries that demonstrate commitment to poverty reduction; responding to the special needs of landlocked countries and small island developing countries, and countries in transition; and taking special measures to address the challenges of poverty eradication and sustainable development in Africa.

In the draft text, States parties “commit ourselves to making a world fit for every child, building on the achievements of the past decade and guided by the principle that the needs and rights of children must always come first”.

Statements

The Chair of the Preparatory Committee, M. PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica), said that the challenge of the special session on children was to find ways to change the reality of children who suffer in so many different ways every day.  More than 10 million children under the age of five die each year, mostly from preventable diseases.  One in every 10 children live with some sort of disability, while one third fail to complete five years of basic schooling.  The impact of conflict on children continued to be devastating and widespread, and in the 1990s, more than

2 million children died as a result of armed conflict.

She described the session of the Preparatory Committee as a crucial step in the process of changing children’s lives and was, therefore, pleased that the second substantive session had attracted so many personal representatives of heads of State or government.  A significant number of Members States had also submitted national reports on the implementation of the 1990 World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and the Plan of Action, which would represent a key input for the report of the Secretary-General to be submitted in June.  She added that the outcome of the Committee’s work should reflect the views of those working directly with children.

She called on delegates to hold the picture of a particular child in mind as they did their work -- their own child, or a niece or the child of a friend.  "What you wish for the child who is close to you -- health, education, happiness, freedom from fear and want, success and more -- that vision of a child, with rights fully realized, should be our compass over these next few days."  That vision should lead the Committee to define goals and strategies and to also drive their choices.  A measure of the Committee’s work must be whether it had "moved us closer to a world in which each and every child enjoys a life of dignity, security and self-fulfilment".

The President of the General Assembly, HARRI HOLKERI (Finland), said that he was optimistic about what could and would be done on behalf of children in the new millennium.  At the Millennium Summit, heads of State and government had reaffirmed a set of universal values, such as freedom, equality, non-violence and shared responsibility.  Those universal values included respect for the rights and voices of children.  According to the Millennium Declaration, children everywhere should be able to complete primary schooling and have equal access to all levels of education.  Children were entitled to participation, development and a clean environment.  They were also entitled to protection from natural disasters, genocide, and armed conflicts. 

As President of the General Assembly, he was entrusted to follow up the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, he said.  The special session on children was one of the tools in the implementation process.  It was also an opportunity, but not the only one, to reaffirm commitment to the rights of children and to develop partnerships.  The Millennium follow-up was an overarching theme, which linked different conferences and special sessions together in a meaningful and holistic way.  His personal interest in the special session went back a decade, when he had served as the head of Finland's delegation to the 1990 World Summit for Children.  Of all the successes of the past decade, the near universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was one of the most significant.  Child rights were now recognized as human rights to be protected by governments as a matter of legal obligation, social responsibility and economic imperative.  The role of civil society was crucial to advancing the rights of every child to live a healthy life in a climate of peace and security.

Poverty, however, had spanned yet another generation, he continued.  Divisions within countries and across nations –- educational and digital –- had deepened.  HIV/AIDS was evermore rampant.  Too many children were without access to basic social services.  Children were being exploited, abused and trafficked.  Girls and women often suffered from conflicts and violence.  Young people still fought adult wars and died adult deaths.  The Convention on the Rights of the Child must be implemented, and the importance of ratifying and implementing the two Optional Protocols adopted last year must be underlined.  Providing children with the best possible start in life was one of the most important steps in breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty. 

Today, more was known about breaking the barriers that kept girls from school, he said.  Those within the United Nations system had learned how much could be gained from combining the expertise of individual agencies and other partners into joint programmes and policy support.  The Girls’ Education Initiative was one example.  He found the greatest hope in the participation of children and young people in the special session.  He looked forward to an outcome from the special session that was concise, innovative, action-oriented and time-bound, translating commitments and resolutions concerning children into decisive actions.

