Preparatory Committee for the 2001

Special Session of the General Assembly

 on the Children’s World Summit

8^th Meeting (PM)

SPECIAL SESSION SHOULD SET NEW AGENDA FOR CHILDREN, PREPARATORY COMMITTEE TOLD

The outcome document of the 2001 special session for children should set forward a new agenda for children, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) told the Preparatory Committee for the 2001 General Assembly special session on the Children’s World Summit this afternoon, as it concluded consideration of the draft provisional outcome document.

Summarizing the major themes of the two-day discussion on the draft provisional outcome document, “A World Fit for Children”, Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director, said that while the outcome document should build on progress made, it should be more than a reiteration of what had already been said.  Virtually every speaker had referred to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and delegates had stressed that the goals adopted at the 1990 World Summit for Children should not be forgotten. 

Delegates had also proposed that the Committee agree on key, overarching goals around which all countries could rally, she continued.  Such goals included stopping all forms of violence and exploitation against children, including in situations of armed conflict.  Delegates had also expressed the need to move from what should be done for children to how their rights could be ensured.  Poverty reduction should begin with children, and new partnerships bringing together governments, civil society, and the corporate world should be examined.

Ms. Bellamy said that while some had called for an outcome document that was succinct and action-oriented, others had asked for more analysis of achievements, setbacks and lessons learned.  It would be difficult to respond to both requests in the same document.

Also this afternoon, the Committee considered a draft decision on participation of children in the special session.  The Committee Chairperson,

M. Patricia Durrant (Jamaica), said that the Preparatory Committee would take a decision on that issue at its next substantive session in June.

Statements were made by the representatives of the Gambia, South Africa, New Zealand, Democratic Republic of Korea, Morocco, Viet Nam, Namibia, Nicaragua, Canada, Senegal, Algeria, Sudan and Côte d’Ivoire.  Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Food Programme spoke, as did representatives of several non-governmental organizations.

The Committee will meet again tomorrow at 10 a.m. to continue its work.

Committee Work Programme

The Preparatory Committee for follow-up to the 2001 special session of the General Assembly met this afternoon to continue its consideration of the session’s draft provisional outcome document.

Statements

BAI IBRAHIM JOBE (Gambia) said that the draft outcome document was well written and precise.  It was encouraging to note that particular attention had been given to sub-Saharan Africa.  The “vision” section of the draft clearly spelled out that children should be able to enjoy a positive life.  The draft was also sensitive to different political situations, as well as new and emerging issues.  The overall vision was conditional on three critical assumptions:  a stable political environment, adequate resources, and profound cultural change.  The section did not go far enough in providing an analysis of how to overcome constraints.  The overall concern in the vision statement was the meeting of obligations by State parties.  Lack of continuity due to political change, especially in Africa, raised many concerns. 

The debilitating effects of poverty were frequently mentioned in the document, he said.  However, it was important to address means to overcome inequalities between countries in the North and the South.  It was also important to point out how the issues of armed conflict could be addressed, to bring about a lasting peaceful life for children.  Another major challenge was to find ways to convince traditional leaders to abandon sociocultural practices that violate the rights of children and women.  The goals mentioned in the text focused only on children, to the exclusion of women.  An additional goal could be the universal ratification of Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).  Acting in the best interest of the child required sensitivity to cultural diversity.  The document failed to show how participatory democratic governance systems could be put in place and supported, to create an environment for those strategies to be implemented.

THOKO MKHWANAZI-XALUVA (South Africa) said her delegation believed that the dialogue taking place today would contribute towards energizing the international community's commitment to ensuring the rights of children.  The vision contained in section one of the draft outcome document should contain a progressive and insightful perspective, and should be rooted in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The document should contain not only an international and a national perspective, but also a regional one.

One of the major challenges confronting the international community was the debt burden, which had a disastrous effect on developing countries and further compounded poverty levels, she said.  Another challenge was to implement effective strategies for child-centred policies.  There was universal acceptance that effective political leadership improved the lives of children.

The document, she said, should be succinct, with concrete actionable goals.  It should also be structured in such a manner so as to reflect global goals, and themes for regional and national actions.  This would encourage regions to collaborate and collectively decide on objectives pertinent to them.  Survival and development rights were important, but protection and participation rights were equally important.  There should be four core global goals:  promoting education; reducing HIV/AIDS infection; reducing infant mortality; and enacting legal and special protection measures for children.  

