Sixty-first General Assembly

Third Committee

12^th & 13^th Meetings (AM & PM)

THIRD COMMITTEE BEGINS DISCUSSION OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS WITH INTRODUCTION

OF REPORT ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

 

Debate on Advancement of Women Concludes

Nobody had to be convinced that children must be protected from violence; yet every day, all over the world, children feared and experienced violence that was sometimes socially condoned or legally sanctioned, the Independent Expert who directed a United Nations study on violence against children told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it began its debate on the protection of children’s rights.

Introducing his report, requested from the Secretary-General in 2002 by the General Assembly, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro called for urgent action.  He said that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, 53,000 children had died worldwide in 2002 as a result of homicide, and 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 had experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence.  The International Labour Organization (ILO) had meanwhile reported that in 2004, 218 million children had been involved in child labour.

“The central message of the study is that no violence against children can be justified”, he said.  “All violence against children can and must be prevented.  Every society, no matter its cultural, economic or social background, can, and must stop every form of violence.  A multidimensional approach, grounded in human rights principles and guided by evidence-based research, is urgently needed to prevent and respond to violence in all circumstances.”

Joining Mr. Pinheiro in introducing the report was General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa ( Bahrain), who pointed out that the process which led to the report had been inclusive, bringing in all regions and stakeholders, including children themselves.  Violence affected children in all regions, she said, regardless of class, race, religion, or culture, and only now was there a growing awareness of the critical nature of this global phenomenon.

Carlos Lopez, Assistant Secretary-General and Political Director in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, said violence against children knew no boundaries, and remained both visible and unpunished.  Sometimes it had been endorsed by social norms and legal systems, and it had to be stopped.  The international community, Governments and civil society shared responsibility for implementing and following the study’s recommendations, he added, because children expected no less.

Cora Mayo Buala, speaking on behalf of young people the world over, told stories of young people who had suffered from poverty, child labour, sexual abuse, conflict and harassment.  The international community had a responsibility to act, she said, noting that sexual violence had become common, including in families, in schools and on the streets.  Aside from being victims of incest, paedophilia and prostitution, children were being conscripted into armed forces in violation of their rights.  Traditional and religious practices such as female genital mutilation, dowry, child marriage and bonded labour were among the worst -– and most common -- forms of violation of children’s rights, she added.

Governments had a duty to incorporate recommendations on violence against children in their national plans, reform legislation and ensure children’s participation in decision-making at all levels, she said.  They must create a vast and accessible network of child protection, ensuring that every child had access to help.  Families, police, communities, the media, and children and young people themselves had a responsibility to stop and prevent violence against children.  She asked delegates to recall their own childhood, or to consider what they wanted for their own children, and act to create a brighter future for all children.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and South Africa also made a statement on children’s rights.

Earlier today, the Committee concluded its general discussion on the advancement of women, which was dominated by a study from the Secretary-General on violence against women.  Speaking on the latter point were the representatives of Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Tunisia, Congo, Oman, Israel, Algeria, Malaysia, Haiti, Mali, El Salvador, United Republic of Tanzania, Bahrain, Nepal, Nigeria, Cameroon and Angola.

Also making statements on women’s issues were representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ILO.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 12 October, to continue its debate on promotion and protection of the rights of children.

Background

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met today to conclude its general discussion on advancement of women and begin its discussion on promotion and protection of the rights of children.

Before the Committee was a letter dated 29 August 2006 from the Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (document A/61/303), forwarding information about the joint plans of action of the Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) aimed at implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

The Committee also had before it the Report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (documents A/61/41, A/61/41/Corr.1 and A/61/41/Add.1), which recalled two decisions taken during the reporting year:  one to recommend that the Commission on Human Rights consider a working group to develop guidelines for the protection and care of children without parental care, the other on methods for considering reports from States parties on children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution.

It noted recommendations made to 13 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child relating to children affected by armed conflict which focussed on strengthening measures to prevent the recruitment of children into armed forces and expanding efforts for their demobilization and reintegration.  Recommendations were also made relating to the protection of children from landmines.

The Report was accompanied by the Secretary-General’s report on the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (document A/61/207), which notes that, as of 30 June, the Convention has been ratified, or acceded to, by 192 States, while the Optional Protocol on children in armed conflict has been ratified by 107 States and signed by 122 States.  The Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography has been ratified by 107 States and signed by 115 States.

The Committee also had before it the Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (document A/61/275), which provides an overview of the plight of children in situations of armed conflict and outlines some of the progress being made for their protection.  The Special Representative, Radhika Coomaraswamy, concludes that broader and stronger consensus and action is needed to enforce international protection standards, and that there needs to be equal emphasis on children in all situations of concern and on all grave violations committed against them.  The report also calls for deeper collaboration, collective action and pressure by all key stakeholders, and for donors to provide adequate support to ensure the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of intervention programmes for war-affected children.

The Committee also had before it a note by the Secretary-General on the rights of the child (document A/61/299), which transmits the report of the independent expert for the United Nations study on violence against children, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro.  It gives a global overview of violence against children -– including information on violence within the family and at schools, alternative care institutions and detention centres, workplaces and community areas -– and recommends preventive measures.  The expert conducted regional, subregional and national consultations, meetings with other experts, field visits and questionnaires with governments during 2004.

