SPEAKERS IN THIRD COMMITTEE CALL FOR INTENSIFIED EFFORTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN AFFECTED BY ARMED CONFLICT, AS DISCUSSION OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS CONTINUES

Fifty-ninth General Assembly

Third Committee

19^th Meeting (PM)

SPEAKERS IN THIRD COMMITTEE CALL FOR INTENSIFIED EFFORTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN

AFFECTED BY ARMED CONFLICT, AS DISCUSSION OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS CONTINUES

The international community must intensify efforts to protect children affected by armed conflict and to mitigate their suffering from the atrocities of war, speakers in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) said today, as the Committee continued its discussion of issues related to the promotion and protection of children’s rights.

The protection of children in armed conflict should be integrated in all programmes of the United Nations system, said the representative of Venezuela.  His Government also supported the training and education of armed forces to ensure their respect for all human rights.

The representative of Nigeria said her Government was deeply concerned that in most conflict areas children had not only become the targets of violence, but, worse still, had become perpetrators of violence.  Nigeria urged the international community to take stronger action to arrest this development and to protect children from the scourge of war.

The negative impact of armed conflict on children posed one of the most serious threats to the realization of children’s human rights at the most basic levels, said the representative of Jamaica.  She said the Secretary-General’s report on the comprehensive assessment of the United Nations response to children affected by armed conflict revealed the shortcomings of the different mechanisms in the United Nations system and made excellent recommendations on how those might be addressed.

Other delegations expressed support for recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General that aimed at strengthening the United Nations system response to children affected by armed conflict.  The representative of Angola said the implementation of the recommendations should facilitate the establishment of a framework of standards to ensure adequate child protection in situations of armed conflict.  He said collaboration between the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) should also be strengthened.

The representative of Belarus, citing the recent terrorist attack in Russia which had taken hundreds of children hostage, said that in addition to protecting children affected by armed conflict, the United Nations should consider how it could work to protect the rights of the child in the context of the international fight against terrorism.  He suggested UNICEF could be instrumental in that regard.

Also addressing the Third Committee today were the representatives of Iran, Uganda, Russian Federation, Monaco, Morocco, Yemen, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Guyana, Kuwait, Ukraine, Malaysia, and Fiji.  The observer for Palestine also spoke.

Following the general discussion, the representative of Israel and the Observer of Palestine presented statements in exercise of the right of reply.

Two draft resolutions were also introduced. The representative of Turkey introduced a draft resolution on the elimination of crimes against women and girls committed in the name of honour. The representative of Pakistan introduced a draft resolution on the elimination of all forms of violence against women

The Third Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 21 October, to continue its consideration of issues related to the promotion and protection of the rights of children.

Background

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this afternoon to continue its consideration of the rights of the child.  For additional background information, please see Press Release GA/SHC/3786 of 18 October.

Introduction of Draft Resolutions

Before continuing the general discussion on rights of the child, the Committee heard the introduction of draft resolutions on Working towards the elimination of crimes against women and girls committed in the name of honour (document A/C.3/59/L.25), presented by the representative of Turkey, who said the draft underscored the need to raise awareness on the issue of honour crimes and to adopt measures so that perpetrators did not enjoy immunity.  The co-sponsors also wished to affirm that the occurrence of honour crimes was not limited to a specific group of countries, nor a specific religion.

Introducing a draft on the Elimination of all forms of violence against women (document A/C.3/59/L.23), the representative of Pakistan said it was to be hoped that the text would enjoy the consensus of past years, which it had received due to its all-encompassing nature.  It covered every form of violence against women.

IMERIA NÚÑEZ DE ODREMÁN (Venezuela) said that since her Government had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, the Government had changed its approach to policies related to health, environment, education and nutrition.  The change had increased coverage of free medical care and tuition for all levels of education.  The ministry for health and social development considered health care as a universal right for all citizens.  Among actions it had taken, were projects aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality in various municipalities and for the most marginalized and vulnerable indigenous communities.  In the area of education, the Government had implemented programmes on early education, and child counselling centres had been established, along with programmes for foster homes for indigenous children.  It had also initiated alternative education spaces and school food programme.  The budget for foster homes had been increased four-fold.

