UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 55th SESSION
Special Substantive meeting of the Preparatory Meeting for the Special Session on Follow-Up to the World Summit for Children
Agenda Item 5: Outcomes of the Special Session
Statement by H.E. Ms Penny Wensley AO
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
1 February 2001
Madam Chairman
As we focus on the outcomes of the Special Session on Follow up to the World Summit for Children, it is important that we maintain a clear vision of the fundamental goals towards which we are all working. Two years ago, at the 54th General Assembly, UN members decided that we should meet in 2001 to review implementation of the goals of the World Summit for Children, to renew our commitment to achieving these and to consider further actions needed. This decision gives us an important guide to the outcomes we are expected to produce in September but, in the flurry of work ahead of us, we must not lose sight of the one underlying goal to which we all committed ourselves eleven years ago. That is, to give every child a better future.
Our commitment to this goal should guide our approach to all aspects of our preparation for the Special Session, whether it is making decisions on NGO and youth participation, deciding on the format of the session or negotiating the outcome document.
Australia attaches a high priority to the forthcoming Session as a means of driving forward international and national efforts to fulfil the goals of the World Declaration and Plan of Action on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. The Session will provide an important opportunity for us to take stock of progress so far, and to make sure that the goals, and the strategies we adopt to achieve them, continue to be well-targeted to the realities which face the world's children, now and in the coming decade.
The statement delivered earlier today by Tonga on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum Group of countries, outlined the approach which Australia, along with its Pacific neighbours will bring to the Session, and our preliminary views on the substance of the draft outcome document. I now offer some additional comments on the outcomes of the Session.
Outcome document
The outcome document to be adopted at the Special Session will provide a guide to international, regional and national action required to continue to implement our goals. This document should reflect accurately, and build upon, UNICEF's review and assessment of the World Action Plan. When complete, the review will help us to identify critical changes in the circumstances affecting the world's children over the past decade, and to adjust and fine-tune the goals and strategies in the outcome document accordingly. It is important that we do not prejudge the final results of the UNICEF review, or the revisions which will be made to the outcome document based on feedback during the current meeting of the Preparatory Committee.
The document will be an important product of the Special Session, but we must remember that it is a means to an end, and not an end in itself . As we work to produce a final version, we must maintain our focus on the core goal of promoting the best interests of children the world over. We should avoid wasting our time and energy in a lengthy negotiation process where the clarity of this goal is lost. Australia urges that any negotiations on the document be tightly focused and contained, as far as possible, within the formal preparatory process.
Focus on practical strategies
In practical terms, the final outcome document should be a useful tool which will help us achieve our core goals. Australia appreciates efforts by UNICEF and the Bureau to identify new goals and commitments in the provisional draft document, and to link them to actions and strategies. However, it is important that these goals and commitments provide practical guidance to all countries, and that they are achievable, measurable and focussed on the highest priority issues. We believe there could be a stronger focus in the document on benchmarks and indicators which are based on the priority tasks and strategies, rather than a complex set of global goals which are not necessarily relevant in all country contexts.
Sharing best practice models
The practical focus of the document could also be strengthened by a recommendation on the use of best practice models. We all share the same basic goal of improving the lives of our children. There is an enormous variety of ways in which this can be done. Governments, NGOs and members of civil society should be encouraged to share examples of policies, practices and partnerships which have helped them to promote the rights and needs of children. Best practice models should be identified and put on the table for others to use. The outcomes document could recommend that UNICEF help to collect and disseminate information on best practice models. This practical strategy would be an important adjunct to the consolidated analysis, monitoring and reporting which is recommended in paragraph 93 of the current draft.
Clearer focus on Gender
Australia shares the view that a gender perspective should be fully integrated throughout the work of the Special Session and in the outcome document. The panel session on the girl child this week has again reminded us of the priority which needs to be attached to the gender dimensions of our goal to create a better future for all children.
Broadening goals applied to adolescents
We were pleased to see adolescents identified in the outcomes document as a critical area for attention in the coming decade. Adolescents are often the most vulnerable to the emerging threats facing children, such as HIV/AIDS, exploitation and armed conflict, yet they are a group which is often ignored. The higher risk-taking behaviour, more common in adolescents, adds to their vulnerability. The document should recognise clearly the rights of young people to the life-skills education and services that will help to protect them. For example, it could promote strategies to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle for adolescents. Policies, and a physical environment that support a healthy approach to life are as important as information about nutrition, physical activity and the risks of smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use. Equally important is access to reproductive health education and services that recognise familial and cultural circumstances, particularly in the context of HIV/AIDS. The document could also recognise the particular threats posed to children and adolescents who are forced to live on the streets and at the margins of society
Participation issues
The outcome document should be truly representative of the current realities which face children and adolescents. The views of civil society, including those of children and youth, will provide important insights and ideas. We were pleased and impressed to see a paper which summarised the results of the preparatory workshop of children and young people which was held immediately before this meeting of the Preparatory Committee. We hope that this process of consultation and networking among youth representatives will continue for the rest of the preparatory process, both through the formal participation of youth in national delegations, and through other means, such as further workshops and participation in round table discussions. We endorse the efforts of the Bureau to find appropriate ways to include children and youth in a meaningful way in both the preparatory process and the Special Session itself.
The involvement of all relevant members of civil society will add value to the final outcomes of the Special Session - written and otherwise. It will help us all to work in partnership to find practical long-term strategies to give every child a better future.