UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 55th SESSION
Third Committee
Item 110: Rights of the Child
Statement by Ms Robyn Mudie for the Australian Delegation
13 October 2000
Madam Chairperson
Australia is a country that cherishes democracy, the rule of law and tolerance, and the defence of human rights, including those of children and young people. The way children and young people are treated in any society is a defining characteristic of that society.
Today Australia joins other countries in reaffirming and restating its commitment to the promotion and protection of the human rights of the world's children through its contribution to efforts at the international, regional and national levels. As the most vulnerable group amongst us, children must be accorded special protection and particular care by the international community.
The international community has taken great strides towards achieving explicit and comprehensive legal protection of the human rights of children. Over the past decade, the Convention on the Rights of the Child has been a significant factor in raising awareness of children's rights, in acting as a catalyst for international change and in providing a framework for addressing the needs of children. With 191 countries party to the Convention it has almost achieved universal ratification. Australia urges the very small number of states which have not yet ratified it to do so as soon as possible.
Australia welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography earlier this year and their adoption by 'the General Assembly in May. The Protocols will be considered in accordance with normal domestic processes.
Australia welcomed the adoption in 1999 of the ILO Convention on the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Ratification of the Convention by Australia is the subject of ongoing domestic consideration and consultation in accordance with treaty making processes.
Australia supports the ongoing work of the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict and we welcome his latest report. We have taken note of his aim to channel the activities of the many organisations working in this important field into a "critical mass". We agree that concrete and targeted actions can yield tangible results and we look forward to seeing the results of his efforts.
The adoption of the Agenda for War Affected Children at the recent International Conference on this subject in Winnipeg has also played an important part in focusing international attention on the issue of children in, and affected by, armed conflict in the lead up to the 2001 special session on follow-up to the World Summit for Children.
Likewise, Australia supports the work of the Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Mrs Ofelia Calcetas-Santos. Australia strongly supports efforts to counter the repugnant practice of trafficking in children. In this regard, Australia was pleased to have been an active participant in a meeting of the Asian Regional Initiative Against Trafficking in Women and Children held in late March. The meeting, co-hosted by the Governments of the Philippines and the United States, raised the profile of this important issue and complemented the existing regional and international processes which aim to stop trafficking. We look forward to further developments in this area.
At a broader regional level, the Australian bilateral aid program aims to ensure that the rights and opportunities of children, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, are promoted through its focus on basic education, primary health and maternal health. Australia's strong focus on gender and development also contributes to the protection and promotion of the rights of the girl-child. Australia is also a strong collaborater with UNICEF and we work closely with them on their programs in the Asia Pacific.
At the national level, Australia launched its "National Plan of Action Against the Commercial Exploitation of Children" on 9 August. The aim of the Plan is to provide the basis for the development of a coordinated cross-sectoral and inter-governmental response to commercial sexual exploitation of children and young people. It represents the fulfillment of an undertaking by Australia as a signatory to the Declaration and Agenda for Action adopted by the Stockholm World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. Australia's Plan is by no means the end of a process but a beginning. The forthcoming World Congress to be held in Yokohama presents an opportunity to consolidate international efforts to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Madam Chairperson
The tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2001 will provide an important opportunity for the international community to assess the progress which has been made towards achieving the goals set by the World Summit for Children in 1990, and to identify new and continuing challenges which require our urgent attention. There are encouraging signs that progress is being made towards some of these goals, for example, immunisation coverage, iodine deficiency control and the promotion of breastfeeding. However, issues such as adequate nutrition, high mortality, sanitation and girls' education goals remain of serious concern.
The Special Session will need to address these problems and define a continuing agenda to further improve the well-being of children worldwide. This agenda should see governments and other participants identifying priority areas of action for the next decade consistent with UNICEF's "future global agenda for children". Australia looks forward to playing an active role and to contributing to a productive and effective meeting.
Australia hopes for broad participation at the 2001 special session, including from within the NGO community. We welcome the fact that UNICEF has already implemented initiatives to include youth in the preparatory phase of the 2001 Special Session on Children.
We enter the new millennium with an unprecedented, world-wide recognition of the rights of the child. However, much work remains to be done. Australia believes that we need to build on past achievements in the legal recognition of the inalienable rights of the child. We need to work together to ensure the realisation of children's rights everywhere.