She said Venezuela was satisfied by the work of Secretary-General on the issue of children and armed conflict.  Issues pertaining to the protection of children in armed conflict should be included in all programmes of the United Nations system.  Venezuela’s law of military recruitment placed the minimum age for joining the armed services at 18.  It also supported training and education of armed forces to ensure their respect for all human rights.

The Government had set up a committee to combat sex abuse and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, she said.  There was a child labour law to protect the rights of adolescent workers and the constitution of Venezuela stipulated no discrimination against children on the basis of race, colour, gender, culture or religion.

ANTONIO LEAL CORDEIRO (Angola) expressed full support for the recommendations aimed at strengthening the United Nations system response to children affected by armed conflict, contained in the report of the Secretary-General, and said that implementation of those recommendations should facilitate the establishment of a framework of norms and standards to ensure adequate child protection in situations of armed conflict.  Collaboration between the office of the Special Representative and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) should also be strengthened.

The Angolan Government, he said, had developed programmes designed to provide assistance to children in emergency situations and had substantially increased the budget for social programmes for support of children.  The goals of those programmes included educational reform through implementation of the “Education for All” agenda; promotion and improvement of maternal and child health; prevention and treatment of childhood diseases; increased assistance for children with disabilities; tracing and reunification of children separated from their parents; and demining.

The Government remained committed to children’s rights and well-being, he concluded, and had ratified all international instruments dealing with children’s rights.  The new draft Constitution contained strong provisions for their protection and promotion, and the criminal code had been amended in line with new definitions of crimes, including sexual exploitation, pornography, trafficking in children and use of children for criminal activities.  A National Council for Children had also been established.

ADEKUNBI SONAIKE (Nigeria) said her Government continued to build on the gains it had made in various child development areas, including the enactment of laws related to the prohibition of early marriage and retention of girls in schools.  Those efforts had resulted in modest achievements in the field of education, especially in the number of girls enrolled in primary schools.  In the area of children’s health, immunization coverage had been widely maintained.  The Government also continued to step up its efforts in addressing HIV/AIDS pandemic and other preventable deadly diseases.  It had established a National Scientific Institute for research on HIV/AIDS as a matter of priority.  However, despite every effort to control it, the HIV/AIDS pandemic continued to have a devastating impact on the lives of children in the region.

She said Nigeria was deeply concerned that in most conflict areas, children had not only become the targets of violence but, worse still, had become perpetrators of violence.  Nigeria urged the international community to intensify its efforts to arrest this development and to protect children from the scourge of war and sexual exploitation.  Measures should be put in place to ensure that children would not suffer the atrocities of war, whether as perpetrators or as targets of violence.

Moreover, she continued, the growing inequity resulting from globalization and inability of developing countries to service their debt had been a strain on families.  There was a need therefore to strengthen the institution of the family as the basic unit of society.  Traditional family values must be restored to secure a hopeful future for children.

PAIMANEH HASTEH (Iran) said that, despite progress in implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of “A World Fit for Children”, the general situation of children in most parts of the world continued to need improvement.  Millions of children continued to live in poverty, had no access to education, had been forced into exploitative and abusive forms of labour and continued to suffer other forms of exploitation -- such as trafficking, prostitution, pornography, sexual abuse and harassment.  About 1.2 million children were trafficked every year; one million were sexually exploited; 246 million were engaged in exploitative labour; and 100 million suffered from disabilities, many caused by armed conflict and political violence.  The world remained far from a fit place for children.

Iran had committed itself fully to ensuring the welfare of children, she said.  Much attention had been devoted to social affairs, including education, health, nutrition, social security, physical training and skill development areas.  The judiciary had redoubled its efforts to employ global achievements and international standards on the rights of the child, with a view to introducing new and effective changes in methods of judgment.  Various training workshops had been organized, in collaboration with UNICEF, to train judges on children’s rights.  Furthermore, Correction and Rehabilitation Centres for juveniles had been opened in many provinces, and relevant provincial authorities had been instructed to transfer prisoners under 18 years of age to the new centres.  Steps had also been taken to establish juvenile courts and a specialized police force for protection of children.