He concludes that no violence against children is justifiable; children should never receive less protection than adults; and all violence against children is preventable.  States were primarily responsible for upholding children’s rights to protection and access to services, and to support families’ capacity to safely care for children.  Some children were particularly vulnerable to violence because of gender, race, ethnic origin, disability or social status.  The expert’s report recommends specific steps to strengthen national action to end and prohibit violence against children, promote non-violence values and awareness-raising, provide recovery and social reintegration services, ensure accountability and end impunity, address the gender dimension of violence against children, and develop systematic national data collection, among other steps.

Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General’s report on the follow-up to the special session of the General Assembly on children (document A/61/270).  It notes that significant efforts are being made to promote healthy lives in all regions.  However, 117 million school-age children continued to be excluded from primary education -– 53 percent of them girls.  Child protection was often still being approached as a welfare issue, rather than as a matter of human rights and development.  A child under 15, meanwhile, dies of an AIDS-related illness every day, and by 2010, 18 million children in sub-Saharan Africa will have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS.

The report says more needs to be done to ensure sufficient funding by States for children.  Some States lacked the institutional capacity to tackle children’s issues.  Member States should meanwhile work faster towards eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016.

Statements on Advancement of Women

MARGARET AWINO ( Uganda) said her country had made tremendous progress since the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.  The Constitution guaranteed women’s property, maternal, and political rights.  The Ministry for Gender, Labour and Social Development had created a social development plan to promote social protection, gender equality, and human rights for poor and vulnerable persons.  Her Government was implementing a universal primary education programme and had launched a universal secondary education programme in November 2005.  General enrolment levels had improved, with girls constituting 49 per cent of students.  Adult literacy programmes, where women were 80 per cent of the beneficiaries, had also introduced opportunities to get access to microfinance services.  The Government undertook programmes to support women involved in agriculture, including by working to ensure that women had improved access to regional and international markets.

She noted that violence against women, particularly in situations of armed conflict, continued to impede the attainment of women’s human rights.  Women were faced with the three-fold burden of being the sole breadwinners for families, were sometimes forcefully recruited as combatants, and were commonly victims of sexual violence.  Her Government believed that there needed to be a conscious move to increase the number of women in key decision-making positions in conflict-resolution and peacebuilding processes.  Women’s sexual and reproductive health was also a critical area identified in the National Action Plan.  Uganda had taken a lead role to help mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, reducing prevalence rates from 30 per cent in 1989 to the current rate of 6.5 per cent.  However, the Government still faced the challenge of supporting women in health care and helping them to get access to anti-retroviral therapy.

ELSA HAILE ( Eritrea) said she was happy to announce that the majority of women in Eritrea had been coming out in support of laws that prohibited female genital mutilation, a practice that affected a significant number of women in her country.  To counter that deeply entrenched practice, a well-coordinated and integrated inter-sectoral campaign had been launched by the Government and the National Union of Eritrean Women, which had a mandate to act as an autonomous national coordinator for the cause of women.

Eritrea had been committed to the implementation of the Beijing objectives, she said.  No development goal was really achievable without the empowerment of women and gender mainstreaming.  Gender equality and the promotion and protection of women’s rights had never been regarded as issues for debate in the politics of independent Eritrea, where such rights had been recognized in the Constitution, which set aside 30 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly for women.  Poverty and all its manifestations had to be tackled if the advancement of women was to be achieved.  In response to the health consequences of drought and conflict on women, the Government had introduced a programme for free distribution of vitamins, iodine and mosquito nets to women of child-bearing age.

MAJDI RAMADAN ( Lebanon) said Lebanon was integrating the important goal of gender mainstreaming as a global, regional, national and local strategy in its national development policies, and it had played a productive role in the field since the Beijing Declaration.  Today, the National Commission for Lebanese Women remained the Government body in charge of the development of gender equality and the advancement of women.  The Commission had set out four legal objectives in its strategy, namely adherence to international covenants and conventions; implementation of legal texts guaranteeing women’s rights; the drafting of legislation to enforce women’s rights; and the consecration of women’s human rights in all legislative texts.  In that context, efforts were being focused on promoting awareness of international conventions and lifting Lebanon’s reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.  Lebanon’s Government was committed to realizing all those objectives and was achieving steady progress to that end.

Linking women’s development with social development was an important step, he said.  The division of work and the fundamental values of Lebanese society impacted women’s opportunities and defined the roles they had to assume.  While there were various ways to view the development of women’s rights, the elimination of conflict and the attainment of peace were prerequisites for the advancement of women.  Despite years of hard work, the latest Israeli aggression and continued occupation of Lebanese lands was the country’s heaviest burden, curbing growth in every field, especially in the area of gender equality.  Lebanon condemned the killing of civilians, including women, and hoped that women in its region -– whether Lebanese, Palestinian or Israeli –- could live in peace and achieve their fullest potential.

