18 October 2005 - CRINMAIL 722
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- UNITED NATIONS: Children's Rights at the UN General Assembly [news]
- CHILDREN AND VIOLENCE: Side Event on Ending Corporal Punishment [news]
- EUROPEAN UNION: Focus on Armed Conflict and HIV/AIDS [statement]
- SAVE THE CHILDREN: Ban Legalised Violence Against Children [news and report]___________________________________________________________
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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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- UNITED NATIONS: Children's Rights at the UN General Assembly [news]
[NEW YORK, 14 September] - During the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly taking place at the UN Headquarters, the Third Committee heard updates on children's rights issues, including the presentation of the progress report of the Secretary-General's (SG) Study on Violence Against Children, an update on achievements since the 2002 Special Session on Children and an update of the Special Representative of the SG's for Children and Armed Conflict.
Children and Armed Conflict
Karin Holmgrunn Sham Poo, Interim Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, highlighted some of the positive achievements, such as the development and consolidation of protective standards and norms for children, the Optional Protocol to the CRC, and the six resolutions of the UN Security Council. However she said the situation remained grave for many children, and "a considerable distance still exists between strong child protection standards and norms on one hand, and the actual situation for children on the ground on the other".
She therefore called on Member States to endorse the 'era of application' which includes establishing a monitoring and reporting mechanism to ensure compliance of children and armed conflict norms, promoting and ensuring mainstreaming of issues in institutions and institutional processes, public advocacy and dissemination, and developing and strengthening local capacities.
Read the report to the GA: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=6346
Update on the Special Session
Rima Salah, Deptuty director for UNICEF, presented the report of the SG progress achieved in realising the commitments set out in "A World Fit for Children", the outcome document of the Special Session. She said that the analysis of progress showed that goals for children, which complement the Millennium Development Goals, will only be achieved if actions to help children and their families are accelerated and intensified. So far, 172 countries had taken action since the Special Session, with 114 through developing national plans of action or policies specifically for children. However, she continued, "in many countries, the implementation of critical programmes for children will continue to be a challenge, due to weaknesses of institutional capacity, budgetary constraints and, in a number of cases, conflict and instability".
A further update on progress will be provided at the General Assembly in 2006, leading up to a more detailed report and analysis to be presented to the commemorative plenary meeting to be scheduled for 2007.
Read the update: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=6345
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented an update of the activities of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Highlights include the first upcoming session where the Committee will be examining State party reports in two chambers, the continued work of the Committee on thematic issues, with a recent decision adopted by the CRC on children without parental care, and a General Comment on child rights in early childhood. Other activities include regional workshops for follow-up on concluding observations and the participation of the Committee in a recent meeting on the SG's reform proposal, which provided discussion for Treaty bodies' reform.
Read the update: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=6344
UN Study on Violence Against Children
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Independent Expert leading the UN Study on Violence Against Children, in presenting his progress report, gave an overview of the nine regional consultations that had taken place around the world. He highlighted some of the positive outcomes that had emerged from these, such as concrete follow-up activities developed by the Council of Europe, the organisation of an international forum on child development in Beijing, and the establishment of a network of journalists in West and Central Africa for child protection.
He said there was a growing conscience to address the issue of violence against children, however, legal provisions in many countries still tolerate various forms of violence against children. "Violence, Pinheiro said, can never be justified, it is perverse that children should still have less legal protection from being hit and humiliated than adults. However, violence persists under the guise of discipline or tradition".
States have the primary responsibility to protect children, he continued, and the Study will challenge social norms, including all corporal punishment, whether it occurs in the home or elsewhere. Other issues that will be addressed in the Study include honour killings, homophobia, female genital mutilation and children in conflict with the law, which Pinheiro referred to as "one of the most serious issues that faces us, these children face violence at almost every level, and they do not belong in prisons or other institutions."
He concluded by saying that throughout the regional consultations, children had expressed how violence experienced in the home, in schools, and other settings affected them. "Children, he continued, have dared to ask the most challenging questions, they have asked me to do something about what was being discussed, and Members must now take concrete steps to end violence against children."