CHARLES WAGABA (Uganda) said that due to a policy of universal primary education, primary school enrolment had risen from 2.5 million in 1986 to 7.5 million today.  His country would soon embark on a programme for universal secondary school education.  Safe water coverage had risen from 10 per cent in 1986 to 60 per cent today.  More than 84 per cent were immunized.  The impact of HIV/AIDS on children was being mitigated, but HIV/AIDS remained the fourth leading cause of death among children under five.  His Government was working with UNICEF to promote the rights of children through training of child rights advocates.

He said his Government had spared no effort to restore peace and stability in northern Uganda, where the insurgent forces of Joseph Kony were driving civilians into internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) camps.  The Government had paid school fees for students whose parents were in the IDPs camps, and they were now going to school.  Secondary schools were donating food, clothing and materials to the war victims.  The Government had drawn up a comprehensive post-conflict rehabilitation and development program for northern Uganda and appealed to the international community to support it.

Uganda reiterated its call for the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to give the situation in northern Uganda a higher profile.  The Special Representative had an open invitation from his Government to visit northern Uganda, but the invitation had been ignored.  His Government urged the Special Representative to undertake a visit to northern Uganda to furnish himself with the true facts on the ground to enable him to report in a credible and reliable fashion.

NADYA RASHEED, Observer from Palestine, said Palestinian children had been subjected to occupation of their land and denial of their natural and inalienable human rights for more than 37 years, which had negatively impacted every aspect of their lives.  They had been denied the rights to life and personal security, to an adequate standard of living, to adequate health care and even to sufficient food and education.  They had been irreparably traumatized, robbed of their childhood and forced to live in constant fear, insecurity and turmoil.  The hardships they had endured would have lasting and devastating effects on Palestinian society for years to come.

Over the past four years, she added, Israel’s disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, and in particular Palestinian children, had been horrific.  To date, more than 3,412 civilians, including 753 children, had been killed by the occupying forces, the majority as a result of Israeli military air and ground attacks and during attempts at extrajudicial executions or incidents of random fire by the occupying forces in civilian areas.  As a result of those oppressive measures, an alarming number of Palestinian children had suffered psychological trauma, leading to rising rates of anxiety, fear, nightmares and tension.  Palestinian children had no refuge from the constant threat posed by the occupying forces, not even in their homes, classrooms or hospitals.

Given that critical situation, it was imperative to recall the relevant provisions of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law:  the Fourth Geneva Convention; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Israel continued to flout the provisions of such instruments, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.  Palestinian children deserved a better life; they deserved the right to grow, play and learn in freedom, peace and security.

ANDREY NIKIFOROV (Russian Federation) said the recent terrorist crime in Russia which had killed more than 300 children was unprecedented.  Terrorism was a threat to all children of the world.  He urged the international community to do everything possible to ensure that such a crime would never happen again.  International terrorism was very resourceful, he said, and the cooperation of all interested parties was needed.  The world could only overcome this evil if the international community fought together.

He said Russia was very grateful for humanitarian supplies that had come from all corners of the globe in response to the recent tragedy.  Russia was committed to continue working with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and wished to express its appreciation for the recent visit by Carol Bellamy of UNICEF.

He said the new century had forced the world to look at the ramifications of globalization, which had brought changes that created new risks and new challenges.  The Convention on the Rights of the Child had provided an important monitoring instrument at the national level.  He reiterated his Government’s appreciation for the support demonstrated in connection with the tragic occurrence in Beslan.  There was no more important task than freeing the children of the world from suffering and fear.

GILLES NOGHÈS (Monaco) said his county remained committed to the promotion of children’s rights and the creation of a “World Fit for Children”, and welcomed the progress in promoting those rights as recorded in the report of the Secretary-General.  However, the juridical arsenal of standards and norms compiled since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child must now be rigorously implemented.  Notwithstanding efforts to reinforce the protection of children, their rights continued to be subject to large-scale violation.  In 2003, UNICEF had estimated that 1.2 million children were trafficked each year, while 180 million had been engaged in child labour.  Since 1990, more than two million children had been killed, and more than six million wounded by armed conflict.

