Statements and Speeches by Ministry Representatives 2005

UN General Assembly 60th Session Third Committee Item 67 Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children

Statement by Ms Jessica Blitt on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, 18 October 2005

I have the honour to speak today on behalf of Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Canada, Australia and New Zealand place the very highest priority on the rights of the child. The annual omnibus resolution on the rights of the child provides the major framework for debate on this important issue at the United Nations. At the General Assembly and at the Commission on Human Rights, our delegations have accordingly been among the most active cosponsors and supporters of this resolution. For the past three years, however, we have called on the resolution sponsors to consider new approaches to this issue. We repeat that call today. Each year we spend too much time going over old ground, repeating debate on standards that have already been agreed. Insufficient time is left for us to address new and critical issues. Moreover, it is simply not possible for us to give the proper attention to implementation of the Convention.

Canada, Australia and New Zealand urge Member States to consider how we can promote a more meaningful debate on the rights of the child in United Nations fora. Such a review is a natural part of the current process of reform and renewal of the United Nations. And, it is necessary in advance of the establishment of the Human Rights Council. In our view, the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child should be examined biennially by the General Assembly, as is the case with the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. The resolution should also be streamlined to focus on implementation. We must turn our attention to what the United Nations system and member States are doing - and should be doing - to live up to agreed standards.

I would now like to take this opportunity to highlight progress on the issue of children in armed conflict in the United Nations over the past year. We welcome the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1612 this issue in July. This was a groundbreaking call for action. It established a comprehensive monitoring and reporting mechanism with the threat of targeted measures aimed at those who continue to commit violations. We applaud the ongoing efforts of the UN agencies, SR SG on Armed Conflict and NGOs. Our full attention must now be on the implementation of the resolution, and we call on Member States to support the following actions

• First, undertaking an active campaign calling on the Security Council to implement this resolution through the prompt creation of a Working Group, as mandated in the resolution.
  
• Second, ensuring that UNICEF, civil society and those working at the field level have sufficient funding.
  
• Third, continuing close coordination among UN agencies, including with the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
  
• Fourth, renewal of the mandate of the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict’s office for a three-year term.
  
• And finally, ratification of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Mr Chairman, in closing we wish only to highlight that the rights of the child should be a priority for all delegations. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most ratified human rights instrument, and has achieved near universal ratification. We call on States that have not done so to ratify the Convention itself and make this the first human rights treaty that achieves universal ratification. In our efforts at this General Assembly and beyond, let us now give our full attention to implementation of this critically important Convention.

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