EventsFeaturesImage galleriesMediaMFAT speeches20042005200620072008Media contact informationMinisters releasesPublications
Mr Chairperson,
I have the honour to speak today on behalf of Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Our countries place the highest priority on promoting and protecting the rights of the child. The Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols are fundamental to the realisation of these rights.
Enhancing the promotion and protection of the rights of the child requires not only targeted actions, but mainstreaming of child rights within all activities, both at the international and national levels. We also endorse incorporation of a gender perspective in all programmes and policies related to children. and we must also pay particular attention to children belonging to disadvantaged groups.
Our countries place a priority on reaffirming and advancing the rights of the child in debate at the United Nations. The omnibus resolution on the Rights of the Child provides the framework for that debate.
We have become increasingly concerned that the length and detail of this resolution is not conducive to advancing the rights of the child. Furthermore, its size limits consideration of new and critical issues. We believe that it is important for all Member States, including the main sponsors of the resolution, to thoroughly review and attempt to streamline the text in order to focus on urgent and central issues.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child plays a key role in promoting more effective implementation of the Convention. We welcome the efforts of the Committee to make its work more effective, and note with gratitude the work accomplished by the Committee in the current year, including the very useful Day of Discussion organized last month on Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood.
We also welcome the increase in the Committee’s membership, allowing for more geographical representation as well as expertise. We trust this will enable the Committee to take up the new tasks in monitoring the implementation of the Optional Protocols to the Convention. In this regard, we call on States Parties to fully cooperate with the Committee, including by honouring their reporting obligations.
Our countries support efforts to strengthen monitoring, reporting and accountability for violations of children’s rights in armed conflicts and to address the specific needs of the girl child. We encourage close co-ordination with existing initiatives, such as those related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. We recognize and support the work of UN agencies and NGO partners, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict and his office. Efforts of all key stakeholders remain essential to combating violations of children's rights and ensuring adherence to relevant international law.
In this regard, we welcome the newly released Report of the Secretary General on the comprehensive assessment of the UN system response to children and armed conflict. This assessment provides important guidance on how to address child protection in situations of armed conflict in a sustainable and coordinated way. We also welcome the adoption of Security Council resolution 1539 and stress the importance of its implementation. We encourage those member states that have not done so to ratify without delay the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which contains crucial provisions criminalizing serious acts against children.
Our countries continue to be deeply concerned by the continuing sexual exploitation of children, including trafficking, prostitution, pornography and sexual abuse, and we wish to express our support for the work of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Measures at the international, regional and national level to combat such crimes are critical. We must ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice. Throughout these proceedings, protecting the rights of the victims should be paramount.
Violence against children is a complex problem demanding an urgent response. We continue to lend our full support to the work of independent expert Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to conduct an in-depth and most critical study of the prevalence, nature and causes of violence against children.
Our countries have responded to his request for information for this study. We trust that the recommendations of this study will include effective remedies and both preventive and rehabilitative measures at the national and international levels.
Our countries are also taking concrete steps to implement the agenda of the 2002 UN Special Session on Children, “A World Fit for Children”. Earlier this year, Canada completed its plan of action as follow-up to the UN Special Session, entitled “A Canada Fit for Children”. This plan is a result of consultations involving stakeholder groups from all of Canada's geographic areas, governments, Aboriginal organizations and most importantly, children and youth. Other domestic priorities for Canada include the Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care, under which governments are working to improve access to affordable, quality, regulated early learning and child care programs and services. Canada is taking steps to fight child poverty and promote early development through the National Child Benefit and the Early Childhood Development Agreement. At the same time, we have undertaken a number of legislative and law enforcement initiatives designed to protect children from exploitation. We are also preparing to hold a North American consultation in 2005 with respect to the UN Study on Violence Against Children. This consultation will include the active participation of children and youth both in the preparatory process and at the consultation.
While New Zealand is doing well by international standards on the rights of the child, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has identified areas where improvements could be made in 2003. In response New Zealand developed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child work programme, which is a comprehensive framework for improving child rights. This year, New Zealand has released an updated work programme, spanning five years of activity from 2004‑2008. It addresses more than fifty issues in direct response to the UN Committee’s 2003 recommendations on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and also the Optional Protocol on Child Soldiers. Within this framework, New Zealand is actively progressing the lifting of reservations to the Convention. New Zealand has just submitted our response to the request for information for the UN Study on Violence Against Children.
Australia is currently finalising its National Plan of Action for Children and Young People in response to ‘A World Fit for Children’, in consultation with children and young people, governments and the non‑government sector. The Australian Government, together with state and territory governments, is working towards increased coordination of policies and services for children and their families, with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention approaches. To this end, Australia is developing a National Agenda for Early Childhood to maximise the impact of existing activity and inform future investments to ensure resources are directed to priority issues. Four broad action areas have been proposed for national attention healthy young families; early learning and care, supporting parents and families; and child‑friendly communities.
Australia, New Zealand and Canada continue to cooperate with other countries through our respective regional organizations on the important issues of smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime, including the issue of trafficking of children and child sex tourism.
Although the challenges are daunting, we wish to reiterate our commitment to working with other Member States and the United Nations system in finding the most effective ways to enhance the rights of all children.
Thank you.