The issue of children and armed conflict must urgently be mainstreamed into the policies and activities of the United Nations system, he said, and the Security Council’s recommendations on monitoring and reporting on children in armed conflict must be implemented to ensure adequate follow-up.  To that end, the mandate of the Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict should be reinforced to enable him to strengthen cooperation between governments, regional organizations and other parties.

The involvement of children in armed conflict, trafficking, prostitution, pornography and child labour must be brought to an end, he stressed.  Monaco had invited the international community to consider measures to end the impunity enjoyed by those perpetrating such crimes against children.  Only by extending universal jurisdiction over such crimes could their perpetrators be stopped.

Mr. EL-KADIRI (Morocco) said that despite the efforts of the international community, the situation of children in many parts of the world was still extremely difficult as a result of poverty, pandemics, malnutrition, illiteracy and the worst kinds of child labour.  It was necessary to take all the necessary steps at national and international levels to encourage institutions that dealt with the rights of the child to help advance those rights.

Morocco had always attached much importance to the rights of children, he said, adding that legislative action had been taken to ensure respect for those rights.  His country had adopted new laws and had amended several others, including the family code and another law to better deal with street children.  Amendments had also been made to combat child labour, including raising of the minimum age limit to 15.  Programmes to abolish child labour had succeeded in taking 1,300 children out of the labour market.  The Government was now preparing a code on the rights of the child and was working on it with NGOs and UNICEF to improve the situation of children in all respects.

Morocco was determined to stamp out illiteracy by 2015 and had initiated programmes targeting 1 million adults and 200,000 children, he said.  Several seminars had been organized to support government efforts for a national plan of action called “A Morocco Fit for Children”.  The Government was also organizing a forum to combat sexual exploitation of children, scheduled to take place in December.  It had established a children’s parliament, which provided a space for children to develop their culture.  There were children’s community councils to encourage awareness among children of the responsibilities of being a citizen.

ARWA ALI NOMAN (Yemen) noted that the Convention on the Rights of the Child served as the basis for protection and promotion of children’s rights and as a source of hope for future action.  There must be recommitment to improving the plight of children, as the shortage of resources and abject poverty suffered by many families in developing countries had negatively impacted the situation of children.  Donor countries must meet their obligations to assist development, and to improve the worldwide situation of children.

As a developing country, Yemen had experienced many difficulties, she admitted, but one quarter of the budget had been devoted to economic and social programmes.  A number of initiatives had been undertaken in areas related to health and education.  For example, attempts had been made to close the gap between girls and boys in education, and to improve the health of children.  Yemen had also sought to ensure the reinsertion of street children and persons with disabilities into society.  A national programme to end child labour had been developed, and orphan centres and orphanages had been established.  Moreover, a national human rights strategy had been adopted, and legislation based on international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, had been envisaged.

She said there was a need to ensure that the natural family played an increasingly important role in children’s development and to reinforce the responsibility of both parents to care for children.  In addition to other ongoing concerns, the situation of Palestinian children remained a source of concern; all children should be allowed to live in an environment free from violence.

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ABU EUSSUF ME. KHALILUR RAHMAN (Bangladesh) noted that, in spite of the near universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the global situation of children remained far from ideal.  Children continued to be the most vulnerable to poverty, armed conflict and trafficking; they continued to suffer from hunger, malnutrition, illiteracy, disability, HIV/AIDS and other problems.  The General Assembly’s special session on children had provided a unique opportunity to pledge renewed commitment to create “A World Fit for Children”, to ensure every child a decent, secure and fulfilling life.

Bangladesh’s ministry devoted to the welfare of women and children had translated international commitments into a National Plan for Action, he noted, in which the survival of the child, protection against killer diseases and education figured as priorities, as did improvement in mother-and-child nutrition.  The largest percentage of the national budget had been allocated to education, with primary education made compulsory for all.  Education had been made free for girls up to the twelfth grade.  Innovative ideas regarding informal education had also facilitated the well-being of children, and remarkable progress had been recorded in the reduction of child mortality and malnutrition through the extended immunization programme.  Special programmes had been undertaken for children with disabilities, and although its rate of prevalence remained low, the country had adopted a National Policy on HIV/AIDS.