DON MACKAY (New Zealand) said that a concise and focussed document best served the purpose of equipping and assisting governments and other actors to translate commitments into action, and action into results for children.  Tasks should build on commitments made and legal obligations undertaken.  The normative framework existed on which to base tasks, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child was the backbone of that normative framework.  Tasks should be specific and operationalize commitments, rather than statements of principle or ideals.

The absence of any reference to the situation of indigenous children in the outcome document was out of step with efforts of the United Nations to address the concerns of indigenous children around the world, he said.  In many countries, including New Zealand, inequalities needed to be reduced and the special session would fall short of addressing the needs and concerns of all children if it failed to address the situation of indigenous children.  New Zealand did not wish to shy away from issues that were controversial.  He would seek to include tasks related to threats to the lives of children, and to their well-being and full realization of their rights, rather than merely covering principles that could be easily agreed to. 

MUN JONG CHOL (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said the draft outcome document would provide a universal principle for the protection and treatment of children.  The document was well-balanced and contained most of the achievements made since the World Summit for Children and many of the new challenges that needed to be addressed.  His delegation supported the aspects of the document that called for ensuring free and compulsory basic education for all children.  A child-centred approach should be used in all national policies and programmes.

The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic had made the issue of children a priority on its agenda, and had consistently advanced legislative and social policies that were in the best interest of children, he said.  It continued to give State-level attention to child care, and took every possible measure that was in the best interest of children.  The final document needed to pay more attention to creating the social environment for educating every child.

M. AHMED SNOUSSI (Morocco) said that three areas must be focused on in the draft:  a good start in life, universal access to quality education and development of adolescent activities.  Priorities were often buried in the text.  The structure of the document should also be reconsidered.  Ideas and objectives must be better organized.  It was not clear if the draft outcome document was meant to be a draft declaration, on the one hand, or a plan of action, on the other.  A different presentation would be judicious.  He proposed a draft declaration on young children, universal education and the full development of adolescents.

The draft document clearly spelled out what should be the commitments of the developing countries, he said.  The commitments of developed countries, however, were written vaguely.  A commitment for international cooperation was a vague commitment. 

Redundancy must also be avoided.  At the first substantive session, the report submitted by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) highlighted issues such as poverty, HIV/AIDS and the effects of armed conflict on children.  Those main points should be highlighted in the draft outcome document as well.  The need to fight HIV/AIDS must receive priority in the commitments section of the draft.  Also, the document should not link the rights of women to young girls.  The young girl was a child.  His proposal was inspired by the need to harmonize the document, with the views in various international human rights instruments.  Very few of the document’s goals related to the three priorities he had outlined.

TRAN THI THANH THANH, Minister for Protection of Children of Viet Nam, said that she agreed with most of the content of the draft, which would be a very important guideline for the global actions for children.  However, she wished to make some points in connection with the draft.  Before defining the strategies, goals and targets for coming years, it was necessary to assess the implementation of the seven key goals of the Plan of Action adopted at the World Summit for Children.  It was important to reaffirm the main principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to highlight the role of children and young people as the world’s future leaders.

In view of the challenges before the world community today, she continued, while continuing to pursue unmet goals on child malnutrition, rural water and sanitation and universal primary education, the Committee should consider adding new concrete goals related to children’s rights.  They should include measures against drug abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking, and actions directed at  a reduction of accidental injuries or deaths.  Other goals should concern creation of conditions for children to present their views, increases in the number of communities and schools having recreation facilities for children, and increases in the percentage of adolescents participating in healthy and useful activities.

Part IV of the document on goals and targets should differentiate between the overall goals, sectoral goals and specific actions, she said.  That would create a clear framework for action, which would be easy to remember and implement.  She agreed in principle with the strategies defined in the draft outcome document.  While reaffirming the need to mobilize more resources for children, she particularly emphasized the sustainability of resource utilization and the need to give priority to families which lived in poverty or in areas of hardship. 

ADOLFINE MUSHIMBA, Deputy Director, Ministry of Women's Affairs and Child Welfare (Namibia), said the situation of children in her country had generally improved since the World Summit for Children 11 years ago.  Several initiatives on protecting children's rights had been instituted, and her Office and the Ministry itself had been established to address issues of women and children.  However, like any other developing nation, Namibia still had a long way to go before the full rights of children were realized.  Recalling her country's address at the Millennium Summit, she said Namibia's children were faced with a legacy of extreme disparities in education, health, income distribution and access to basic services.  She added that HIV/AIDS also had a devastating effect on the country's children.

