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Summary: [Please note that this session was originally in
Arabic with simultaneous translation.]PAULO: This study is a unique opportunity because when the Secretary-
General presents a report, it is for all member states of the United Nations,
194 countries. In other consultations, children have expressed that they
are tired or words, they want action. I am tired of words as well. And I
would like to hear from you what your impressions are about this meeting,
what are your hopes and what do I need to do?
QUESTION FROM CHILD: Three days were not enough to tackle all issues,
everyone tried to express their opinions but there was not enough time. I
do hope we can see a world without violence.
Q2: I feel that all recommendations are only words and nothing will be
done with them.
P: Sometimes recommendations give an impression they are not
something that will be done in practice. But we have to take into
consideration that it is very difficult to have 20 governments, you and
NGOs all participating and agreeing. Do not despair, you must have hope,
recommendations have some concrete elements. It will not be something
fake, but authentic for the rights of children
Q3: I feel happy that for the first time we have been invited here to talk
and were given a chance to participate and express our opinions in our
own words. This is good and it gives me hope.
P: This is another line of hope for you, it is very important that you are
able to be here and treated on an equal foot with other delegates. One of
the worst things in the world, is why do adults beat children? Because
they do not want to listen to them, they treat them as mini human beings,
but they are not, they are full human beings and citizens. That is why the
recommendations tackled the issue of corporal punishment for instance.
Q4: I thought it was very interesting, I learned a lot, although time was
too short. I suggest that after a year, we meet again, to see what the
countries have done to come up with solutions.
P: One way would be to have a representative from each region to meet in
New York during the launch of the report, or perhaps we could organise a
regional forum with children, if I may suggest, this will be a good thing to
evaluate what states have done, and it would be a great mechanism of
accountability.
Q5: I am happy that people care about us, and our dreams and hope, and
give us a chance to express them in such a consultation.
Q6: I am also happy and I don’t despair that recommendations will not be
met. I don’t look at life with despair, this is not possible. So although they
might not happen in the near future, they will in the far future. One
comment I want to make is about the session, the heads of delegations
talked more than us, and this made us feel bored and we did not have
enough time to express ourselves.
P: I understand that for children, this is a very boring ceremony, but it’s
important to show commitments from authorities, like this afternoon, with
Mrs. Mubarak’s presence, you have to have a little patience. I went to
some sessions where the chair was good at limiting time of speakers, we
have to be imaginative and not to impose boring situations on children.
Q7: My impression about the whole consultation is very positive, sessions
and topics were interesting to me and the organisation was good. Also,
the sessions gave an opportunity for children to talk on the same level as
adults, that’s positive. I have two comments though, first of all, the load of
work was too much for us, we were pressured all the time. The sessions
were too long, discussions were too long. Secondly, I am from Yemen, and
I hope that in the future we can take a closer look at Yemen, as those
children are some of the most vulnerable groups in the world. Yemeni
children have been vulnerable inside and outside their countries, some
children are in Guantanamo Bay and we want you to raise this issue.
P: I am actually going to a conference about children behind bars today,
where this issue will be discussed. And the study will tackle the impact of
war on children, however not conflict itself, but children behind bars, is a
chapter of the study, it is one of the settings, so you can be sure that not
only Yemeni, but many children around the world who are behind bars, will
be in this study.
Q8: I am from Tunisia and want to welcome Mr. Pinheiro here and I hope
that recommendations that come out will be ours and not something
drafted by UNICEF and set under our names. We have been asked by the
media whether the recommendations were ours and I want to believe
myself that they are ours and of those of the children of this region.
P: I must say that UNICEF is not writing anything. Recommendations are
being written by participants, they are facilitated by rapporteurs and
others, but only myself and the Secretary-General will write something. We
didn’t come here with a written agenda.
Q9: It was a great experience to be here and to make friends. One hope I
have is that the results we get from this consultation will really be
undertaken, because there are lot of conferences around the world but
when it comes to results, not much happens, it is only talking. We hope for
all children to be safe in the world.
P: I get the same sensation, I am probably three or four times your age
and I don’t know how many conferences I have been to, maybe over one
hundred. But what is important is that the recommendations will be
supported by governments, NGOs, and you. You must work in partnership
with organisations that will ask governments why the recommendations
are not being implemented. This consultation is also part of a process. If
we had not had this consultation, the preparation of the study would have
been very poor, we will do our best efforts so that they are implemented.
Your participation is a way to guarantee that they will be implemented
because adults will be very shameful if they do not implement the
recommendations you have suggested.
Q10: I have a similar question, which is how do we guarantee that our
voices are heard and that the recommendations will be implemented?
P: Your recommendations will be in the study, we are trying to establish
different mechanisms, including follow up mechanisms for the
recommendations. But the best guarantee is that adults will need to
implement them, partly because you are here and we have to do our best
not to fail. We have to consider that all good things that happen in the
world happen because coalitions establish partnerships, there are
compassionate people who care, and adults are beginning to listen to
children. And thanks to the support of so many organisations, like Save
the Children for instance, who are working with a large coalition of
organisations, we cannot go on without effective children’s participation.
P: I have one question for you: I have read your draft of suggestions for
recommendations and listening to other children in previous regional
consultations, one problem I found, was the question of physical violence
against children. Thanks to Peter Newell, I believe that the world cannot
go on tolerating physical aggression to children. If a dog was smacked in
Paris, it would be an upheaval, but if someone smacks a child, nobody
says anything. I am convinced that the Secretary-General must propose a
total ban on corporal punishment, every country in the world must
introduce a legislation on this.
PETER NEWELL: I think Paulo has said it himself, and he is a strong
advocate for children’s rights. What we have to think about is that if this
was about violence against women or old people, nobody would say it
would be ok to give them a little smack, it would be completely
outrageous. We have a right not to be hit, it is our most basic human right.
So what Paulo is asking for is strong advocacy from children so that they
can say they should have the same protection from being hit.
PAULO: Can we get support from children on this? [applause from
children] I am very happy and so is Peter. I want to be very clear on this
issue as well, we want a complete ban on corporal punishment, but this
does not mean we want to send parents to jail, that would be completely
stupid. Parents who do not know any alternatives must be supported, we
must work with teachers, parents and communities.
I was delighted to spend these few moments with you and be sure that I
will do my best that this study will not be a big frustration for you all.