NGLS Roundup, no. 68, February 2001
THE UNITED NATIONS WORKS WITH NGOS FOR CHILDREN
INTRODUCTION
Despite the almost universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which entered into force in 1990, the situation of children and adolescents remains precarious all over the world. According to the UN, which is the repository of texts and documents on the needs and rights of children agreed by consensus by Member States, in many regions poverty and lack of access to health services threaten children’s very survival, and the absence of basic education hampers their development. Children are the most vulnerable victims of armed conflict, humanitarian disasters and infectious diseases, of which the HIV/AIDS pandemic in particular is having a devastating impact. They are also increasingly the targets of human rights violators who traffic, abuse or exploit children for commercial purposes and, during armed conflicts, forcibly recruit them as child soldiers.
The specific needs and vulnerabilities of children and adolescents are of increasing importance on the intergovernmental agenda. In the coming year, two important events will be held that will address the rights and needs of children. From 18-20 September 2001 in New York the United Nations General Assembly will hold a Special Session on Children, and the Second World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children will take place in Yokohama (Japan) from 17-20 December.
In the run-up to these events, NGLS Roundup looks at the different issues affecting children and summarizes a number of UN and NGO initiatives to tackle them. This Roundup also lists just a few of the many initiatives taken by the NGO community in this field and provides contact details for more information.
CONVENTION AND COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted on 20 November 1989 and entered into force on 2 September 1990. The CRC is the most universally-ratified international human rights instrument: 191 countries have ratified it (only the United States and Somalia have not). The scope of the CRC is broad and covers the whole range of human rights: economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights. The text deals with important issues such as adoption (article 21), juvenile justice (article 40) and harmful traditional practices that affect the health of children (article 24).
After many years of negotiations, on 25 May 2000 the General Assembly adopted two Optional Protocols to the CRC. The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict limits children’s involvement in armed conflicts and establishes the minimum age for compulsory recruitment into national armed forces at 18 years old. (The CRC said that States Parties should “refrain from recruiting any person who has not attained the age of 15 years into their armed forces.”) The Optional Protocol also requires states to make a binding declaration, upon ratification or accession, regarding the age at which their national forces will permit voluntary recruitment. The Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography outlaws the sale, illegal adoption, prostitution and pornography involving children. It also highlights the importance of public awareness and international collaboration to combat violations of the Optional Protocol.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child, whose creation was called for in article 43 of the CRC, monitors progress on implementation of the CRC by States Parties. Every five years, governments are required to submit to the Committee a comprehensive and detailed report on the situation of children in the country, and on the measures they have taken to integrate the CRC into their national legislation. The Committee on the Rights of the Child consists of ten independent experts, who are elected by the States Parties among their citizens and serve in their personal capacity. Committee members are elected for a renewable four-year term. They live and work in their home countries but participate in the three Committee sessions and three pre-sessional working groups, which take place in Geneva three to five months prior to a Committee session. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides the permanent secretariat of the Committee.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) plays an important role in supporting the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Especially in the case of developing countries, UNICEF country offices support governments in undertaking consultations prior to preparing reports and in following up recommendations made by the CRC Committee. Together with NGOs, UNICEF participates in the pre-sessional working groups, where it provides data and information on the situation of women and children in different countries.
NGO Involvement
To complement States Parties’ reports, NGOs may submit to the secretariat independent reports on the situation of children in a particular country. The NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a coalition of more than 40 international NGOs that work together to facilitate the implementation of the CRC, works with NGOs to prepare their inputs. Alternative reports provide useful additional information to Committee members. The reports have to reach the Committee two to three months prior to the pre-sessional working group at which the country involved will be considered. NGOs that have submitted reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child are invited to participate in the pre-sessional working group, together with other UN agencies.
Contacts: Soussan Raadi-Azarakhchi, Secretariat of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 9252, fax +41-22/917 9022, e-mail <sraadi-azarakhchi.hchr@unog.ch> .
Laura Theytaz-Bergman, Secretariat of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, care of Defence for Children International, PO Box 88, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/740 4730, fax +41-22/740 1145, e-mail <dci-ngo.group@pingnet.ch>.