She was glad to inform the Committee, she said, that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had recently adopted an HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework and Programme of Action for 2000-2004.  Namibia planned to work within that framework, and, with the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other partners, would strive to curb the spread of that pandemic.  She hoped the outcome document of the special session would pay particular attention to the issue of HIV/AIDS.  She also hoped it would be reflective of the principles of gender mainstreaming.  Further, more attention should be given to discrimination against girls and to improving girl children's access to education facilities and materials.

She also supported the proposal that UNICEF be requested to prepare, in collaboration with the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international actors, a consolidated analysis of actions taken by the international community in support of the objectives of the children's rights agenda.  She noted with appreciation the proposal that the special session should commit itself to taking special measures to address the challenges of poverty and sustainable development in Africa.

GLENDA REYES ALVAREZ (Nicaragua) said her country was proud to have been one of the first to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Since then, there had been important legislative and administrative changes.  During the last decade, progress was made in caring for Nicaraguan children, but little progress had been made in the battle against poverty and in addressing the vulnerability of the family due to internal migration.

The outcome document, she said, was a major starting point for reaching agreement on a plan of action to confront the challenges faced by children today.  Education had been established as the main way to break the cycle of poverty.  Her delegation believed that educational efforts should focus more on the family, as the family would be playing the main role of nurturing children during adolescence.  There was also a need to invest in education for life, and to coordinate actions with governments and NGOs.  The vulnerability of girls and boys needed to be taken into account in cases of natural disasters.  Lastly, the outcome document should reflect a differentiation of goals for developed and for developing countries.

DANIEL HELLE of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the ICRC was greatly encouraged by increased attention to the plight of children over the past few years.  Armed conflict often entailed a strong rise in the external assistance needs of a population, and reduced the capacity of a government to meet those needs.  Armed conflict represented an important obstacle to the implementation of the objectives included in the outcome document.  Special efforts were required to ensure that the needs of children were met, even in situations of armed conflict.

Obedience to international humanitarian law spared children the dangers of military operations and preserved the integrity of the family unit and the community, he said.  It also prevented forced displacement from occurring and secured access to humanitarian assistance.  The ICRC recommended that the outcome document reflect the importance of international humanitarian law and called upon all actors concerned to respect their legal obligations to this legal regime.

ARLENE MITCHELL of the World Food Programme (WFP) asked Committee members to imagine a starving mother and child, suffering more and more as their hunger grew by the day.  That was, unfortunately a very real situation for millions of children and their families.  There were over 800 million hungry people in the world and almost half of them were children.  Poor, malnourished mothers gave birth to children who had little chance for good health, education or food security.  The world was now suffering from a devastating cycle of "inherited hunger".

The WFP focused especially on providing food for vulnerable women and children, in order to help break that cycle, she said.  It mobilized and delivered food for the hungry and poor.  In 1999, the agency fed 11.2 million children in school nutrition programmes alone.  The WFP's 40 years of experience with such programmes had shown that school feeding improved enrolment, attendance and performance.  Such programmes also had a positive effect on families and communities.  She was also especially proud of the impressive results WFP had achieved regarding education of girls.  The agency was now beginning to use similar approaches to address the food insecurity and educational needs of HIV/AIDS-infected orphans.

She said that while WFP had submitted its comments on the proposed draft outcome of the special session -- calling for special attention to hunger, school feeding, malnutrition and mitigating the effects of AIDS -- regardless of the document's final content the Committee could count on the agency's strong support.  She then asked the Committee to imagine a world that was safe and hunger-free for children and their mothers.  With or without a final outcome document, she said, WFP would work to ensure that vision, using food aid to alleviate hunger and poverty and to create a hunger-free world for all people.

A representative of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Coordinadora de Instituciones Privadas por los Niños, Niñas sus Derechos (COIPRODEN) said that, in the Latin American and Caribbean, the problems experienced by children were similar to those in other regions.  Children were faced with poverty and problems in health care and education.  Children also suffered from a lack of recreational space, abuse, labour and the scourge of HIV/AIDS.  It was, therefore, important that governments committed themselves to supporting children.  Each commitment must become a concrete action.  Children must become the priorities of national policies.

