Preparatory Committee for the 2001

Special Session of the General Assembly

 on the Children’s World Summit

3^rd Meeting (AM)

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN’S SPECIAL SESSION CONTINUES DISCUSSION;

HEARS PANEL ON ‘ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT AND PARTICIPATION’

Tangible improvements in the well-being of children were being eroded by challenges that could not have been foreseen in 1990, the representative of Indonesia told the Preparatory Committee for the General Assembly’s special session on children this morning, as it continued its general discussion.

The special session, to be held from 19 to 21 September, will follow up on implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action of the 1990 World Summit for Children.  The Preparatory Committee, in its week-long session, is expected to conduct a preliminary examination of the end-of-decade reviews on implementation, as well as hear initial comments on the provisional draft outcome document.

Indonesia’s representative said that the Asian financial crisis had not only reversed decades of progress in fighting poverty and advancing social welfare, but had also led to political change and created a degree of instability in society.  The challenges facing Indonesian children were, in large part, due to the new global paradigm of globalization, which had brought benefits for some countries, but “bitter lessons” for others.  He hoped that the impact of globalization would be given full consideration at the special session, and policies and programmes have adopted that channelled its forces in a positive way.

The representative of Norway warned that the last decade had taught the world that progress made for children could easily be undermined, if issues were not addressed as they emerged.  The main challenge of the World Summit for Children had been to improve the situation for children in developing countries.  To that end, during the 1990s, Norway had developed a strategy for assistance to children, as part of its development cooperation.

Everything in the world was globalized, except wealth and development, the representative of Cuba said.  The neo-liberal globalization, which had been imposed, was unsustainable.  The prevailing unfair economic order -– which benefited only 20 per cent of the world’s population -- must be changed.  The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was right in saying that external debt had a child’s face.

General statements were also made by the representatives of China, Venezuela and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Following the general discussion, the Committee heard a panel discussion on adolescent development and participation, moderated by Richard Jessor, a professor from the United States.  Participating in the panel were Tatyana Kondrashevskaya of the Ukraine, Jorg Chet Tremmel of Germany, Issa Moussa Issa of Jordan, Ibrahim Andrew Sesay of Sierra Leone, and Najat M’Jid Maalla of Morocco.  Representatives of delegations and non-governmental organizations also spoke during the discussion.

The Committee will meet again today at 3 p.m. to continue its work.

Committee Work Programme

The Preparatory Committee for the General Assembly special session to follow up the 1990 World Summit for Children met this morning to continue its general discussion.

[For background information, see Press Release HR/4513 dated 29 January.]

Statements

M. PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica), Chair of the Committee, drew the Committee’s attention to several documents on matters for the upcoming special session, including the establishment of a list of speakers for the plenary meeting, the draft provisional agenda and organizational matters for the session, and the participation of children and adolescents.  She also drew attention to two draft decisions on the participation of entities of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the special session.

MAKMUR WIDODO (Indonesia) said the lives of children throughout the world had been vastly improved and made more secure as a result of the decade-long commitment to honour the World Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the World Summit for Children 11 years ago.

As Members States prepared to set the course for the twenty-first century, he believed that one of the most important exercises for Indonesia was the end-decade review, which had greatly facilitated a national assessment of what had been accomplished during the past years and what still needed to be done.

For Indonesia, he added, the Asian financial crisis had not only reversed decades of progress in fighting poverty and advancing social welfare, it had also led to political change and created a degree of instability in society.  During the last three decades, the country had achieved a consistent drop in the poverty level, from approximately 65 per cent living in poverty to 13 per cent, and inroads were being made in strengthening access to health care for mothers and children.  Since the crisis, however, poverty had increased dramatically and the incidence of malnutrition had also increased.  Diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis were on the rise, and HIV/AIDS was also a growing problem.

He concluded that what transpired in Indonesia in the last few years was, in large part, due to the new global paradigm of globalization, which had brought benefits for some countries, but bitter lessons for others.  In that regard, he hoped that the impact of globalization would be given full consideration at the special session, and policies and programmes would be adopted that would channel its forces in a positive way.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that what had been achieved in the past decade was meaningless, in light of the challenges the world was facing in terms of well-being and comprehensive development for all children.  The international community had a great responsibility.  Children would blame the older generation for passing down to them a new century in which curable diseases continued to kill millions of children and hunger and malnutrition claimed new lives every day.  The figures were eloquent and clear.  More than 11 million boys of girls under five years of age died of curable diseases.  Almost 2 million children under 15 years suffered from AIDS and 500 million children lived in poverty.

Everything in the world was globalized, except wealth and development, he said.  The neo-liberal globalization, which had been imposed, was unsustainable.  The prevailing unfair economic order –- which benefited only 20 per cent of the world population -- must be changed.  The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was right in saying that external debt had a child’s face. 