SAHBI KHALFALLAH ( Tunisia) noted that, unless there was a halt to violence against women, the world risked exacerbating poverty, illiteracy, pandemics, and internal insecurity.  Aware that support for women’s rights required continuous efforts, Tunisia called on all member States and individuals to implement the recommendations of the in-depth study of the Secretary-General on violence against women.  Since its independence, Tunisia had been committed to the advancement of women.  His country provided universal free education, and today, women made up 57 per cent of all university students.  Women were also active in political and economic circles.

A law would soon be passed that would allow women the choice to work part-time and receive benefits from the State, which would help support their economic rights and family life.  Tunisia also provided technical cooperation and expertise to its neighbours in the region, especially in family planning.  In conclusion, he called for the situation of Palestinian women to be put on the international agenda in view of the constant flouting of their fundamental rights, including their right to life.

CHANTAL MARYSE ITOUA-APOYOLO ( Congo) welcomed the Secretary-General’s report, saying it would no doubt help States to better respond to violence against women.  In Congo, judicial clinics had been put into place to better look after women who have been victims of violence, particularly sexual violence, and plans called for such centres to be opened all over the country.  The Constitution of 20 January 2002 guaranteed the equality of the sexes, and the Government had been taking measures to integrate sexual parity in its policies and programmes.

Regarding women and poverty, the Government had been favouring -- with the support of such partners as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank -- savings and credit facilities for women.  Training was being provided for women in such vocations as garment making, food processing, catering and information technology.  The Government had been particularly concerned by the extreme vulnerability of women to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and a national plan had been put into place, under the authority of the President, taking into account the preventive and treatment needs of women, girls and mother-child couples.

MS. SOUD ( Oman) noted that women constituted the majority of the poor throughout the world, and also endured physical and psychological violence.  Her country was committed to the advancement of women.  It had acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and was drawing up its first report on implementation of the treaty.  She urged all States to accede to and implement that important Convention.

The Sultan had publicly recognized the contributions of women in Oman to national development.  Four women currently occupied ministerial posts; two served as ambassadors; and women were increasingly well-represented in administrative posts throughout the Government.  Women also constituted a large number of teachers.   Oman provided free education for all, and girls had made great progress in pursuing higher education, she said.  There had been a gradual rise in the number of women workers, in line with Oman’s belief that women’s work allowed them to contribute, side by side with men, in increasing family income.

MEIRAV EILON SHAHAR ( Israel) welcomed the Secretary-General’s study on violence against women and agreed with the observation that there had been little real progress in reducing that type of violence worldwide.  Her country believed that, while respecting tradition and its values, States and individuals should not use their customs to justify, or excuse, gender-based violence.  Mainstreaming that issue into human rights law, policies and societies’ consciousness must be a priority for States, she said.  In order to end impunity for violence against women, however, legislation needed to be enacted, and also enforced.  Israel had zero tolerance for gender-based discrimination and violence.

The study, she noted, placed great emphasis on education, and Israel had enacted a wide-ranging strategy for teaching children about gender equality and had directed a number of leadership and empowerment programmes for girls.  Israel hoped that all Governments would recognize that gender-based violence was an assault on women’s human rights.  Additionally, her country had made significant inroads in implementing programmes and adopting laws to improve the status of women, by aggressively enforcing equal opportunity in the workplace and equal pay for equal work.

Whenever possible, Israel participated in international efforts to alleviate poverty and promote gender equality, she said.  It had established centres, like the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Centre, to teach development skills, and had hosted an international conference on migration and gender issues, in the context of the Millennium Development Goals.  Israel had accepted the challenge of defending women’s rights at home, and the responsibility of promoting women’s development and equality around the world.

MS. SENDID-BERRAH ( Algeria) said her country was committed to pursuing efforts to combat any form of violence against women, and to provide women with psychological assistance and legal protection.  New legal provisions had been introduced, including the criminalization of sexual harassment.  The Government also had undertaken awareness campaigns to change the mindset of the people, working with the media and through schools.

Algeria was firmly committed to the Beijing Platform for Action and to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, she said.  The Government was undertaking further legislative reforms to secure women’s rights.  The issues of gender equality and the advancement of women were increasingly subjects of political concern and were also taken up by members of civil society.  Algeria was a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and was making an effort to reach out to girls, to ensure that the women of tomorrow would have full opportunities.

HUAN CHENG GUAN ( Malaysia) said his Government was reviewing existing laws, including the Islamic Family Law, to identify and eliminate provisions that could negatively impact women, and would analyze the gender impact of all future draft laws.  The National Policy for Women and its action plan were under review.   Malaysia’s Five-Year Development Plans now included a chapter on women and development, intended to promote efforts to achieve gender equality.  The Government had set up a separate ministry for women’s issues, a cabinet committee on gender equality, and gender focal points in all Ministries and Government agencies to promote gender mainstreaming and share good practices.  Malaysian laws ensured women’s access to education, health care and employment.