DIANA NISTORESCU, from the NGO the Central and Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltics Caucus and the NGO Committee for Children in those regions, said there were a large number of children in public care.  A majority of these children had a living parent but continued to live in large-scale institutions.  Their growing numbers were a clear symptom of increased social stress.  The continued institutionalization of such vast numbers of children was contrary to every stated policy on children, and to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

There was an urgent need for appropriate and well-funded child care and family support services, she said.  This would ensure that families had the support services they needed.  In the few case where children did not or could not receive the care they needed within their family, community-based alternatives must be found.  All children had the right to grow up in a family. The international community was denying children that right when if focused only on picking up the pieces once families fell apart. 

The representative of the NGO Children and Violence Caucus said that the draft outcome document must be restructured to link it more closely to the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The outcome document must give priority to eliminating the death penalty for children under the age of 18, to creating juvenile justice systems, to protecting children from violence and to eliminating the worst forms of child labour.  She urged the Committee to support the Secretary-General’s proposal for a comprehensive study on violence against children.  Goals and indicators must be more specific and forward-looking.  No State could be complacent about violence against children.   All forms of violence, including corporal punishment, must be prohibited.

KAREN HOPFL-HARRIS, speaking on behalf of the International Network for Children's Health, Environment and Safety, said environmental health was an issue that cross-cut other concerns addressed in the Convention, such as poverty, malnutrition and child labour.  Environmental pollution and its effects on health was an emerging issue that impacted a child's quality of life.  Experts now believed that the single largest cause of death for children globally was from acute respiratory disease.  In addition, many children died each year from waterborne diseases.  She urged all governments and international agencies to work to prevent environmental threats by implementing specific action plans and strategies.

The representative of the NGO World Conference on Religion and Peace said that 5 of today’s 6 billion people claimed religious affiliation, making religion the largest and most organized set of civil society structures.  Religious communities possessed both moral and social assets relevant to the well-being of children.  Religions established ethical visions that grounded the inherent dignity of persons.  Religions were increasingly focussing on children and women.  Vast networks of religious institutions could become the front lines on behalf of children. 

Over 10 million children in Africa were afflicted by HIV/AIDS, he said.  In addition to their losses, children suffered from stigmatization.  The deep moral assets of religion be mobilized to remove the stigmatization from those children.  

The representative of the NGO African Caucus said the community of African NGOs was aware that major work had been accomplished on behalf of children worldwide, but much needed to be done.  The outcome document needed to draw a clear distinction between children, adolescents and youth.  The role of government should be clearly expressed and strategies should be viewed as strategies for sustainable development.  The debt of the poor countries should be converted, to benefit the lives of children.  Also, cultural differences should be taken into consideration when dealing with child rearing.  The document must include precise measures to combat HIV/AIDS.  States must be open to educational reform and they should involve civil society in developing educational policies.

The representative of the NGO Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development said that millions of young children were deprived of a happy childhood.  The first five years of life was a time when the brain developed almost to its full capacity.  Children learned either to be confident or insecure.  A world fit for children would be a world where every child had the right to learn from birth.  The earliest years of life were critical to providing a foundation for lifelong learning.  Even at birth, a child was learning.  That concept was not reflected in the document. 

JERRY CHRISTIANO, from Kiwanis International, said that after reviewing the goals established at the World Summit for Children in 1990, Kiwanis members made a commitment to raise the funds needed to help eliminate the world's leading cause of mental retardation, iodine deficiency disorders (IDD).  Kiwanis had funded IDD projects all over the world, and much progress had been made.  This past year alone, 85 million newborns were protected from the devastating effects of IDD.  The unique public-private partnership between UNICEF, its country committees and Kiwanis would continue to serve the children of the world. 

The representative of the Middle East and North African NGO Caucus said  the document did not deal with the issue of the negative effects of occupation on children and women.  Embargoes and other forms of collective punishment deprived children of their most basic human rights, and exposed them to untold hardship.  Economic opportunities at the international level had widened the gap between the countries of the North and South.  Occupation and the negative effects of globalization should be included in the outcome document.  The international community must help people living under occupation.  Collective sanctions and punishments should be ended.  Mechanisms to eradicate poverty should also be established. 