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The Commission on Human Rights, which meets annually for a six-week session in April/May in Geneva, generally contains an agenda item on the rights of the child and adopts one or more resolutions and/or decisions on this issue. The status of women and the girl-child is also discussed in a separate agenda item.
The Commission on Human Rights has appointed a number of Special Rapporteurs, Special Representatives and Independent Experts who investigate human rights violations in individual countries or report specific themes. Special Rapporteurs working on issues related to the rights of children include:
-- the Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography;
-- the Special Rapporteur on the Elimination of Violence Against Women; and
-- the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education.
NGO Involvement
There is a range of possibilities for NGOs in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations to be involved in the work of the Commission on Human Rights. Apart from making oral and written statements during the Commission’s annual session, NGOs may submit reports on human rights violations to the Commission and its Special Rapporteurs. As is the case for the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the NGO reports are considered an indispensable source of information. NGOs also work with government delegations on drafting conclusions or resolutions during the Commission session.
Contacts: Maria-Francesca Ize-Charrin, Secretariat of the Commission on Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 9260, fax +41-22/917 9011, e-mail <mize-charrin.hchr@unog.ch>, website (www.unhchr.ch).
Jennifer Philpot, Assistant to the Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, OHCHR, telephone +41-22/917 9148, fax +41-22/917 9006, e-mail <jphilpot.hchr@unog.ch>.
Christina Saunders, Assistant to the Special Rapporteur on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, OHCHR, telephone +41-22/917 9150, fax +41-22/917 9006, e-mail <csaunders.hchr@unog.ch>.
Jong Gil Woo, Assistant to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, OHCHR, telephone +41-22/917 9359, fax +41-22/917 9010, e-mail <jwoo.hchr@unog.ch>.
NGO Preparations for the 57th Session of the Commission on Human Rights
The provisional agenda of the 57th Session of the Commission on Human Rights, scheduled from 19 March to 27 April 2001 in Geneva, includes the rights of the child as well as violence against women. Discussion on these items is set for the third and fourth week of the session. NGOs are also planning a range of meetings during the session and statements aimed at influencing the “Omnibus Resolution” on the rights of the child, which is adopted at the end of every session. The Child Rights Caucus will coordinate NGO activities and information outreach. Among the issues NGOs plan to promote during the 57th session is the establishment of a high-level post within the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, charged with mainstreaming child rights into all aspects of the Office’s work.
OHCHR and UNICEF are planning a panel discussion during the Commission to address the role of education/ peace education in combating racism. The panel discussion is designed to link the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children and the World Conference Against Racism, to be held 31 August-7 September 2001 in South Africa.
Contact: Salvatore Parata, Co-Convenor of the Child Rights Caucus for the 57th Session of the Commission on Human Rights, care of International Federation Terre des Hommes, 31 chemin Frank-Thomas, CH-1208 Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/736 3372, fax +41-22/736 1510, e-mail <childcaucus2001@hotmail.com>.
CHILD RIGHTS ISSUES
Education
Two articles of the CRC are devoted to the right to education and the requirement of States Parties to provide free and compulsory basic schooling. Yet over 113 million children, 60% of whom are girls, have no access to primary schooling. Of the more than 800 million children in the world under six years of age, fewer than one-third benefit from any form of early childhood education, which is considered a critical factor for later success in school. And at least 880 million adults--one sixth of humanity--are illiterate, the majority women. Poverty is one of the major causes of children not having access to school or dropping out, yet education is vital for fighting poverty and contributing to the sustainable development of communities.
Education For All
At the World Conference on Education For All in 1990 in Jomtien (Thailand), world leaders committed to six key education goals. These included universal access to, and completion of, primary education by the year 2000 and a reduction of adult illiteracy rates by 50% by the year 2000. Special emphasis was also given to girls’ education. Ten years later, much has been achieved but the pace has been slower than expected, and in some countries the impact of HIV/AIDS and armed conflict is undermining previous progress. In April 2000 the international community met in Dakar (Senegal) at the World Education Forum to review progress, and it established a new set of goals for the year 2015 to enable all individuals to realize their right to education. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) plays a major leadership role in the Education for All Movement, as does UNICEF.