Eliminating trafficking in persons, and especially in children, had been accorded priority status, he said, and a National Advisory Committee had been established to combat the scourge.  Strict legislation had been enacted nationally, while at the regional level the country had participated in various South-Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) initiatives.  Globally, there must be increased attention to the situation of children affected by armed conflict, as well as those suffering from occupation, as was the case in Palestine.

FRANÇOISE TAPSOBA (Burkina Faso) said her Government had made every effort to ensure that children lived under conditions that were conducive to their progress.  A number of measures had been undertaken at the national level to promote and protect children’s rights.  Public awareness programmes had been initiated to educate the public about the Convention of the Rights of the Child. The Government had adopted a number of texts, including a national action plan for the survival and development of the child, a family code to protect children from neglect and premature marriage, and a code to prohibit female genital mutilation.  Laws had also been adopted to eliminate child labour and trafficking in children.

She said Burkina Faso’s poverty reduction strategy had incorporated children’s concerns.  This reflected her Government’s resolve to place the child at the centre of its concerns.  The Government had undertaken all those measures because it was convinced that it was the best investment it could make to guarantee peace and development.  The human being must remain at the heart of social development policy.

DONNETTE CRITCHLOW (Guyana) reiterated her country’s commitment to the promotion and protection of children’s rights and noted that her country had presented its initial report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child last January.  In addition to highlighting successes achieved in ensuring the right of children to education and health care, Guyana had underscored the challenges faced in honouring its moral and international obligations.  Several initiatives had been undertaken by the Government, including the preparation of a Children’s Bill, Family Court Bill and National Plan of Action based on the principles of “A World Fit for Children”; yet limited financial and human resources had constrained the country’s ability to translate policy into practice.  For many developing countries, putting the structures into place to ensure appropriate action remained highly dependent on international cooperation.

Reiterating concern for the state of the world’s children, especially given problems such as armed conflict, hunger, malnutrition and lack of access to education, she urged renewed focus on children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, the type of support needed by emerging child-headed households and the impact of armed conflict on children.

Finally, she addressed the issue of corporal punishment, stating categorically that her country did not subscribe to any acts that would constitute abuse of children.  However, corporal punishment had been maintained as a form of discipline administered in keeping with societal norms and under strictly controlled circumstances.  The matter of corporal punishment was subject to ongoing public debate including the active participation of children in Guyana.  As that discussion continued, she wished to caution that any change, where necessary, would take time and must not be imposed.  Difference in such matters -- where there were no defined, internationally agreed norms and standards – should be acknowledged in a respectful manner.

Mr. AL-YASIN (Kuwait) said the rights of the child were fundamental human rights, and the young generation constituted a majority of his country’s population.  Kuwait had a very high level of development, and the development of human beings, especially children, was critical to any development strategy.

He said Kuwait had initiated a number of pilot projects to help children, including the establishment of science centres, cultural centres, as well as database on children and families.  It was currently reviewing legislation on women and children and there were efforts also by civil society organizations.  In the area of education, the State was providing free education from kindergarten to the university level.  There were also specific programmes for children with learning disabilities and other special needs, and he noted that 8.4 per cent of the State budget was allocated to education.  Kuwait had ratified Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 and was doing its utmost to implement the Convention’s.

Turning to his Government’s concern about children in armed conflict, he said progress had been made in providing support to such children, but there was a need for follow-up machinery to ensure compliance with international laws.  In many parts of the world, children were exploited, hungry, dragged into wars and suffering in flagrant violation of their rights.  This was a violation of all human morality and laws, and it was shameful to all. 

OKSANA BOIKO (Ukraine) said that, under no circumstances, could the victimization of children by terrorism be accepted.  All crimes against children were strongly condemned, particularly terrorist attacks.  Children’s right to enjoy their childhood must be guaranteed and safeguarded; children from Iraq and Beslan, Russian Federation, had been invited to the Artek International Children Centre in Ukraine.  More than 300 children were now being rehabilitated there.