The representative of the NGO North American and Europe Regional Caucus said that the outcome document should represent an action plan for the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Poverty damaged many children in both developing and developed countries.  The Caucus was deeply concerned by the marginalization of children in all societies.  Children with disabilities and children from minority groups were the most likely to be disenfranchised.  All governments should mobilize resources for the full implementation of the Convention worldwide.  Also, children should participate in the special session, as they were the main stakeholders.

Summarizing some of the major themes in the discussion, Carol Bellamy, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that the Convention on the Rights of the Child had been referred to by virtually every speaker.  Delegates had stressed that the goals adopted at the World Summit should not be forgotten.  At the same time, many speakers urged that the document be more than a reiteration of what had already been said.  The outcome document should set forward a new agenda for children -- one that built on progress made.  Speakers had acknowledged the obstacles that stood in the way of a better future for children and young people, including widespread disparities, discrimination, violence and conflict and HIV/AIDS.

Delegates had also proposed that the Committee agree on some key, overarching goals around which all could rally, she said.  They included completing the unfinished World Summit for Children agenda and stopping all forms of violence and exploitation against children, including in situations of armed conflict.  Many had commented that more focus should be given to how to ensure children’s rights.  The outcome document should examine how to secure and invest the resources needed for children.  The document could present a clear case that poverty reduction began with children.  New partnerships and alliances, bringing together governments, civil society, the corporate world and the international community, should also be examined.  More and better ways to involve children and young people in decisions affecting their lives should also be found.  A number of delegates had stressed the importance of mechanisms and tools to monitor the commitments made at the special session.  While some had called for an outcome document that was more succinct and action-oriented, others had asked for more analysis of achievements, setbacks and lessons learned.  It would be difficult to respond to both requests in the same document. 

Having concluded its consideration of the draft provisional outcome document for the special session, the Committee then turned its attention to consideration to the participation of children in the special session. 

Ms. BEARSON (Canada) said the principle of child participation was enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Canada welcomed the bureau's proposal on that issue.  It had included child representatives in past delegations and had benefited from this.  Opportunities for child delegates should be provided in the plenary session.  Perhaps one of the sessions could be used for children to engage in a discussion among themselves while delegates listened.  Such meetings could provide an opportunity for child delegates to make substantive contributions to the final outcome of the session.  Also, child participation would add unprecedented legitimacy to the special session.

Mr. CAMPBELL, the youth delegate for Jamaica, said that the youth of the world were part of a new and interesting page in history.  Recalling an opportunity for youth to participate in a ministerial-level regional meeting, he said that one of the primary problems was that the debate and the documents were

not youth-friendly.  While he was not disputing the fact that legalese was important, the level of language used in such meetings could be brought down a notch.  If young people were to be involved in policy meetings, they should not be brought along just for show.  In addition, young participants had not been adequately briefed on their participation in that meeting and had been given only 20 minutes for their presentation.  He urged the Committee to allow children to express their views.  Adults planing conferences must include youth not only in policy planning, but also in informal and entertaining conferences.

MBAYE DIACK (Senegal) said her delegation agreed with the proposal to include children in the special session.

ABDELKADER MESDOUA (Algeria) wondered if a decision needed to be adopted on the question of youth participation.

ILHAM AHMED (Sudan) said her delegation welcomed the effective participation of youth during the special session.

Mr. OURAGA( Côte d'Ivoire) said his delegation, over the past few days, had listened to all the comments that had been made.  It hoped that the initiative on the rights of children would take into account the specificity of all children.  The international community had to restore to the child what had been lost.  Nevertheless, the rights of the child should include the duties of the child, otherwise they might conflict with the rights of parents.

M. PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica), Committee Chair said that document A/AC.256/8 gave background to the process and encouraged NGOs and Member States to consider including children and youth as active participants in the preparatory committee’s meetings.  Section three of the document suggested that an opportunity be given to children and adolescents from governments and NGOS to share views on the draft outcome document.  That had been done by some youth delegates.  Section 4, participation in the special session, required delegates’ views.  The suggestion in paragraph eight was that a forum for children be organized prior to the special session, allowing for an exchange of views.  That forum would be organized prior to the special session and would not be a formal part of the session.  Representatives could present the outcome of the youth forum orally to the plenary.  As for a possible roundtable, it had not been decided if the session would include roundtable discussions.  The Committee had been asked for their ideas now, with a view to taking a decision at the Committee's third substantive session in June.

As there were no further comments from the floor, the Chairperson adjourned the meeting.

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