To read the Progress Report, go to: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=6273 and to read Pinheiro's speech, go to: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=6340
For more information about child rights at the UN General Assembly, visit: www.crin.org/CRCnews
For more information about the violence Study, go to: www.childrenandviolence.org or contact Veronica Yates on [email protected]
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- CHILDREN AND VIOLENCE: Side Event on Ending Corporal Punishment [news]
[NEW YORK, 17 September 2005] - A panel discussion on ending corporal punishment was organised at the 60th session of the UN General Assembly by UNESCO, in collaboration with Save the Children and UNICEF. The event was attended by over one hundred people, including young people, Ambassadors to the UN, other government representatives and members of civil society organisations.
Ambassador Moushira Khattab, Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, who was chairing the meeting, explained that the discussion was an opportunity to highlight some of the concerns about corporal punishment and to propose options for a way forward. She gave an overview of the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the issue of violence against children in general, but also on the Committee's position with regards to corporal punishment.
Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro explained the misapprehension often encountered regarding the incidence of some forms of violence, such as corporal punishment, where it is often invisible, especially when it occurs in the home; "unfortunately it is the invisibility of some forms that make them prevalent, corporal punishment is one of them", he explained.
He emphasised that without condemning corporal punishment, it will be difficult to construct a strong protective environment for children. In the study, corporal punishment is seen as a simple and fundamental issue of human rights: children have the right to physical dignity and integrity. "The concept of 'reasonable chastisement', or 'lawful correction', he explained, was used for centuries by husbands to beat their wives, and masters to beat their apprentices, but society has moved on. The same has to happen for children. Attitudes and practices must be changed to give children equal protection".
Abigail MacIntire, who was part of the panel to represent young people who had participated at a regional consultation for the Violence Study, highlighted some of the issues affecting children and young people in her region of the Caribbean. She explained that most young people are at risk of violence in their daily lives, "Violence is affecting all of us, our communities, our families and on the whole, it's affecting our country. A lot of children need help, there is so much to be done and so little time. It is time all this talk ends, it is time we start helping children, we must act", she said.
In its recent publication, 'Eliminating Corporal Punishment', UNESCO aims, on the one hand, to contribute to the debate by looking at the human rights aspect, and on the other, to demonstrate through research, that corporal punishment is not effective and that it has negative consequences on the psycho-social development of the child. "Our interest is to look forward, and to see how teachers, parents, and care givers can use alternative forms of discipline that are culturally specific and cross cutting", said Paolo Fontani from UNESCO.
Joan Durrant, Head of Family Social Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada and co-author of the publication asked why it was so difficult to eliminate corporal punishment when it is clearly a violation of children's rights. "There is belief, she said, that it teaches right from wrong, that it teaches respect, it makes children strong, it toughens them up, that it is distinct from physical abuse, that it is loving punishment, and that it actually works".
Changu Mannathoko, Regional Education Advisor for UNICEF, talked about the chapter on schools that forms part of the UN Study on Violence against children. A group of experts are working together globally to develop the chapter and this is essential because it is a global problem, that shows the vulnerability to violence of girls and boys, disabled children, poor families and ethnic minorities. The historical context, the impact of war and disasters, oppression, economy, social cultural practices, HIV/AIDS, discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, must all be linked with family and community.
The impact of corporal punishment must also be looked at, such as children dropping out of school, the cost to society, the life cycle of the child, etc. Responses must be multi-sectoral and must look at the legal and policy frameworks, and not just in the education sector, but also with regards to laws in social welfare, in finance, etc. and how they can be reformed. Finally, she emphasised that monitoring and reporting was a major weakness, and that partnership and advocacy must be developed in combination with service delivery to children, linked to curriculum and pedagogy.
Mali Nilsson presented Save the Children's submission to the UN Study on corporal punishment. She said that as many people refer to children as 'our future', physical and humiliating punishment did not fit into this picture, "overall, it increases the use of violence in society, it promotes double standards and it justifies violence".
Save the Children believes the UN Study is a unique opportunity to challenge and change attitudes which have allowed the legality and social approval of hitting and deliberately humiliating children to persist across the globe.