Still, sex stereotyping impeded the advancement of women, he continued.  The Government had set guidelines to prevent gender bias in school textbooks, and had produced sex disaggregated data and statistics at all educational levels.  The Advisory and Coordinating Committee on Reproductive Health helped to integrate sex education and reproductive health education in grade schools.  Government officials had also set guidelines against sexual harassment in Government offices and encouraged the private sector to follow suit.  Women’s safety and security was a major concern, and Malaysia had made significant progress in curbing domestic violence and other crimes against women, setting up one-stop crisis centres in almost all Malaysian hospitals that brought police investigations, medical treatment and counselling services together in one neutral and friendly place.  The Government had also set up a gender disaggregated information system to monitor progress in implementing women’s programmes.

NICOLE ROMULUS ( Haiti) said the active participation of her country’s Minister of Women’s Affairs and Rights at international conferences had the immediate effect of breaking Haiti’s isolation, which had been provoked by its politico-institutional crisis.  Significant progress had been made in legal reforms, such as a decree modifying the Penal Code, that defined rape as a crime against an individual, and which repealed any discrimination with regard to adultery.  Henceforth, the murder of a woman by her husband or partner, or acts of violence by women against their husbands, would be inexcusable.  Other reforms --dealing with cohabitation, responsible fatherhood, sexual aggression and the working conditions of domestic labourers -– had been put before Parliament.

The struggle against discrimination with regard to Haitian women involved changing their image and the memory of their role in the country’s history, she said.  To that end, for two years, the Minister of Women’s Affairs and Rights had initiated a programme of feminizing the names of some streets and public places in major cities.  Regarding the participation of women in Government, much remained to be done, but the Government was firmly committed to raising their profile.  In that sense, the Ministry of Trade and Industry had been assigned to a woman, as had the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Rights.  If women were left out of decision-making, it would mean sidelining 50 per cent of the country’s human resources.

AMI DIALLO ( Mali) noted that her country had ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1985, and its Optional Protocol, and had presented its reports on implementation of the treaty 10 months ago to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.  Though there had been some progress in promoting the cause of women in Mali, more needed to be done, particularly for the 78 per cent of the country’s women who lived in rural areas.  Her Government had developed a plan of action based on the Beijing commitments, focusing on the reduction of female illiteracy, improved women’s health, strengthened gender equity, and an improved image of women in society.  Progress had been achieved in terms of girls’ enrolment in school, and in women holding leadership positions in government.

The Government was also making efforts to combat women’s poverty, including through the adoption of a law guaranteeing equal pay for equal work.  Mali had adopted a development programme aimed at women in the agricultural sector, intended to strengthen women’s economic empowerment.  Among the prevention strategies put in place were awareness-raising campaigns to promote positive changes in beliefs, and superstitions, about women and men.

MR. GARCIA ( El Salvador) said his country placed great importance on fighting all forms of violence against women.  It had signed major international and regional agreements regarding such violence, to which it had added, at the domestic level, action in the areas of policy, protection and social security.  The Government was committed to dealing with all forms of violence against women, including violence carried out by gangs which affected the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls.

El Salvador had made progress in advancing the presence of women in education, he said.  Average female enrolment in schools had been increasing.  Regarding health care, El Salvador had been adopting a holistic approach towards women, covering their entire lifespan.  It had also ratified ILO agreements on equal pay, non-discrimination in employment, and equal opportunity for those with family responsibilities.  Regarding the profile of women in the United Nations, this should be considered in the light of broader reforms to the Organization.

MARIAM J. MWAFFISI (United Republic of Tanzania) commended the Secretary-General’s study on violence against women, noting that the recommendation on the availability of adequate data should be closely followed, as it was the key to developing meaningful and effective policies.  Her Government had taken several measures to address violence against women and children, she said, citing a law criminalizing domestic violence and a law on sexual harassment.  Her country had developed a national plan of action on combating violence against women which included legal, social, economic, and cultural interventions at various levels.  The establishment of a special desk dealing with public education and women’s rights in the Commission of Human Rights was another avenue toward the prevention of violence and ensuring women’s rights.

Tanzania was implementing the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, which included a gender perspective.  Thanks to affirmative action policies provided for in the Constitution, her country had reached the 30 per cent target for women in politics, the target recommended in the Beijing Platform for Action and endorsed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).  It was now working to reach 50 per cent by 2015.  Her delegation was concerned about the low representation of women in decision-making processes in the United Nations, and urged affirmative action to redress this imbalance.  Tanzania had reached the Millennium Development Goal of gender parity in primary education, and was working to increase the number of girls in secondary and tertiary education.  She stressed the importance of ensuring that interventions to address HIV/AIDS targeted women and girls.  Her country sought to do more, but was constrained both in technical and financial resources.  She called for more cooperation and support at the international level.

MS. KAMAL ( Bahrain) said that, the condition of women in her country had been the subject of particular attention within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals, and the 2005 World Summit.  The full participation of women in public life, including access to high-ranking positions, was necessary for development and peace.

Since women were an essential component of the human partnership, opening fields up to them ought to be based on equal opportunity.  Women in Bahrain had moved into decision-making positions, and the current President of the General Assembly, Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain, was the first Muslim Arab to hold that position, she said.  Muslim history and culture foresaw a noble position for women, and in that sense, the awareness of society needed to be raised.