CAROL BELLAMY, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said that the second session of the Preparatory Committee was opening at a crucially important juncture for the world’s children -– their right to grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity.  In the eight months remaining until the special session, hard work remained, including consideration of a draft outcome document that would herald the dawn of a new era in human development -– an era when the whole world said yes to all rights for all children.

She said that the vast and diverse representation at the Preparatory Committee session was a testament to the deep commitment to children that already existed worldwide and to the convergence of strategy, resources and action that the United Nations and its agencies had worked to promote.  It was a reminder that all that the world had achieved for children -– and still had to achieve -– had come about because of partnerships.  Partnerships were at the heart of UNICEF’S work and over the years had come to encompass the entire spectrum of society.   It was, thanks to partnerships and the key role of NGOs, that the world had its most acclaimed human rights instrument, the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The Convention, in turn, made it clear that while families bore the primary responsibility for the direct care and protection of children, the tasks of ensuring child rights required broad alliances that brought together governments and diverse elements of civil society.

Because of the Convention, a whole galaxy of fundamental rights for every child was now recognized, she continued.  As a result, the 1990s were a time of remarkable progress towards the goals set at the World Summit for Children -– including gains in child immunization that had brought polio to the brink of eradication, the widespread prevention of iodine deficiency disorders, and increased access to primary education.  But, for all the many millions of young lives that had been saved and for all the young lives that had been bettered, it was clear that overall gains had fallen far short of national commitments and international obligations.  That was why governments and citizens “must seize the historic opportunity that lies before us”.  Together, “we have the power and the resources to mobilize a global movement for children -– a movement that will put the world on a path to end the poverty, ill health, violence and discrimination that needlessly blights and destroys so many lives”.

She described events that had been taking place in preparation for the special session and said she remained convinced that a better future for every child was within reach.  Further, together countries had the knowledge and resources to ensure the well-being of all societies by decisively shifting national investments to favour the well-being of all children.  She called on delegates not only to remain mindful of the special session, but of what lay beyond.  “For the real difference we must make in the life of every child will not be determined in September, but in the years and decades to come.”

BAGHER ASADI (Iran), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that since the World Summit for Children there had been positive changes in several areas, which had led to an overall improvement in the situation of children worldwide.  It must be stressed, however, that the overall progress had been uneven, due to different levels of development.  That should be rectified, as the needs of children were the same throughout the world.  Despite positive change, children continued to be the most vulnerable members of society.

The review by the special session should be guided by the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, he said.  The first task for delegates was to undertake an honest and self-critical appraisal of past experiences, update the goals adopted at the World Summit in order to address major new challenges, define specific areas of action, and set up a progressive international machinery for the best interests of children.  The goals of the Committee should be innovative and action-oriented.

He said that the lack of resources and the new challenges, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, had contributed to the slow progress and, in some cases, regression of the implementation of the goals of the World Summit for Children.  He added that they had always endeavoured to contribute to the best of their ability to the United Nations processes on children and expressed their commitment to continue to support the collective efforts by the international community to make a better world for children.

THOMAS HAMMARBERG (Sweden), personal representative of the Prime Minister and speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said that there had been significant progress in many countries in the achievement of the goals over the past decade, demonstrating that a clear commitment could contribute to substantial change.  In his region, substantial progress had been made in attainment of some of the goals of the World Summit for Children, including under-five mortality.  Monitoring and systematic analysis of the progress of the Summit’s goals through annual reporting had permitted members of the Union to track the outcome of their efforts.

One of the greatest achievements of the Summit was its contribution to the development of indicators and systematic monitoring, he said.  The availability of base-line data provided better ways of identifying areas where progress had been achieved and where new interventions were needed.  Goals could not be fully achieved without universal realization of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The Union was focusing on a number of issues, including the best interests of the child.  Other issues included participation, discrimination, violence and the role of fathers. 

Of great concern were the countries where little or no progress had been achieved, he continued.  In conflict situations, access to children was difficult and important resources were diverted to military purposes.  The Union had made the protection of children in armed conflict a high priority and would continue to work on translating these commitments into assistance policies.  The Union was also committed to a comprehensive approach to the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. 