For more information, including links to relevant publications, go to: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=6342
For more information, contact:
Veronica Yates, Child Rights Information Network
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.childrenandviolence.org
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- EUROPEAN UNION: Focus on Armed Conflict and HIV/AIDS [statement]
[NEW YORK, 14 October 2005] - In delivering its statement on the rights of the child item at the General Assembly, the European Union (EU) focused its areas of concern on children affected by armed conflict and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Mr Adam Thomson, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UK to the United Nations delivered the statement on behalf of the EU and recalled the promises made at the Special Session and the Convention on the Rights of the Child as the primary standard for the promotion and protection of children's rights.
He said the EU remained critically concerned about the situation of children affected by armed conflict and called upon governments to demobilise, disarm and reintegrate children into their communities; and called upon armed groups whose ranks include under 18s to do likewise. Governments also need to give particular attention to children outside of direct conflict zones, including refugees, who are orphaned, displaced, unaccompanied or otherwise made vulnerable to abuse as a direct result of conflict. Particular attention also needs to be given to the situation of girls.
Thomson then described the work of the EU within this area, namely its Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict*, which provide a framework for its activity in this area. The EU, he explained, continues to support a number of programmes in countries affected by armed conflict, and continues to raise its concerns with governments affected by armed conflict.
The EU also welcomes the latest Security Council Resolution* and pledges its support to the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism. "It is our hope that the [monitoring and reporting] mechanism will provide reliable, accurate and timely information that will lead to effective action on the part of Member States, armed groups and the international community as a whole" he said.
On the issue of children affected by HIV/AIDS, he said that the promotion and protection of human rights was essential in order to safeguard human dignity in the context of HIV and AIDS and to ensure an effective response. Effective national frameworks are therefore essential in order to ensure coordinated, transparent, participatory and accountable approaches.
The EU, he explained, supports the call for universal access to comprehensive information related to HIV and AIDS prevention, "[prevention] has to be at the heart of any comprehensive policy to address HIV and AIDS. And the key to prevention is education", he continued. Furthermore, support must be given to expectant mothers to prevent transmission. Such support should include essential drugs, but also voluntary counselling, testing for pregnant mothers and their partners, and access to reproductive health services, including for young mothers under the age of 18.
Finally, he highlighted the discrimination faced by children with regards to HIV and AIDS. Similarly, under-lying gender-based discrimination in inheritance law often puts children orphaned by AIDS at an even greater disadvantage. The EU therefore urges countries to address inequalities in the law, and to sign and implement the UN Frame work for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV and AIDS*.
[Based on a statement made the General Assembly]
EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict: http://ue.eu.int/uedocs/cmsUpload/GuidelinesChildren.pdf
Security Council Resolution 1612, July 2005: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=5957
Read the UN Frame work for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV and AIDS at the following: http://www.unicef.org/aids/files/Framework_English.pdf
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- SAVE THE CHILDREN: Ban Legalised Violence Against Children [news and report]
[NEW YORK, 17 October 2005] - In a report launched today, The International Save the Children Alliance calls for a global ban on physical and humiliating punishment of children. The report is one of Save the Children's global submissions to the Secretary-General's UN Study on Violence Against Children.
Save the Children believes that physical and humiliating punishment is a form of violence against children and a violation of their right to physical integrity and dignity. In many countries, it remains the one form of assault against a human being that is condoned by law. So far, only 15 states have granted children the protection by law from all corporal punishment, including in the family.*
Mali Nilsson, Chair of the International Save the Children Alliance Task Group on Physical and Humiliating Punishment says: "Save the Children has made it a high priority to engage with the UN Study, as we believe that it is an opportunity for bringing about change in the lives of boys and girls."
Save the Children is among the first international NGOs to take up this challenge, seeking to accelerate the process with a variety of programmes at regional and national levels.
... This report, "Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment of children - Making it Happen", draws on prevalence and work in progress in all the regions, including research into children's own views and experiences, situation analyses on the laws allowing physical and humiliating punishment, advocacy of law reform and public and parent education.
The report finds that physical and humiliating punishments transmit educational messages which can be harmful to the development of the child. These educational messages are that love and authority are linked with violence. Although the physical consequences are more immediate and obvious, it is the longer-term psycho-social aspects which give rise to most concern. No matter what their age, children's developing minds are damaged by violent treatment.
The report is available at the following: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=5860
For more information, contact:
Mali Nilsson, Save the Children Sweden
Tel: +46 733 55 34 94
Email : [email protected]
Visit: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=6341
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