Welcoming positive changes in many States’ national legislation to prevent trafficking in children, child prostitution and child pornography, she noted that Ukraine had recently ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution, to complement national legislation against trafficking in persons and to ensure full legal protection for children from abuse and violence.  The country had implemented a comprehensive programme against human trafficking for the years 2002 to 2005, which aimed at preventing women and girls from being taken abroad for sexual and other exploitation, among other goals.  The Government had introduced new legislation to bring the Criminal Code into compliance with international standards against trafficking.

Care of the young generation remained a priority issue for her country, she added.  A number of comprehensive national programmes were being implemented to ensure legal and social protection of children and to create conditions conducive to their all-around development.  However, Ukraine continued to face a number of challenges, including with respect to the legacy of the Chernobyl disaster and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

ARIEL BOWEN (Jamaica) said that in spite of the relatively peaceful nature of the Caribbean region, it was not exempt from armed conflict and its negative impact on children.  Jamaica believed its occurrence posed one of the most serious threats to the realization of human rights of children at the most basic levels.  The right to life was the right to the enjoyment of youthful innocence.  The Secretary-General’s report on the comprehensive assessment of the United Nations response to children affected by armed conflict revealed the shortcomings of the different mechanisms in the United Nations system and made excellent recommendations on how they could be addressed.

She said Jamaica was concerned that many of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals might not be accomplished within the agreed time-frame.  Children in many parts of the world were still at risk from realizing their full potential because of poverty, illiteracy, poor health and the widening gap between the North and South.  Moreover, natural disasters such as the recent spate of hurricanes in the Caribbean region, could destroy years of work and progress.  Her delegation encouraged a reassessment of the criteria in determining the level of assistance earmarked for developing countries which were deemed to fall outside the category of needing greater assistance.  It was essential also that assistance mechanisms be given the necessary continued support to ensure sustainability for the benefit of children.

ANDREI A. TARANDA (Belarus) said that much success had been achieved in promoting and protecting children’s rights, yet much remained to be done.  Children continued to suffer from armed conflict, and to be taken as hostages in terrorist attacks.  Thus, in addition to its efforts for protection of children affected by armed conflict, the Organization should consider how the United Nations system could work to protect the rights of the child in the context of the international fight against terrorism.  UNICEF could be instrumental in that regard.

His country’s focus regarding children’s rights, he noted, remained to inculcate a healthy way of life; ensure a good education; help families in difficult circumstances; help the most vulnerable children; rehabilitate children involved in juvenile crime; rehabilitate those suffering as a result of the Chernobyl incident; and to protect children from HIV/AIDS.  Belarus had adopted a National Plan for improvement in the situation of children to cover the period 2004 to 2010, and had established a national commission on the rights of the child.  Through those programmes, the Government aimed to improve children’s standard of living and health, to protect them from violence and to establish greater self-awareness for them.  Those programmes had implemented the goals elaborated in “A World Fit for Children”, as well as the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

There had been attempts to involve children and youth in implementation of those projects, he said.  To mark the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, countrywide meetings and events would be held to raise awareness about the rights of the child and to publicize the Convention’s goals.  Finally, he noted that the grossest violations of the rights of the child remained trafficking in children.  Experiences must be shared between States to keep all informed about the problem and effectively to combat and resolve it.

TAN KEE KWONG (Malaysia) said the report of the Office of the Internal Oversight Services made clear reference to the need for the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.  The report failed to explain why the Office had been set outside the ambit of the regular budgetary process and why, having subsisted on voluntary funding for nearly 8 years, that Office was now faced with a lack of funding.  While bearing in mind that the mandate should remain the same, why should there be a need to explore an alternative means of funding now?  His Government hoped it would get a further response from the Secretariat on that matter.

He reiterated Malaysia’s view of the need for concrete actions to be taken by the international community to ensure the protection of the rights of children.  Many issues faced by children were closely related to underdevelopment, poverty, and conflicts in developing countries.  Those issues could not be solved unless the underlying development issues were addressed and unless the countries concerned were provided with the needed resources and assistance.