He said Cuba had undertaken the goals set at the World Summit for Children with commitment and responsibility.  Over the last 42 years, Cuba had conceived development as a comprehensive social and economic process, which combined economic growth, progress and social development for all citizens.  Education and health care in Cuba were free.  All Cuban boys and girls were examined during their first 15 days of life to detect any anomaly of the thyroid gland.  Cuban boys and girls were undoubtedly among the vulnerable social groups that suffered from the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. 

His country had attached special attention to the preparatory process in the region, he said.  It had actively participated in the Fifth Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy in the Americas held in Jamaica.  The Cuban Government would continue to work to improve the standards of boys and girls and would remain faithful to its tradition of supporting the health-care systems in sister nations of Africa and Latin America.

WANG XINGGEN (China) was pleased to note that there had been profound and positive changes in provisions made for children at both global and country levels.  Many of the 27 goals set by the World Summit for Children had been achieved.

He added, however, that the development had been quite uneven, due to such factors as an increase in armed conflicts, population growth and HIV/AIDS in some parts of the world.  There were still large numbers of children who died before the age of five, due mainly to poverty, and many were still unable to receive basic education.  That indicated that change had not been fundamental, and poverty was still the main cause of stunted development of children.

He stated that, while most of the developed countries had achieved the goals set by the World Summit, developing countries had had problems reaching those goals.  Many were unable to provide adequate social services for their children because of poverty.  The special session should pay attention to the reasons for that disparity and try to find ways of overcoming it.  On the issue of regional cooperation, he said China was going to host a ministerial-level meeting in May for countries in East Asia and the Pacific region, in an attempt to find common strategies for child development.

LENIN ROMERO (Venezuela) said that nations must agree to develop a critical attitude and admit that many of the goals of the Plan of Action had not been fully achieved.  Making new commitments without obtaining past goals would be useless.  Achieving acceptable levels in the eradication of polio, increasing access to education and providing vitamins were significant initiatives, but were inconsistent with measures to cope with poverty, violence, environmental degradation and the consequences of armed conflict. 

There had been a complacent attitude towards the promotion of social systems that supported the family, he continued.  Education must be understood as a social requirement.  The social development of law and justice only took place in an environment of sound legal policy.  Education was an important right in the new agenda.  Ensuring that children had a better beginning and guaranteeing their full participation was a noble aspiration, which required political will that recognized the value of children and youth.

Seeking a human face for development and the modernization of States were vital features for coexistence in a high-tech world, he said.  Venezuela was prepared to reach the goals that had not yet been achieved.  All children must begin their lives in the right way.  All children must have access to education from birth to adolescence.  All adolescents must have an opportunity to develop their potential.  Venezuela reaffirmed its commitment to the 1990 Summit and its Plan of Action.  He requested that the outcome of the special session contain specific proposals for financial cooperation for development and the commitment to open up world markets for exports from least developed countries.  More developed countries must indicate a greater commitment to eliminate the cycle of poverty.

WENCHE HELLERUD (Norway) warned that the last decade had taught the world that progress made for children could be easily undermined if issues were not addressed as they emerged.  HIV/AIDS was having a devastating effect on the progress that had been made in sub-Saharan Africa, and particular attention should be paid to its impact on children.

The main challenge of the World Summit's Plan of Action was to improve the situation for children in developing countries.  To that end, the Norwegian development assistance constituted an important part of the follow-up to the World Summit.  During the 1990s, Norway had developed a Strategy for Assistance to Children, as part of its development cooperation.  Her country had also allocated between 0.9 per cent to 1 per cent of its gross national product (GNP) for official development assistance (ODA).  Norway remained one of the largest donors to UNICEF.

On the issue of child and youth policy in Norway, she further stated that her country was becoming increasingly aware that children and young people had an important contribution to make to civil society.  Developments in communications technology provided them with new opportunities.  Unfortunately, discrimination, especially with regard to immigrant children, was a problem.  Norway was taking the necessary steps to deal with those issues.

ALOUNKEO KITTIKHOUN (Lao People's Democratic Republic) said that it was important to proceed with an exchange of views on what had been achieved and what challenges remained.  His country had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and had created a national commission for women and children to implement the Convention.   The Convention had been disseminated through several channels.  Since the World Summit, some progress had been made.  The mortality rate for those under five years of age had decreased and the immunization programme had been successful.  In October 2000, Laos was declared a polio-free country.  On development rights, the net enrolment in primary school had risen to some 77 per cent, and literacy rates had also increased.  A labour law existed to protect children. 