Contacts: Neda Ferrier, Section of International Non-Governmental Organisations and Foundations, UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, F-75700 Paris, France, telephone +33-1/45 68 18 77, fax +33-1/45 68 56 43, e-mail <rio-ngo@unesco.org>, website (www.unesco.org).
Sheldon Shaeffer, Chief, Education Section, Programme Division, UNICEF House H-7, 3 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, United States, telephone +1-212/824 6619, fax +1-212/824 6481, e-mail <sschaeffer@unicef.org>, website (www.unicef.org).
NGO Involvement
A number of members of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child have formed a Sub-Group on Education. The Sub-Group, based in Geneva, seeks to bring education issues to the attention of upcoming international fora, both within and outside the UN. The Sub-Group is chaired by the International School Psychology Association. Likewise, some members of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, a large network of organizations that work with UNICEF, have formed a Working Group on Education. Based in New York, the Working Group is chaired by the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education (OMEP).
Contacts: Lukas Scherer, Chair, Sub-Group on Education, care of The International School Psychology Association, Kinderpraxis Oerlikon, Schulstrasse 37, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, telephone +41-1/310 2804, fax +41-1/310 2801, e-mail <lscherer@dplanet.ch>.
Nancy Brown, Co-Chair, Working Group on Education, care of Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), 12 West 72nd Street, Office #3D, New York NY 10023, United States, telephone +1-212/877 5249, fax +1-212/654 5593.
Child Labour
ILO Legal Instruments
According to estimates of the International Labour Office (ILO), 250 million children between five and 14 years of age are working around the world. Almost half, or some 120 million, work full-time and 70% of them work in a hazardous environment. The fundamental ILO instruments concerning child labour are the Minimum Age Convention (No. 138) and Recommendation (No. 146) of 1973, and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No. 182) and Recommendation (No. 190) of 1999.
Convention No. 138 calls on countries to pursue a policy of effectively abolishing child labour, and to progressively raise the minimum age for admission to employment to a level consistent with the fullest physical and mental development of young persons. In this light, the Convention establishes 15 as the minimum age for admission to employment in general, 14 as the minimum age in countries “whose economy and educational facilities are insufficiently developed,” and 18 as the minimum age for work that might “jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons.” Children from 13 to 15 years-old may be allowed, under specific conditions, to perform light work that is not hazardous and does not interfere with education. Countries that have declared a general minimum age of 14 years may lower the minimum age for light work to 12 years.
Convention No. 182 calls for, as a matter of priority, immediate and effective measures to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour such as all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, prostitution, pornography, illicit activities such as drug trafficking, and hazardous work for children under the age of 18. States Parties are obliged to draw up programmes of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour (focusing on prevention as well as rehabilitation of children withdrawn from the worst forms of child labour) and properly enforce implementing legislation. Convention No. 182 further stipulates that States Parties should take measures to ensure free access to basic education, and take into account the special vulnerability of girls.
ILO InFocus Programme on Child Labour
In 1992 the ILO established the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, now called the InFocus Programme on Child Labour but still known by the acronym IPEC. The programme promotes the progressive elimination of child labour, giving priority to its worst forms. It is working to achieve this through country-based programmes that promote policy reform and put in place concrete measures to end child labour, as well as through international and national campaigns to promote ratification of ILO Convention No. 182. IPEC relies on a coalition of nearly 100 partners. They include ILO’s member countries that have invited IPEC to establish local programmes, trade unions, donor governments, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. Currently IPEC programmes are established in nearly 75 countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Arab States, and Central and Eastern Europe.
In June 2002 the International Labour Conference will discuss a Global Report on Child Labour. The purpose of the report is to provide a global picture of measures taken to abolish child labour and their impact and to assess the effectiveness of the assistance provided by the ILO. The report also defines priorities and action plans for technical cooperation. The report is based on official information provided by governments and organizations of employers and workers, both from countries that have ratified Convention No. 138 and No. 182, and from those that have not.
Contact for IPEC: Tim De Meyer, InFocus Programme on Child Labour, IPEC, ILO, 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/799 8274, fax +41-22/799 8771, e-mail <demeyer@ilo.org>.