He said that the Union was also committed to improving the situation for children and increased respect for their rights in all parts of the world.  Poverty eradication was one prerequisite for the fulfilment of the rights of the child.  A rights-based approach to development would contribute to poverty eradication.  The situation of children and their rights had suffered significant setbacks due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  Collaboration among governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector and NGOs was promising.  The involvement of children and young people were key to curbing the pandemic.  A frank commitment at the highest political level and social mobilization at all levels of society were fundamental for dealing with the rights of the child and HIV/AIDS.

ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said that the recognition of special needs for the survival, protection and development of children had led to the universal acceptance of the concept that children must enjoy the full spectrum of rights -- civil, cultural, economic, political and social.  The Convention on the Rights of the Child epitomized the rights in a comprehensive manner.  Bangladesh was one of the first 20 to ratify the Convention.  Shortly after that, Bangladesh drafted a National Plan of Action for Children (1990-1995), and a Second National Plan of Action for Children (1997-2002).  The National Plan of Action clearly articulated the future policy directions for the survival, protection and development of children through implementation of sectoral and multisectoral programmes.  The Plan’s strategy was to implement programmes for children with the collaborative efforts of the governments, NGOs and the private sector. 

Bangladesh had taken a proactive stance against child labour, he said.  The year 2000 was adopted as a deadline to end child labour in hazardous conditions and the year 2010 was adopted for the eradication of all forms of child labour.  Bangladesh had successfully abolished child labour from ready-made garments manufacturing  -- the largest export sector.  However, child labour was integrally related to poverty.  Unless headway was made in poverty eradication, measures to eliminate child labour would never be fully successful.  Bangladesh had taken steps to protect children from violence.  He was deeply concerned about trafficking in children, including the girl child.  National measures had to be complemented by regional and international activity.  More needed to be done to alleviate the suffering of children affected by armed conflict.  Children had not only been victimized; they had also been put into situations where they had been perpetrators of war crimes.

Prince MOULAY RACHID of Morocco, representative of the King, said that as far as his country was concerned, meeting the needs of the children of the world and promoting their rights constituted the best investment in human resources.  In that regard, the King of Morocco had set up a national commission to enable all those working in the field of children to come together to assess what had been done for children in the past and to take up the new challenges of the future.

He said his country had made tremendous progress on the fulfilment of the goals of the World Summit for Children.  There had been a decrease in infant-juvenile mortality, nine children out of 10 were now vaccinated, and no cases of polio had been reported since 1990. The schooling rate had reached 80 per cent for 1999-2000 academic year.

He warned, however, that the Preparatory Committee meeting and the forthcoming special session of the General Assembly were evidence that the world was facing a global and durable phenomenon that bypassed its capacities, especially in developing countries.  He called on the international community to take up the challenge of constructing a world worthy of children, rather than a world made for children.

LIVIA TURCO, Minister for Social Affairs of Italy, said that her country had put in place legislation to combat child poverty in its poorest regions and had given special attention to the differences that existed between boys and girls, especially those from immigrant families.  The Government had also invested several billion liras in an unprecedented effort to tackle the problems that children faced.

At the end of the 1990s, Italy had also introduced a plan of action in the fight against the sexual exploitation of girls, the fight against poverty and increasing awareness of the rights of children among adults and families in general, she added.  She acknowledged that her country still had a long way to go in meeting the needs of children, but had been encouraged by the progress made so far.  Italy remained committed to establishing closer cooperation with UNICEF in its efforts to meet the needs of children, all the world’s children, especially refugee children.  In that regard, Italy would ensure that the issue of children was taken up by the next Group of Eight summit.

MARIE-THÉRÈSE HERMANGE (France) said that it although she supported the statement made by Sweden on behalf of the European Union, she had a few comments to make regarding the situation in France.  France was one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Last December, France had submitted its end-of-decade report.  While much progress had been achieved in promoting and protecting children in developed countries, some things remained to be done. 