There was, however, a great disparity in the education of girls and boys, he continued.  That disparity was especially noticeable among the minorities living in remote areas and in tribal communities.  It was a complex task.  There was also a disparity among children living in urban and rural areas.  His country did have a rural development programme, but the economic crisis had undermined efforts, in general, to improve the situation of children.  The juvenile justice system must be brought up to international standards.  He thanked UNICEF staff for their dedication to assisting the children of his country, and also donor countries for their assistance.

Panel Discussion:  Adolescent Development and Participation

Following the general discussion, a panel discussion was held on adolescent development and participation, was chaired by M Ly-Tall (Mali).

RICHARD JESSOR, a professor and researcher, introduced the topic and provided on overview of recent scientific understanding about adolescence.  He told delegates that young people between the age of 10 and 19 were the largest generation of young people in the world -- nearly 1 billion of them, constituting one in every six persons on the planet.

He said that it had become increasingly clear that adolescence entailed new developmental tasks, new capabilities, new opportunities, new social roles and new societal expectations, which together represented a transition out of childhood. Some of those developments reflected biological changes, some social and cultural expectations and some personal self-definitions about having left childhood. Adolescents also took on new tasks and roles, such as civic responsibilities, learning to cope with violence and dealing with economic activities that were not characteristic of childhood.

The new understanding about the adolescent stage was that it was critical for shaping the entire course of the rest of life, he added.  Research in both developing and developed countries had reshaped the world's thinking about adolescent development and had helped people to abandon myths about that stage in life and see it as time of positive growth.  The recognition of young people as a population, with needs and experiences that differ from those of children, strongly suggested that the outcome document of the second substantive session should have three words added to its title.  The title should now read:  "A World Fit for Children and Young People".

TATIYANA KONDRASHEVSKAYA made a presentation on adolescent development and participation in the Ukraine.  She said that there had been a lack of civic society and child participation in the establishment and implementation of the World Summit goals, a lack of awareness of those goals and insufficient efforts to coordinate those goals in Ukrainian society.

She further stated that, although children formed one fifth of Ukraine's population, they had only limited opportunity to consider or comment on policies that affected them. The country's transition from authoritarian state to democracy had exposed young people to both opportunities and hazards.  The culture of child rights was not developed in Ukraine and it was, therefore, difficult to establish an efficient system of children's participation, especially in the decision-making process.  There were, however, initiatives that had been developed to remedy the situation.

The issue of the voting rights of children and adolescent was addressed by JORG CHET TREMMEL, of the Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations in Germany.  Quoting a Euronet report, he said that the most striking and significant form of discrimination against children was their lack of any real opportunity for democratic participation.  He stressed that States needed the participation of adolescents and children at every level.  Young people needed their own political bodies and participation rights in educational facilities.

He said that in his country there was a growing movement among young people to lower the voting age.  A critical evaluation had also revealed that most of the arguments against voting rights for young people were simply not true.  He concluded that States should not be anxious about giving responsibilities to young people, as the majority of youth was an indispensable resource for society.  Voting rights were not only good for children, they were a way for society to realize and nurture the positive energy and creativity of young people.

ISSA MOUSSA ISSA, a youth representative from Jordan, said that in the Middle East and North Africa, where 20 per cent of the population was aged between 15 to 19 years old, malnourishment, political instability and poverty were rife.  Yet, there was also a real spirit of change and the ability to dream.

He said that UNICEF had been contributing in a positive way to the development of Jordanian youth.  In the region, during the last 10 years, there had been more interest shown in children and young people and that had led to the organization of a conference of Arab children and family protection units being built, among other initiatives.

The experiences of youth in Sierra Leone during the armed conflict in that country was described by IBRAHIM ANDREW SESAY.  He told the panel that the protracted civil conflict had created an uncertain future and had dampened courage and hope in the lives of adolescents.  While there had been some programmes that had targeted adolescents, responding to their needs had not been a mainstream priority, and they had been underserved by both the Government of Sierra Leone and the donor community.

In Sierra Leone, adolescents were not encouraged or supported to participate in processes and decisions that affected them, he added.  He stressed that it was only through meaningful participation that young people would be able to acquire skills, build competencies and gain confidence to take their rightful place in society.

NAJAT M’JID MAALLA of Morocco, speaking on the issue of the difficulties of adolescence, outlined the findings of a five-year study of street children in her country.  She said that, among those young people, researchers often found delayed growth, emotional deficiencies and loss of coordination. They often had no concept of authority, suffered from a lack of self-confidence and saw little in the future.  They also had serious health problems and were sexually and commercially exploited.

