02 August 2005 - CRINMAIL 700
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- DISABILITY: Discussions on New Convention on Disability Underway [event]
- ENVIRONMENT: Children Challenge World Leaders on the Environment [news]
- ARMED CONFLICT: NGOs and Kofi Annan Bid Farewell to UN Special Representative [news]
- HIV/AIDS: Youth-led Projects in Africa Needed for Best Practices Handbook [call for nominations]
- JUVENILE JUSTICE: Young People and Offending [conference] ___________________________________________________________
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Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at [email protected]. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.
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- DISABILITY: Discussions on New Convention on Disability Underway [event]
Date: 1 - 12 August 2005
Negotiations on the first-ever convention on the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities started its two-week session at the United Nations Headquarters yesterday.
In December 2001, the General Assembly established an Ad Hoc Committee to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
The Ad Hoc Committee held its first session in 2002, which mainly focused on procedural issues. States agreed on special accreditation and generous participation rules for NGOs, and on inviting national human rights institutions and individual experts to future sessions of the Committee.
Meeting for its sixth session now, the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities will conduct a second reading of articles 15 to 24, which address issues such as children with disabilities, education, accessibility and personal mobility.
These articles also cover the rights to health and rehabilitation, the right to work, social security and adequate standards of living, and participation in political and public life, cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.
The Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education in the United Kingdom said it was extremely concerned at the current draft of the new Disability Convention being prepared by the committee of the United Nations because it allows for segregation into special schools as a legitimate human right.
There are two main problems with this, firstly, it represents a retrograde step in terms of the evidence of the damage which such segregation causes to disabled and non-disabled people. Secondly, the current draft does not take into account the mounting empirical evidence on the detrimental effects of segregation of disabled learners into so-called 'special' education and separate 'special' educational facilities.
Read more about NGOs' involvement and position on the draft convention at the following: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahcngocon.htm
Find out what is happening now: visit www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahc6.htm
To read the draft convention, go to: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahcstatusneg.htm
Background information on human rights and disability: http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/convention.htm
For more general information, contact:
Edoardo Bellando, United Nations Department of Public Information
Tel: +212 963 8275; Email: [email protected]
CRIN CALL FOR INFORMATION: A special edition of CRINMAIL on this issue will be sent out in the coming weeks. If you would like to share information, such as news, reports, websites or other resources, email us on: [email protected].
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- ENVIRONMENT: Children Challenge World Leaders on the Environment [news]
[TOKYO, 29 July 2005] - Six hundred children from around the world gathered for the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) World Summit for the Environment in Japan, are challenging the world's leaders to pay closer attention to energy, biodiversity, water and recycling.
"We commit ourselves to saving energy and using renewable energy sources" the children said in their statement. They also challenge the leaders in a petition, asking them to "create and enforce laws to improve efficiency in production, consumption and conservation of energy." They demand that the leaders set examples also on the issues of biodiversity, water and waste processing.
The World Summit for Children, held in Aichi, Japan, was organised by the United Nations Environment Programme, with Prince Akishino of Japan as the honorary president.
At the closing of the four-day summit on Friday, UNEP Deputy Executive Director Shafquat Kakahel promised that the children's message would be delivered to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He also assured the children that their message, included on a 14 metre long canvas, will have a prominent place in front of the UN Headquarters in New York to remind the world's presidents and prime ministers of the hope of the children for a better environment.
During this final day of the summit, UNEP announced that the next Children's Conference on the Environment will be held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in August 2006. The 2008 Tunza conference will be held in Stavanger, Norway. [source: UN]
For more information about the Children's summit, contact:
Japan Organizing Committee for the 2005 Children's World Summit for the Environment
c/o the Children's World Summit Section of the Environmental Policy Division, Department of the Environment, Aichi Prefectural Government
3-1-2 Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-8501 Japan
Tel: +81-52-954-6238 Fax: +81-52-961-4901
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.children-summit.jp/eng_g/index.html
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- ARMED CONFLICT: NGOs and Kofi Annan Bid Farewell to UN Special Representative [news]
With the Security Council having adopted a resolution to establish a monitoring and reporting mechanism on safeguarding children during armed conflict last week, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised its architect, Ugandan-born Olara Otunnu, for raising the profile of UN child protection efforts.
"The Secretary-General wishes to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Otunnu for his splendid services to the Organisation and, in particular, for raising the profile of United Nations efforts to protect children in armed conflict," Mr. Annan said in a statement through UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.
In his statement, Olara Otunnu said that with the establishment of the monitoring and reporting system, the 'naming and shaming' list of offending parties, and time-bound action plans, the UN had a unique and urgent opportunity to redeem its promise to children.
"I will remain actively engaged in the public campaign in support of the 'era of application', he continued "to ensure compliance with child protection instruments and norms where it matters most, on the ground. Words on paper alone cannot protect children and women in danger."
The Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict thank Mr Otunnu him for years of service to the cause of protecting children affected by war. "The UN must now focus on implementing the ground-breaking laws for protecting children's security and rights, and reinvigorate all efforts to protect children caught up in armed conflicts around the globe," said Julia Freedson, Director of the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, an international network of non-governmental organisations working for the protection of children's security and rights in situations of armed conflict.
The Watchlist calls for the swift and effective implementation of the UN Security Council's six resolutions focused on children and armed conflict. "The Council took bold new strides in adopting a long-awaited resolution earlier this week that will give the UN real power to hold perpetrators of crimes against children accountable for their atrocities. There's no more time to waste for the children whose lives continue to be victims of murder, rape and recruitment," said Kathleen Hunt, CARE International's Representative to the United Nations, and Chair of the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict.
The read the Watchlist recommendations, visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=5959
To read Olara Otunnu's statement, go to: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=5972&flag=news
To read last week's update on the new Security Council Resolution, go to: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=5962&flag=news
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- HIV/AIDS: Youth-led Projects in Africa Needed for Best Practices Handbook [call for nominations]
Development Partnership International, ActALIVE and the International Federation of Medical Students Associations invite youth-led HIV and AIDS projects throughout Africa to be included in the first African Youth HIV/AIDS Best Practices Handbook. The aim of this project is to foster regional, national and international youth networking and to justify the need for youth participation in major decision-making processes. Approximately 100 projects will be profiled in the handbook, which will be presented at the XIV International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in December, 2005.
Projects must be youth-led, have been carried out within the last three years and should demonstrate a positive impact on the community where they took place and/or on the issue they were created to address. Information needed includes a short abstract on the project, timeline, number of beneficiaries, team and sustainability.
Submission deadline: 15 October 2005
For more information, contact:
Oluwatosin Omole: [email protected]
Mpaka Lawson: [email protected]
or Janet Feldman: [email protected]
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- JUVENILE JUSTICE: Young People and Offending [conference]
Date: 13-14 September 2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
Promoting community safety and working positively to reduce youth offending are two key priorities for the Local Government Association (LGA). This residential conference will examine the different aspects of offending by young people. It will focus firstly on the need to protect vulnerable young people from the risk factors that can lead to involvement in crime and, secondly, consider how we can best support young people who have already become involved in the criminal justice system.
This conference provides and excellent opportunity for councillors, officers and practitioners to discuss national and local agendas for young people, identifying measures to reduce youth offending and share examples of good practice. The programme will provide the young person's perspective, addressing issues like vulnerability, engaging with parents, drugs and alcohol and emotional intelligence.
For more information, contact:
Gill Pelage, Marketing & Sponsorship Officer
LGA, Local Government House
Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ
Tel: + 44 207 664 3164; Fax: + 44 207 863 9158
Website: http://www.lga.gov.uk
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=5971&flag=event
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