Contact for Global Report on Child Labour: Caroline O’Reilly, InFocus Programme on Promoting the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, ILO, telephone +41-22/799 7109, fax +41-22/799 6329, e-mail <oreilly@ilo.org>.
Contact for Supervision of Ratified Conventions: Social Protection and Labour Conditions Branch (APPL), ILO, telephone +41-22/799 7126, fax +41-22/799 6926, e-mail <APPL@ilo.org>, website (www.ilo.org).
NGO Involvement
Some members of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child have established a Sub-Group on Child Labour, which is chaired by Anti-Slavery International. The Sub-Group meets approximately three times a year in Geneva. It was active in lobbying for the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182 and is collaborating with ILO on, among other things, preparations of the Global Report on Child Labour.
NGOs interested in providing the ILO with information on the situation in their country can do so in several ways. If their country has ratified Convention No. 138 or Convention No. 182, they can send the information to their government for inclusion in reports on the application of the Convention. If their country has not yet ratified either or both of the Conventions, they can also send the information to their government to be included in the government’s report to be filed under the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Alternatively, NGOs can send information to national or international trade unions and employers’ organizations, and seek their help in making it available to the ILO.
Contact: Pins Brown, Chair, Sub-Group on Child Labour, care of Anti-Slavery International, Thomas Clarkson House, The Stableyard, Broomgrove Road, London SW9 9TL, United Kingdom, telephone +44-20/7501 8928, fax +44-20/7738 4110, e-mail <p.brown@anti-slavery.org>.
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), 5 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, Bte 1, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium, telephone +32-2/224 0211, fax +32-2/201 5815, e-mail <internetpo@icftu.org>, website (www.icftu.org).
Children Affected by Armed Conflict
Children constitute a large proportion of victims of armed conflict around the world. They are also increasingly deliberate targets, and in some countries forced to take part in armed conflicts. Until recently, the special needs of children received little attention in intergovernmental discussions on peace and security. This changed in 1996 when a Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children was presented to the UN General Assembly. The report, written by Graça Machel in her capacity as Expert to the UN Secretary-General, highlights the urgent need for special protection of under-18 year-olds in situations of armed conflict. The report’s recommendations provide direction for international policy that has since been developed in this field. Another outcome of the report was the appointment in 1997 of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, a post currently held by Olara Otunnu.
In 1999 the Security Council adopted Resolution 1261 on Children and Armed Conflict, which for the first time put the issue on the international peace and security agenda. A year later the Security Council adopted Resolution 1314 on the same subject, which notes among other things the special needs and particular vulnerabilities of girls affected by armed conflicts. The International Conference on War-Affected Children, held in 2000 in Winnipeg (Canada), reviewed progress made in implementing the Machel report and obstacles encountered in increasing protection for war-affected children.
Contact: Ilene Cohn, First Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, Room S-3161 A, United Nations, New York NY 10017, United States, telephone +1-212/963 9739, fax +1-212/963 0807, e-mail <cohn@un.org>, website (www.un.org/special-rep/children-armed-conflict).
Around 300,000 children are actively participating in conflicts as child soldiers. Often recruited or abducted to join armies or armed opposition groups, many of these children--some younger than ten years old--have witnessed or taken part in violent acts, often against their own families or communities. The Machel report calls for, among other things, an international campaign against the use of child soldiers, special demobilization and reintegration programmes for them, and adoption of an Optional Protocol to the CRC on this issue. In addition to the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, the 1998 Rome Statute for the Establishment of an International Criminal Court condemns the use of child soldiers as a war crime. Actions are now focused on getting governments to ratify these, as well as national and regional legal instruments. The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, an umbrella group of international and regional human rights NGOs, plays an important role in this respect.
Contact: Rory Mungoven, Coordinator, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, PO Box 22696, London N4 3ZJ, United Kingdom, telephone +44-20/7274 0230, fax +44-20/7738 4110, e-mail <info@childsoldiers.org>, website (www.child-soldiers.org).