Good school attendance reports should not conceal the number of school dropouts, she continued, which involved some 70,000 children who left the educational system without any training.  Another problem concerned the need to improve dealing with handicapped children.  Special attention should be given to adolescents.  In France, suicide was the second cause of death among young people.  The pain they experienced was reflected in eating disorders and drug use.  In the face of rapid sociological change in families, social assistance policy should be given fresh thought.  France sought to do that by placing emphasis on the coordination of child protection services. 

It was important for every country to heighten the awareness of children’s issues, she said.  A document would be submitted to the President of France containing proposals for specific action as elaborated by a pilot project, which she had chaired.  The working group for that project had the task of developing a number of areas, including children in the family, access to care, education and citizenship.  The new century should provide all children a good beginning.  In the words of a Chinese proverb, all nations walked on the fragile feet of their small children.

HARMODIO ARIAS CERJACK (Panama), who served as Secretary of the Tenth Ibero-American Summit of heads of State, held in Panama on 18 November 2000, told delegates that dialogue had taken place at the highest level during the Summit and that many problems, including those affecting children, had been identified and strategies to tackle them had been defined.  They had also agreed to do a sectoral analysis on problems related to children.

He added that leaders attending the Summit, which included Spain and Portugal, had found that though countries in the region had made significant progress in the last 10 years, the challenge facing them in terms of the high levels of poverty, child mortality, illiteracy and health was still huge.  He further stated that the Summit had agreed that cutting down on social spending was an economic error, which deprived society of its main resources –- people.  Social investment was a key element in building the society of tomorrow and an integrated approach was needed to fight the high levels of poverty.  

The heads of State had also agreed that the defence of democratic values and principles was essential to meet the challenges of inequality, which was evident throughout the region.  In that regard, they had agreed to work closely with the western world on strengthening international peace and security.

HANNS SCHUMACHER (Germany) said that progress had been made in the preparations.  Apart from efforts in New York, much work had been done at the regional level.  Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina would jointly hold a regional European and Central Asian preparatory conference for the special session, in Berlin in May.  It would be the first time that a conference on the situation of children would be held within that group of States.  In today’s world, there was hardly an issue that affected only specific regions, and not others.  In 1990, the Berlin Wall had just fallen and one could hardly identify the difficulties ahead.  For some countries, the changes resulting from the dissolution of the Communist bloc were significant and for others dramatic. 

Some of the problems affecting children could not have been anticipated, he said.  One such issue was communications technology.  While communications technology contained blessings that could not be ignored, it also had a worrisome side.  He was not saying anything new, but he wondered if most people were aware

of the dimension of the issue.  Such issues as child pornography on the Internet should be cause for reflection.  Another concern -- the hours of wasted time spent in front of computers, which caused damage to the health of young people and prevented them from concentrating on more serious forms of education.  The targets of the 1990 Summit must be adapted to reflect new challenges.  The Committee should consider the idea of “mainstreaming” children’s rights, just as had been done with respect to women’s rights.  Doing so would strengthen the impact of the Convention in general efforts to improve the situation of children.  He hoped for the strong involvement of civil society in the process for the special session.   

SHAMSHAD AHMAD (Pakistan) said that his Government was deeply committed to the protection and promotion of the rights of the child, particularly in the eradication of exploitative child labour.  A fund for the education of working children had been established, and the Government had encouraged NGOs, workers and employers’ organizations to undertake different activities and projects to address the issue of child labour.

He added that, though his country’s commitment to the implementation of the Plan of Action of the World Summit for Children was unwavering, like many developing countries it faced resource constraints. The debt burden had assumed alarming proportions, with both external and domestic debt reaching 97.5 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).  Economic problems had been further aggravated by the security situation in the region.

He assured the Committee, however, that his country would constructively participate in the deliberations of the meetings, adding that the success of the General Assembly special session would be measured by its impact on the revitalization of international efforts to promote the implementation of the Plan of Action.

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