He said the Malaysian Government had successfully embarked on various measures to ensure that the welfare and social needs of children were taken care of.  It had registered remarkable success in providing education to all children and had reached a 98 per cent enrolment rate in primary school.  The adoption of the National Social Policy in August 2003 had further helped to consolidate the Government’s commitment towards the promotion and protection of the rights of children.

SIMIONE ROKOLAQA (Fiji) recalled that his country had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993, and had established a Coordinating Committee on Children to translate the Convention into the country’s National Strategic Plan.  An entire chapter of that Plan had been devoted to children, in which programmes and initiatives had been outlined to achieve the Government’s policy objectives.  One of the salient objectives had been to encourage family units to look after and be responsible for their children, to which end the Family Law Bill had been adopted, in October 2003.

Violence against children manifested itself in many forms, he said, occurring even in children’s very homes.  Commercial sexual exploitation had been suspected as a problem for his country for some time, he said, but the scale of the problem came nowhere near approaching that of other countries.  Yet, there was also a fear that the crackdown on child trafficking and prostitution would bring the market to the Pacific region, where loopholes existed in the law, and public awareness was not as widespread.  Those and other problems, including poverty, could serve as catalysts for disaster if not properly addressed.  Civil society participation in efforts to deal with victims of violence and abuse and efforts to raise awareness about the problem were welcomed.  Fiji’s Government remained committed to reviewing legislation to bring harsher penalties against the perpetrators of such violence and abuse.

Children the world over also continued to be exploited as commodities and cheap labour, he said -- problems which must urgently be addressed by Governments.  In addition to combating child labour, his Government also remained committed to improving the health of its people, including children.  Education and awareness programmes on reproductive health and contraception among adolescents, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS and family-life education had been developed.  At present, there was much transition in the national education system, and the Government was trying to ensure better quality education for all, in spite of the constraints it faced as a developing country.

Statements in Exercise of Right of Reply

The representative of Israel, exercising his right of reply, said the responsibility for suffering began and ended with the Palestinian leadership.  That leadership had insisted on following a path of terror rather than a path of peace.  That path had robbed its youngest constituents of hope and had stolen their childhood.  The interests of Palestinian children were not served by a leadership that ignored its obligations under international law.  They were not served by a leadership that allowed terrorists to engage in terrorist activities in the midst of civilians.  They were not served by a leadership that included hate in their school materials.

He urged the international community not to forget the rights of Israeli children, namely, their right not to be murdered by terrorist acts that were fully sanctioned by elements of the Palestinian leadership.  The only path that could guarantee the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis was the path of reconciliation dictated by the Road Map.

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the Observer for Palestine said that the Israeli representative’s allegation that Palestinian adults sent their children out to be killed reflected blatant racism and served as an attempt to dehumanize the Palestinian people and to divert attention away from those adults who were actually committing crimes -- the Israeli adults killing Palestinian children.  The Palestinian people had no need to bring their children to violence, she noted, for the violence found them in their own backyards and classrooms.

On the Israeli representative’s allegation regarding inciting hate in children, she stressed that the rights of Palestinian children had been violated in every way and that they grew up dominated by socially constructed hate.  The violence and hate began and ended with the occupation, she added.  Did the Israeli representative truly think that Palestinian children should be joyful on the death of their parents and families, on the destruction of their homes?  The only thing for which Palestinian children had Israel to thank was for robbing them of their childhoods.

The only way to protect and save children’s lives was to make Israel understand why those lives had been lost in the first place, she concluded.  The death of any child was tragic, but the deaths of Israeli children resulted from the actions of individuals acting outside the law, whereas the deaths of Palestinian children resulted from the actions of agents of the Israeli Government.  If Israel was truly serious about saving lives, it should end the occupation and value life more than territorial expansion.

The representative of Israel, again exercising his right of reply, responded to a statement made yesterday by the representative Egypt, who had read a quotation from an Israeli newspaper.  He said when one could find similar expressions of compassion towards Israeli’s suffering in the newspapers of Egypt, then it might be said that an end to the conflict will have been reached.

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