UNICEF Policy on Children and Armed Conflict
UNICEF has developed country-based programmes to address the needs and rights of children affected by armed conflict. These work to ensure the survival of the most vulnerable children and women, assist in family tracing and reunification, and protection against violence, exploitation, abuse, rape and recruitment into armed forces. The programmes provide care and protection for children and women in unstable situations by focusing on health and nutrition, education, water supplies and sanitation. For children who have been recruited as soldiers, the programmes promote demobilization and social reintegration. They also promote and support landmine awareness and community-based rehabilitation programmes for child victims of landmines. UNICEF is also actively involved in promoting the ratification and implementation of international treaties and standards. UNICEF’s field work in this area is undertaken in cooperation with governments, UN agencies, inter-governmental organizations and NGOs.
Contact: Karin Landgren, Chief, Child Protection Section, Programme Division, UNICEF House H-7, 3 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, United States, telephone +1-212/824 6670, fax +1-212/824 6473, e-mail <klandgren@unicef.org>, website (www.unicef.org).
Refugee and Internally Displaced Children
UNHCR’s Policy on Refugee Children
Some ten million out of the world’s 22.3 million refugees and other persons of concern to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), including the internally displaced, are children under the age of 18. UNHCR has developed a policy for the protection and care of refugee children and is currently focusing on five key issues related to them: unaccompanied and separated children; sexual exploitation, abuse and violence; military recruitment; education; and adolescents. UNHCR works in partnership with a wide range of organizations including other UN agencies, especially UNICEF, and NGOs such as members of the International Save the Children Alliance (ISCA).
UNHCR, UNICEF, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and ISCA operate the Action for the Rights of Children (ARC) project, which is a training and capacity-building initiative.
Contact: Christina Linner, Senior Coordinator for Refugee Children, UNHCR, 94 rue de Montbrillant, CH-1202 Geneva, telephone +41-22/739 8815, fax +41-22/739 7354, e-mail <linner@unhcr.ch>, website (www.unhcr.org). More information about the ARC project is available on the UNHCR website.
NGO Involvement
Some members of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child have formed a Sub-Group on Armed Conflict and Displacement. The Sub-Group, chaired by the International Federation Terre des Hommes, is based in Geneva and meets every three months. Likewise, some members of the NGO Committee on UNICEF have formed a Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict. The Working Group, which is based in New York and meets monthly, is chaired by the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children. The Sub-Group and the Working Group both lobbied for adoption of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and provide contributions to international and UN fora on the issue.
Contacts: Eylah Kadjar-Hamouda, Chair, Sub-Group on Armed Conflict and Displacement, care of International Federation Terre des Hommes, 31 chemin Frank-Thomas, CH-1208 Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/736 3372, fax +41-22/736 1510, e-mail <intl-rel@iftdh.org>, website (www.terredeshommes.ch).
Mary Diaz, Chair, Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict, care of Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 122 East 42nd Street, 12th Floor, New York NY 10168, United States, telephone +1-212/551 3089, fax +1-212/551 3186, e-mail <maryd@intrescom.org>.
Sexual Exploitation of Children
Background
Millions of children and adolescents around the world are sexually exploited through prostitution, pornography or trafficking. The factors contributing to these practices are complex and include poverty, distorted economic power relations, gender inequality, and discrimination against ethnic minority groups. Sexual exploitation of children is often driven by large networks of organizations or individuals, yet children are also sexually abused by caregivers, employers, police or national security forces. The adoption in 2000 of the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography is an important step in outlawing these activities. In addition to the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, actions are now focused on increasing the pace of ratification by governments and on awareness-raising.
NGO Involvement
Some members of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child have established a Sub-Group on Sexual Exploitation of Children. The Sub-Group, which is based in Geneva, monitors international developments both in the UN context and in other international networks. It also actively lobbied for adoption of the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. The Sub-Group, which works closely with the Special Rapporteur on this issue, is chaired by World Vision International and meets up to six times a year.
Contact: Melanie Gow, Chair, Sub-Group on Sexual Exploitation of Children, care of World Vision International, 6 chemin de la Tourelle, CH-1209 Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/740 4711, e-mail <Melanie_Gow@wvi.org>, website (www.wvi.org).