SRIJANA SHARMA ( Nepal) said that as her country was ushering in a new era of multi-party democracy, the Parliament had acted to ensure that women comprised 33 per cent of the representatives in all political bodies and in the civil service.  International cooperation should be further strengthened toward promoting gender equality and eliminating gender discrimination through a comprehensive strategy with coordinated efforts of all stakeholders.  Despite various initiatives for the development of women, poverty, illiteracy, ill health, the trafficking of women and girls for commercial and sexual exploitation, gender discrimination, and domestic violence remained challenges.  Lack of education and awareness of women’s rights, as well as socio-cultural superstitions and traditions also caused suffering for women, particularly in rural areas.  In addition, women suffered the brunt of difficulties caused by violence and suppression in recent years.

The Government was fully committed to the advancement of women, including through its development programmes, she continued.  The current five-year development plan accorded high priority to women’s issues and included programmes aimed at rural women, and those among the most marginalized sections of society.  The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, which was headed by a woman minister, had made efforts to integrate women’s development programmes into all sectoral agencies.  Nepal was a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and had submitted periodic reports on the implementation of the treaty.  Her delegation suggested that the United Nations system should increase its technical assistance to member States to implement human rights instruments, including the Convention.  She also called on the international community to extend support to developing countries to enhance their national capacity for peace, security, and development for all.

CHIJIOKE W. WIGWE (Nigeria), delivering a statement on behalf of Inna Ciroma, Nigeria’s Minister of Women’s Affairs, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to gender equality and the promotion and protection of women’s human rights, including the economic empowerment of women and the eradication of poverty.  To that end, the Nigerian Government had also made a concerted effort to outlaw customary or traditional practices that were discriminatory or harmful to the physical and mental health of women and girls.  He also stressed that child marriages and betrothals had been prohibited under a two-year old Child Rights Act, and, further, trafficking in persons, particularly women and girls, was also prohibited by law.

Nigeria had taken serious action to prohibit discriminatory and dehumanizing widowhood rites, female circumcision or genital mutilation, and street hawking by school-age children, especially girls.  He said, Nigeria was committed to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Senate had just finished a first reading of a bill on integrating the tenets of that important instrument into the country’s laws.  The final reading and its eventual domestication would undoubtedly increase the number of women in elected positions by some 30 per cent and open new opportunities for women throughout the country.  He added that Nigeria was in the process of introducing a new national gender policy -– replacing a six-year old measure -– which aimed to ensure equal representation for women and address human rights and gender mainstreaming in all sectors.

Concerned by the vulnerability of women in conflict situations, especially the potential for continued violence against women, the Nigerian Government was elaborating comprehensive security sector measures that would address gender-based violence in crisis situations in the country.  The Government had also conducted a national fistula study to examine the root causes of that serious problem.  Further, Nigeria had established a women’s economic empowerment fund, as well as a fund for women and business development, which had, thus far, helped women’s cooperatives in 24 Nigerian states.  Yet, it would take the concerted efforts of the wider international community to realize the objectives of the Beijing Platform for Action and “Women 2000”.

MARTIN BELINGA EBOUTOU (Cameroon) said the Secretary-General’s study had been informative and timely, as it exposed taboos and shed light on conduct which had been hypocritically confined to the private sphere.  It was a genuine indictment of wrongdoing found in all societies.  Eliminating violence against women was the sine qua non for stable and harmonious societies.  To respond to the problem, action was needed on two fronts:  education and the fight against poverty.

Through education, women could overcome handicaps and obstacles, and escape their fears, he said.  They would be able to give full rein to their capacities.  Poverty, meanwhile, to borrow language from surgeons, was a pathology that merited excision.  How could one speak of the emancipation of women in a country where women died whilst giving birth?  How could one talk about women’s education in a society where women had no access to school?  International norms and regulations, policies and programmes of actions, would bear no fruit unless the issues of education and poverty were tackled.

JACINTO RANGEL ( Angola) noted that his Government had dedicated 28.5 per cent of its budget to the implementation of measures to promote women’s participation and strengthen women’s professional qualifications.  Angola was increasing the number of schools country-wide, launching sensitization campaigns in rural areas to reduce illiteracy among women and girls, and extending family planning centres to less accessible and poorer areas.  The Government was also working to reduce women’s economic dependence, including through implementation of a poverty reductions strategy paper.

He noted that his country had recently emerged from conflict, with the resulting physical and emotional losses contributing to high levels of violence against women.  His Government had undertaken education campaigns focused on violence against women and children.  Angola was in the process of revising its criminal and civil codes, with a view toward eliminating existing discrimination, while safeguarding the traditions of its people.  This reconstruction period offered the opportunity to rebuild society in a way that would address inequalities and ensure women’s full participation in the social development of Angola.

FLORENCE CHENOWETH, Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office with the United Nations, noted that Article 14 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women had addressed the problems of rural women, and had sought to ensure that measures were put in place in rural areas to eliminate discrimination against women and to ensure gender equality.  Rural women played an important role in the future of agricultural systems, and food and livelihood security.  In all regions of the world, they made substantial contributions to agricultural production and to household food security.

In sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, she said, up to 80 per cent of basic foods had been produced by women.  In South and Southeast Asia, around 60 per cent of cultivation and other food production was carried out by women.  Rural areas needed urgent and decisive attention, because 75 per cent of the world’s poor, or 800 million people, lived in rural areas and depended on agriculture and related crafts.  To attain the Millennium Development Goals, full participation by rural women was needed.  FAO would continue to assist member States in formulating appropriate national actions, and in providing policy advice, in order for international goals and commitments to be reached.

ANDA FILIP, Permanent Observer for the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), said it was unfortunate, indeed unbelievable, that a decade after the Beijing Conference, so little improvement was evident in the lives of women around the world.  Discrimination, lack of access to medical care, and illiteracy were a few examples of the obstacles women still endured.  Violence against women occurred throughout the world in different forms, including trafficking, sexual and domestic violence, and female genital mutilation, and was particularly acute in conflict, and post-conflict areas.  She underscored the role of parliaments in addressing these problems, highlighting some of the work undertaken by her organization.

At the IPU Assembly in Kenya last May, member parliaments had adopted a resolution focused on how parliaments could promote effective ways of combating violence against women.  The resolution stressed that parliaments and their members had a key role to play in terms of prevention and criminalization of violence against women.  The IPU would also continue to focus on female genital mutilation and had recently organized a regional conference with the African Parliamentary Union and UNICEF on the role of parliaments in abandoning female genital mutilation.  The Final Declaration included a comprehensive strategy to address that problem and offered a plan of action for future parliamentary initiatives.

DJANKOU NDJONKOU, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office at the United Nations, said inequality in pay and remuneration was perhaps the most persistent form of discrimination between women and men.  In accordance with ILO Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration of 1951, all workers should have the right to receive equal pay for work of equal value.  Full implementation of that Convention would contribute considerably to reducing violence against women caused by economic inequality.

The ILO was concerned by the labour dimensions of human trafficking, he said.  It viewed trafficking as an assault on labour protection, and the exploitation suffered by victims of trafficking was contrary to the principle of full, productive and freely chosen employment.  Over a number of years, the Organization had implemented about 30 anti-trafficking projects.  Within the ILO, 39 per cent of professional and higher category staff were women, and the Director-General had called for specific measures to be taken to create a family-friendly environment for all staff.

Statements on Children’s Rights

SHEIKHA HAYA RASHED AL KHALIFA ( Bahrain), President of the General Assembly, said the process that led to the report on violence against children had been inclusive, bringing in all regions and stakeholders, including children themselves.  Violence had affected children in all regions, regardless of class, race, religion, or culture; only now was there an increasing awareness of the critical nature of that global phenomenon.  It had been disturbing to acknowledge the prevalence of violence against children in the home, school and workplace.  There was an urgent need for international partnership to address the root causes of the problem, and for mechanisms to be put in place to stop violence against children.  The study had given member States an opportunity to discuss the problem and all stakeholders were urged to examine it with a view to better tackling the problem.

CARLOS LOPEZ, Assistant Secretary-General and Political Director in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, said violence against children knew no boundaries, and remained both visible and unpunished.  Sometimes it had been endorsed by social norms and legal systems.  That had to stop.  Breaking the walls of silence which often surrounded violence had been a great challenge for the study.  The understanding that parents, teachers and caregivers had unlimited rights in children’s’ upbringing had weakened approaches to halt abuses in homes, schools and state institutions.  Violence against children was not inevitable, and it had to be prevented.  The international community, governments and civil society shared responsibility for implementing and following the study’s recommendations.  Children expected no less.

PAULO SERGIO PINHEIRO, the Independent Expert who produced the report into violence against children, introducing the study to the Committee, said nobody needed to be convinced that children had to be protected from all forms of violence.  Yet, it was no secret that in all States, every day, children feared and experienced violence.  Four years ago, at the request of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General had initiated a global study on violence against children, and today it was an honour to present its key findings.  According to WHO estimates, based on limited national data, 53,000 children had died worldwide in 2002 as a result of homicide, and 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence.  The ILO reported that, in 2004, 218 million children had been involved in child labour, of which 126 million had been in hazardous work.

These figures hardly described the real situation, however, as much violence against children -– whether in the family, schools, alternative care or justice institutions -– was implicitly socially condoned or legally sanctioned, and remained hidden and unrecorded, he said.  According to research, young children were at greatest risk of physical violence.  Sexual violence predominantly affected adolescents.  Boys were at greater risk of physical violence, and girls faced a greater risk of sexual violence, neglect and forced prostitution.  Some children -– because of sex, race, ethnic origin, disability or social status -– were particularly vulnerable.  Poverty, income inequality, political instability and conflict were among the many factors that could increase the risk of violence.

