Sixty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

87^th Meeting (AM)

Reaffirming World’s Commitment to Youth, General Assembly Adopts Resolution

 

on Commemorating Children’s Rights Convention

 

The General Assembly decided today to convene a high-level meeting on 20 November 2014 to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

By the terms of a resolution, adopted by consensus, the meeting would comprise an opening plenary and an interactive panel discussion.  In finalizing the programme, including the theme and composition of the panel, the General Assembly President should give due regard to gender balance and equitable geographical distribution, as well as the meaningful participation of children.  The President should also draw up a list of interested representatives of non-governmental organizations accredited with the United Nations organs.

Mårten Grunditz (Sweden), introducing the resolution, said it aimed at establishing modalities for the high-level meeting, which would serve as an opportunity to reaffirm the international community’s dedication to the realization of children’s rights.

All Member and observer States and observers were encouraged to be represented at the highest possible level and to include children and young people in their delegations.  All relevant United Nations entities and other relevant intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations should also participate at the highest possible level.

The plenary would feature statements by the General Assembly President, United Nations Secretary-General, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and Member States speaking on behalf of regional groups.

Regarding budget implications, a senior Secretariat official said the event would incur additional requirements of $11,500 in meeting servicing for the panel discussion, but that cost should be absorbed within the existing approved resources of the programme budget for biennium 2014-2015.

The General Assembly will meet again on a date to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record