The Girl-Child
The above-mentioned issues concerning children especially affect the health and well-being of girls, who throughout their lives face discrimination and barriers because of gender inequality. In infancy many are fed and nurtured less and are discouraged or prevented from going to school. Harmful traditional practices and exploitation even endanger the lives of girls and young women, who often shoulder the double burden of family care and work outside the home. However there is consensus that women are critical to development and that their level of education and health directly influence the well-being of their families and communities. This is one of the reasons that many governments and NGOs have adopted a gender perspective in their development programmes.
In 1995 governments gathered at the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing (China), and committed themselves in the Beijing Platform for Action to “eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl-child.” They also discussed related issues including education, violence, economic exploitation, harmful traditional attitudes and practices. They renewed their commitments at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session entitled Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century (Beijing+5), held in New York in June 2000.
NGO Involvement
In Geneva members of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women have set up a Working Group on the Girl-Child. The Working Group, chaired by the World Organisation Against Torture, meets up to six times a year. Likewise in New York, members of the NGO Committee on UNICEF have formed a Working Group on Girls which is convened by the International Council of Jewish Women and Zonta International. Both Working Groups monitor progress in implementation of the Action Plans of major UN conferences related to the human rights of girls and women. They also promote information-sharing among NGOs, and between NGOs and UN agencies.
Contacts: Carin Benninger-Budel, Chair, Working Group on the Girl-Child, care of World Organisation Against Torture, 8 rue du Vieux-Billard, PO Box 21, CH-1211 Geneva 8, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/809 4939, fax +41-22/809 4929, e-mail <cbb@omct.org>.
Roberta Ross, Co-Chair, NGO Working Group on Girls, care of International Council on Jewish Women, 45 Sutton Place South, Apt. 7D, New York NY 10022, United States, telephone +1-212/756 9950, fax +1-212/588 8977, e-mail <marvrob@aol.com>.
Gender and Programme Participation Division, UNICEF, 3 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, United States, fax +1-212/824 6466, website (www.unicef.org).
UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS ON CHILDREN
UN Special Session on Children
Ten years after the 1990 World Summit for Children, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a Special Session on Children from 19-21 September 2001 in New York. The Special Session will review achievements in the implementation and results of the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and the Plan of Action, both adopted at the World Summit for Children. All governments have been requested to prepare an end-of-decade review report with the assistance of UNICEF, agencies of the UN system, and NGOs. UNICEF is providing the substantive secretariat for the Special Session and its preparatory process. A number of regional preparatory meetings are being organized to prepare inputs for the Special Session. Information can be found on the websites of UNICEF (www.unicef.org/specialsession) and the Child Rights Information Network (www.crin.org).
The Second Session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom), which took place from 29 January to 2 February 2001 in New York, considered a provisional draft outcome document entitled A World Fit For Children. This text contains views expressed during the first PrepCom, which was held from 30 May to 2 June 2000 (for a summary of the provisional draft outcome document, see website www.unicef.org/specialsession).
During the second PrepCom, NGOs and governments alike criticized the document for lacking a clear focus and action-oriented structure, and for being repetitive. Governments disagreed over whether the text should have a “rights-based approach” or a more conventional approach focused on child survival and development cooperation.
Other issues that came up during the second PrepCom’s discussions included poverty reduction strategies, the impact of HIV/AIDS on children, education and health. At the end of the second PrepCom, NGOs circulated an alternative text to the provisional draft outcome document, which was prepared by the Child Rights Caucus and based on broad consultation among NGOs. The alternative text calls for a more action-oriented document and more attention to, among other issues, protection from violence and abuse; the specific vulnerabilities of girls; the situation of disabled children; and the impact of globalization, trade liberalization, the private sector and environmental degradation on the realization of children’s rights. (For a copy of the alternative text, contact the Child Rights Caucus below.) The official provisional outcome document to the Special Session will be redrafted and considered at the third session of the PrepCom, to be held from 11-15 June 2001 in New York.
Only a small number of governments had young people in their delegations at the second PrepCom, which prompted some NGOs to question the willingness of governments to meaningfully involve young people--children as well as adolescents--in the Special Session. The issue of participation of under-18-year-olds in the third PrepCom and the Special Session itself was hotly debated. UNICEF will look into possibilities for convening a forum for young people prior to the Special Session.