No violence against children could be justified; it could, and had to be prevented, he said.  Every society, regardless of cultural, economic or social background, could, and must stop every form of violence.  A multidimensional approach, grounded in human rights principles and guided by evidence-based research, was urgently needed.  Numerous initiatives had been developed by governments and NGOs, but they had frequently been reactive, focusing on symptoms and consequences, rather than causes.  There had to be strengthened national and local commitment and action, with States prohibiting all forms of violence in all settings -– including corporal punishment, harmful traditional practices, sexual violence and torture, and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.  Prevention had to be a priority, and States and civil society should strive to transform attitudes that condoned or normalized violence against children.

He said the study’s recommendations included a call for accessible and child-friendly protection systems and services.  States should also develop and implement systematic data collection and research to assess the dimensions of the problem.  If there was one factor that had contributed to a failure to protect children from violence, it had been the failure to listen to children.  Forms of violence could not be ranked, nor could extreme forms of violence be the only forms to be condemned.  Preventing and responding to violence did not mean tough rhetoric and unilateral repressive measures, but an end to the authoritarian relationship between adults and children.  The process of emancipation among workers and women had only begun to be experienced by children.  Children were tired of being called the future.  They were tired of words and no action.  They wanted to enjoy a safe childhood now.

ANDERS NORDSTRÖM, Acting Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said the study was far-sighted and strongly action-oriented.  In its statistics, it gave a horrifying picture of the scale of abuse.  Equally horrifying had been the long-term effects of violence against children.  For children, such violence not only meant short-term hurt, but also long-term damage.  Young victims of violence faced an increased risk of depression and suicidal behaviour, as well as illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and sexually transmitted diseases.  They could grow into adults trapped in a pattern of violence.  That had been a terrible situation, but there were possibilities for stopping the cycle, he said.  Violence against children had not been random; rather, it had been predictable, and therefore, preventable.  Together with others, WHO had been committed to a scientific approach to the problem, and on October 16, it would be launching its own report into the mistreatment of children.  The recommendations in the Secretary-General’s report were fully in line with the work of WHO, which was fully supportive of its suggestions.

ANN M. VENEMAN, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), noted that the Secretary-General’s landmark study demonstrated that violence happened in every country and cut across social, cultural and religious lines.  More and better data was needed to provide a complete picture of the scope of the problem.  She noted that violence often came from the people closest to the child, including from family members, friends, in schools, and in the workplace.  She noted that sexual violence led to the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially among girls.  In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS was three times higher for girls than for boys and young men.  Domestic work constituted the largest category of employment for girls under 16, who were often exposed to physical violence and sexual harassment.

In developing policies for combating violence against children, it was important to note that the data was often alarmingly weak.  In many countries around the world, there were no systems for adequately recording violence against children.  Official statistics often dramatically underestimated the magnitude of the problem, she said.  Making reporting systems accessible to children was critical to a comprehensive response.  Countries must also ensure that a well-functioning legal system was in place to protect children from violence.  Communities could also play a strong role in preventing violence, especially where youth gangs posed a threat to other children.  Ensuring that children were protected from violence was critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

MEHR KHAN WILLIAMS, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, noted that the report presented clear information that left no doubt about the impact of violence on children, demonstrating the imperative to act.  While more research was still needed, country by country, the essential facts, gathered meticulously through a participatory process, were now before the international community.  The report also showed that violence against children was completely unjustifiable and all of it was preventable, including through national legislation and its implementation, and through international cooperation.  Follow-up to the report’s recommendations was essential, she said.  Children should never receive less protection than adults.

CORA MAYO BUALA, speaking on behalf of young people, told stories of young people who had suffered from poverty, child labour, sexual abuse, conflict, and harassment.  It was the responsibility of the international community to act on behalf of children and to speak for those who had no voice.  She noted that sexual violence had become common, including in families, schools, and on the streets, and the indifference to incest, paedophilia, and prostitution had taken on worrying proportions.  Children were also conscripted into armed forces in violation of their rights.  Traditional and religious practices such as female genital mutilation, dowry, child marriage, and bonded labour were among the worst violations of children’s rights, and were the most common.

Governments had a duty to incorporate recommendations on violence against children in their national plans, to reform legislation, and to ensure children’s participation in decision-making at all levels, she said.  They must create a vast and accessible network of child protection, ensuring that every child had access to help.  Families, police, communities, the media, and children and young people themselves had a responsibility to stop and prevent violence against children.  She asked delegates to recall their own childhood, or to consider what they wanted for their own children, and act to create a brighter future for all children.

CROWN PRINCE HAAKON of Norway, speaking from his experience as Goodwill Ambassador for the UNDP and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, said that he had met many children at risk of violence around the globe.  Efforts were urgently needed to create a safer and more just world through addressing the root causes of violence against children, and following the best practices recommended in the report before the Committee.

He said that everyone must take on the role of caregiver and take action now to make homes, schools, communities and institutions safer for children.  The report had enlisted the involvement of boys and girls, and such children were expecting an effective follow-up; they must not be let down.  He called for the strongest possible support for the principles and recommendations spelled out in the report, as well as for effective action at the national, regional and global levels to create a world fit for children in the coming generation.