She added that there were some positive aspects in the lives of those street children, however, which included a substitute family culture, an honour code and their survival intelligence.  In order to encourage them back into society, it was important to emphasize the positive aspects of their lives and strengthen whatever family links they had, as well as introduce them to other young people who could act as a positive role model for them.  That was hard work and required a long-term commitment. A number of NGOs and civil society groups were working in partnership to help those young people, but there was still much to be done.

In his closing remarks, Mr. JESSOR said that there had been a remarkable consensus across the panel, which represented diverse regions.  The Committee had heard a rich menu of programmes and interventions, primarily based upon young people.  The pervasive emphasis was on the participatory role of young people in society.

Responding to the panel, the representative of Jamaica said that young people constituted 62 per cent of society.  He encouraged the region as a whole to come together to ensure that young people participated in the political process.  It was important that they understand what they voted for.  Youth must understand the importance of voting.

The representative of Georgia said that the participation of children and adolescents was an important factor for the effective management of problems in Georgia.  The creation of legitimate elective organs was the most democratic form of adolescent participation in social processes.

The representative of Canada said that plans started with vision.  Working together as a united team would allow plans to become a reality.  In Canada, young people had formed a youth council, whose work was based on three points:  development; advice; and enforcement.  All three were vital to the organization.  The Youth Congress developed ideas; structure and resources were provided.  Once projects were reviewed, they were then enforced.

The representative of Senegal said that significant progress had been achieved in protection of children, but there had been problems in the areas of education, training and health.  Programmes focused on the girl child and the right of children to a stable environment.  Senegal was launching a pilot project for parental training and promoting the participation of adolescents.  Some 40 per cent of the population were under 18.

The representative of Iran said that the deliberations raised some questions.  Regarding the participation of children at home, how could the guidance of parents be a factor in better mobilizing youth for duty and responsibility?  How could cultural frameworks be integrated into the draft outcome document?

The representative of Egypt said the transition from childhood to adulthood affected the nation profoundly.  Adolescents had gone unnoticed as an age group with special needs.  The problem of substance abuse received more attention, as the average age of addiction was lower each day.  The emphasis was now on reduction of demand, as opposed to reduction of supply.  Education was also an area of great concern.  The major challenge was to improve the quality of education and its availability to all.  In particular, the education of girls had improved.

The representative of the Netherlands said that youth participation was increasingly recognized as important.  The principle of participation should be integrated into all areas, so that youth could influence their own social environment.  Children were not just creatures to be taken care of; they had opinions that needed to be heard.  All children present were experts in their own field.  That expertise must be used to create a document fit for all children.

The representative of Benin said that the problems of young people were different.  The best chance for children was their first chance.  The child was the ancestor of the adult.  Childhood must be happy.  On the issue of voting rights, what limits were there?  Would children be turned into adults?  It was the responsibility of parents to ensure a happy childhood.  The statements had been good, but they were unrelated to the family.  Children were the products of society, and parents needed to guide them.  What was the limit on the rights of the child?  Where did they end?  Children had the right to be and remain children.

The representative of Denmark said that, for many youth, the teenage years were used to search for identity.  Young people must have opportunity to experiment and search.  Some things in life had to be experienced, and not taught.  Adults did not determine the nature of the participation of young people.  Youth must be allowed to experiment and experience.  Where was the balance struck between adult guidance and the opportunity for youth to experience on their own?

The representative of Sweden said that since children and youth constituted 50 per cent of the world population, their decisions should be respected.  Even small children were capable of making decisions.  Children must feel that their opinions were important.  The outcome document should not only be written for children, but also understood by them. 

The representative of Turkey said that adolescent voices must be heard and understood.  Children wanted the time of adults.  Adults gave them life, but they also wanted time. 

The representative of Swaziland said that major concerns included increased numbers of orphaned children, street children, substance abuse, and school dropout rates.  Swaziland had several programmes, including vocational training.  In the health arena, youth had formed child-to-child clubs to raise awareness.  In civil society, youth had been involved in local government.

The representative of the NGO Youth Caucus said that the best chance for healthy adolescent development was within the natural married family.  The dignity of the child was most clearly affirmed when both mother and father recognized their responsibilities as parents.  One major injustice inflicted on children today was the violation of their innocence.  The imparting of inappropriate sexual information, unconnected to any moral principle, had not improved the welfare of children; rather, it had the adverse effect of sexualizing the young child.

The child who was denied security and guidance while still maturing would be disadvantaged, he said.  The need to protect children could not be overstated.  Stable, loving families were the only assurance for the full development of the

child.  It was only within a nurturing and protective framework that children could learn to build a civilization of love.

The representative of Mouvement africain des enfants et jeunes travailleurs said that concrete action must be prepared.  In the future, he would like to be invited as a children’s movement.  He hoped that greater action would be taken to encourage effective participation in Africa and throughout the world.

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