Contact: Jo Becker, Member of the Child Rights Caucus Coordinating Group, care of Human Rights Watch, 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor, New York NY 10118-3299, United States, telephone +1-212/290 4700, fax +1-212/736 1300, e-mail <beckerj@hrw.org>.
NGO Involvement
During the PrepComs NGOs gather in a Child Rights Caucus, as well as in regional and thematic caucuses, to discuss the provisional draft outcome document and strategies to influence the final document. They also organize panel discussions and workshops, in which young people often participate.
Global Movement for Children
In order to increase public awareness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Special Session on Children, UNICEF has launched, in cooperation with NGO partners, the Global Movement for Children. This initiative is composed of a number of campaigns and media events. One of the campaigns, the Global Leadership Initiative, was launched by former South African President Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel to help promote the rights of children. Another initiative is the “Say Yes For Children” campaign, in which young people and children around the world can pledge their support for a Rallying Call promoting ten basic demands, which are derived from the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They are:
-- leave no child out;
-- put children first;
-- care for every child;
-- fight HIV/AIDS;
-- stop harming and exploiting children;
-- listen to children;
-- educate every child;
-- protect children from war;
-- protect the earth for children; and
-- fight poverty--invest in children.
Contacts: Hourig Babikian, Coordinator of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, UNICEF House H-8A, 3 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, United States, telephone +1-212/824 6394, fax +1-212/824 6466 or 824 6486, e-mail <bdoun@mindspring.com> or <ngocommittee@unicef.org>.
Margaret Kyenkya-Isabirye, Senior Advisor, Programme Partnership Unit, NGO Section, UNICEF, telephone +1-212/824 6570, fax +1-212/824 6466, e-mail <mkisabirye@unicef.org>, website (www.unicef.org/specialsession).
Second World Congress Against
the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
In August 1996 the First World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children was held in Stockholm (Sweden). The 122 governments represented at the Congress endorsed a Declaration and Agenda for Action, and committed themselves to formulate National Plans of Action by the year 2001. As a follow-up, the Second World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (SWC) will be held from 17-20 December 2001 in Yokohama (Japan).
The SWC is being organized by the government of Japan and the co-organizers of the First World Congress: UNICEF, the NGO ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), and the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Together they form an International Planning Committee (IPC). The main objective of the SWC is to review governments’ progress in implementing the Stockholm Agenda for Action, identify new issues related to sexual exploitation of children, and share good practices in combating the practice. The SWC will focus on six themes:
-- Trafficking in Children for Commercial Sexual Exploitation;
-- Legislation and Law Enforcement;
-- Prevention, Protection and Recovery of Children from Commercial Sexual Exploitation;
-- Profile of the Sex Exploiter;
-- Child Pornography; and
-- Role and Involvement of the Private Sector.
Preparatory Process
The IPC has met three times: in July 2000, October 2000 and February 2001. In the context of the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children (see above), a number of regional inter-governmental and NGO meetings are being organized which, among other things, will prepare inputs for the SWC. (For more information on these meetings see contact details listed below.)
NGO Involvement
Participation in the SWC of grassroots organizations and young people from all regions is being encouraged. ECPAT and the NGO Group for the CRC are coordinating the selection process for participating NGOs and young people, which should be completed in March 2001. Around 100 individuals under the age of 18 with demonstrated activism on relevant issues will participate in the Congress. They will be drawn from youth groups, or can be proposed by NGOs. The number of NGOs that can participate in the SWC cannot exceed 600. An effort will be made to have regional and gender balance in the representation of NGOs and youth.
NGOs are also being asked to submit papers to the co-organizing NGOs on the six main themes of the SWC and to organize practical, skill-enhancing workshops at the SWC. NGOs wishing to participate in the SWC should sign up immediately through the website of the Focal Point on Sexual Exploitation of Children (see below).
Contact: Helene Sackstein, Coordinator of the Focal Point on Sexual Exploitation of Children, NGO Group for the CRC, care of Defence for Children International, PO Box 88, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/740 4711, fax +41-22/740 1145, e-mail <info@focalpointngo.org>, website (www.focalpointngo.org). The Focal Point produces a regular newsletter on the SWC and the regional preparatory meetings.