Discussion

Mr. PINHEIRO, responding to the question from the Crown Prince of Norway about what more could be done at the national level, said it was important to listen to the children themselves.  There was no need to reinvent the wheel, as there were many good experiences in terms of consultation with children, including the participation of children in legislative reform.  National plans to address the needs of children were a good idea as policies regarding children were often scattered.  While the law was not a magic wand, without adequate laws it would be very difficult to change reality and to mobilize political will.  It was important to establish mechanisms to report violence and services to support victims.  Lastly, he said, it was important to improve data collection.

In response to a question on what could be done to change the social acceptance of violence against children, he said that States were not playing the pedagogical role needed to change the mindset of people.  Cultural change was difficult, but could not happen without action by Governments.  Among best practices around the world, he cited the creation of ombudsmen and S.O.S. child help lines.

In response to several questions from delegations about why the report did not mention the situation of children living under occupation, he noted that the issue of children in armed conflict had been considered separately and concerns raised might be addressed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.  However, the conclusions of the report were based on what he had observed in conflict areas, including during a visit to Gaza.  The situation of children in Lebanon did not figure in the report as the text had been finalized before the conflict there.

Responding to a question about why the role of religion was not addressed in the report, he noted that a seminar including religious leaders had contributed to the findings contained in the report and that many religious leaders had supported the recommendations made therein.

In response to a question on the value of promoting awareness, he said that Governments and civil society needed to pursue such campaigns if they wanted to change the mindset of people.

He took note of a statement by the representative of Singapore regretting the report’s equation of the use of corporal punishment with violence against children and noting that his Government believed that the regulated use of corporal punishment was necessary.  Mr. Pinheiro recalled Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and also noted a May 2006 general comment by the Committee on the Rights of the Child addressing the issue of corporal punishment.  He added that it may be useful to do an evaluation of the consequences of corporal punishment.

Mr. PINHEIRO thanked delegations that had expressed support for the creation of a mandate for a Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and said that this was something member States would have to consider.  He noted that without a person in a high-level position it would be difficult to keep up the momentum of regional consultations and to integrate the work of various agencies, including the ILO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and other entities.

He said the offer made by the Egyptian delegation to host a conference on the protection of children in armed conflict was a wonderful idea.

He acknowledged the Plan of Action on violence against children presented by Syria as a very useful contribution.

In response to a question about whether there had been coordinated efforts in formulating recommendations regarding violence against women and violence against children, he said that there had been consultations on that issue and that it was necessary to consider common recommendations together.  He also noted that the Commission on the Status of Women would consider violence against girls at its next meeting.

In a response to a question on parenting, he said it was necessary to disseminate alternative ideas for how to discipline children with a non-violent approach.  Civil society had enormous responsibilities here, and organizations such as Save the Children had prepared many kits with information on that topic, he said.

Responding to a question on how to use and strengthen the capacity of existing networks to pursue the work done during this study, he noted that follow-up consultations already had been held in some regions and more were needed.

In conclusion, he urged the international community not to lose momentum on that issue.  He also thanked NGOs for their important role, and thanked children for their participation in this work.

Mr. NORDSTRÖM said there needed to be ongoing monitoring of violence against children in order to get facts on the table.  Best practices had to be shared, and programmes evaluated to see how they could be more effective.  That was an issue that needed discussion, and everyone -– men and women, boys and girls -- had to be listened to in order to better design programmes.  There were already some clear answers as to what had to be done; as States, international organizations and parents, there was a responsibility to get to work on the problem tomorrow.

Ms. VENEMAN said UNICEF had supported Governments and parliaments to bring forward laws to implement the Convention on children’s rights.  Much work had also been done on such issues as trafficking and children.  But laws had to be enforced, not just passed; there should be appropriate training for law enforcers and for health facilities.  UNICEF had found that community-based approaches, taking cultural and local situations into consideration, worked well, and in such a manner, that the question of discipline could be incorporated.

GERALDINE FRASER-MOLEKETI, Minister for Public Service and Administration for South Africa, said that with the five-year anniversary of the Assembly’s special session on children fast approaching, it was time for the international community to take stock of its commitments to create a better world for children; a world in which sustainable development would take into account the best interests of the child, and would be founded on principles of democracy, equality and the protection and promotion of all human rights.

She said South Africa had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols, as well as relevant regional instruments and agreements that obligated governments to ensure child protective services and outlined what individual governments should do to keep children free from harm.  On violence against children, she called for policies to be developed to address all the complexities of the issue, including school violence.

She also called for more innovative methods that would make it easier to root out domestic violence, since it was often difficult to detect, mainly because children were reluctant to report on their family situations.  That might be because of fear, shame or even self-blame, so areas of balanced intervention would have to consider factors such as healthy parenting, education and empowering children themselves.  She noted as well, that in many instances, criminal justice systems were not child-friendly, and with that in mind, the international community must ensure that appropriate child rehabilitation and reintegration mechanisms were included in such systems.  In South Africa, the Ministries of Justice and Constitutional Development, and Social Development worked with NGOs to play a pivotal role in implementing programmes that had diverted some 150,000 children away from the criminal justice system, where they would have otherwise ended up with criminal records.

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For information media • not an official record