australia8

Behalf of the delegations of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Our three countries are committed to enhancing the promotion and protection of the rights
of children, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is our guide. Our actions go
beyond those specifically targeted at children, to include mainstreaming their rights within
other activities, at the national, regional and international levels. We also endorse
incorporation of a gender perspective in all programmes and policies related to children.
We support the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and call on all States
Parties to cooperate with it. The work of the Committee is key to promoting more effective
implementation of the Convention and its Optional Protocols.
Our countries support efforts to strengthen monitoring, reporting and accountability for
violations of children’s rights in armed conflicts. We encourage close co-ordination with
existing initiatives, such as those related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. We
recognize and support the work of UN agencies and NGO partners, including the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict and his office.
Their efforts remain essential to combatting violations of children's rights and ensuring
adherence to relevant international law. In this regard, we encourage those member states
that have not done so to ratify the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in
Armed Conflicts. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court contains crucial
provisions criminalizing serious acts against children and we call upon States to ratify this
instrument without delay.
The unimaginable suffering of children who continue to be the victims of sexual exploitation,
including children being trafficked, can only be effectively addressed by collective action on
the part of the world’s states. We welcome the entry into force of the UN Convention
Against Transnational Organized Crime, as well as the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress
and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. As well, our countries
support the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of
Children, Child Pornography and Child Prostitution. Measures must be taken at all levels to
combat such crimes, starting with action to address the problem of demand.
Just as our countries are convinced of the importance of universal acceptance of
international instruments, we are also concerned about the erosion of international
understandings on the rights of children. In particular, while we acknowledge the valuable
part played by the family in protecting and nurturing children, we are concerned that some
member States wish to re-interpret these rights of children exclusively within this family
framework, setting up a dichotomy between the rights of children and those of parents. We
should not forget that, inside and outside the family, children are a vulnerable party and in
need of protection. This is why, in the words of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
“the interests of the child are paramount.”
We welcome the newly launched UN Study on Violence Against Children, under the
capable leadership of independent expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. Our countries look
forward to participating in regional consultations relating to the study, and trust its
recommendations will include effective remedies and both preventive and rehabilitative
measures at the national and international levels.
At the UN Special Session on Children in 2002, countries recognized the significant task
still ahead to ensure the realisation of the rights of ALL children and renewed their
commitment to create “A World Fit for Children”. Our countries are taking concrete steps to
implement the agenda of the Special Session.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the fundamental right of young
people to participate in decision-making that affects them and requires states to ensure
that their opinions are given “due weight” according to their age and maturity. We would
thus encourage States that are in the process of developing their national plan of actions
as follow-up to the Special Session to take children’s views into consideration on all issues
that concern them. Just as we benefited from their meaningful participation in the Special
Session, we believe their input in the current exercise is critical in ensuring a multi-sectoral,
child-centred framework for children for the coming decade.
Canada's plan of action, to be titled A Canada Fit for Children is nearly complete, and is
based on an open and inclusive consultation process involving stakeholder groups from all
of Canada's geographic areas, governments, Aboriginal organizations and most
importantly, children and youth. Other domestic priorities for Canada include the
Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care, under which governments are
working to improve access to affordable, quality, regulated early learning and child care
programs and services. Canada is taking steps to fight child poverty and promote early
development through the National Child Benefit and the Early Childhood Development
Agreement. At the same time, we have undertaken a number of legislative and law
enforcement initiatives designed to protect children from exploitation.
New Zealand has demonstrated its strong intentions to ensure that the rights of children
are considered important within both a domestic and international context. New Zealand will
continue to invest in the areas of health, education and youth transitions. Important
legislative amendments will be made to enhance protections for children through the Care
of Children Bill. In addition, amendments will be made to increase penalties for crimes
against children, such as sexual offences. New Zealand promotes the active participation of
children in policies that affect them and we will continue to advance commitments made in A
World Fit for Children.
Development of Australia’s national plan of action of A world Fit for Children is progressing
well. Currently, work is focussing on the most effective ways to consult children and young
people, and non-governmental organisations on the priority areas of A World Fit for
Children, in order to incorporate their views into the plan. The Australian government has
identified supporting early childhood as one of its important priorities. A key initiative
Australia is taking in this area is the development of a National Agenda for Early Childhood,
which will give direction for a whole of government approach for future investment in early
childhood. The Australian government also supports a wide range of services and
programs encouraging increased social and economic participation and supporting young
people in their transition to independence.
While at the Special Session we took satisfaction at the progress made in the last dozen
years, we were also reminded of the enormous challenges ahead to complete our
unfinished agenda. Indeed, chronic poverty remains a major impediment to realizing the
rights of children. As well, far too many children are still victims of discrimination, many of
them girls. Internationally, we must all work together, in cooperation with UNICEF and civil
society, to address these issues.
Canada is committed to strengthening its development cooperation programming in four
priority areas which correspond closely with the goals of A World Fit for Children, namely:
basic education; health and nutrition; HIV/AIDS; and child protection. This includes
programming aimed at addressing the rights of boys and girls in need of special protection
from exploitation, abuse and discrimination.
One of the main aims of New Zealand’s development policy is to improve the quality of life
of girls and boys by protecting and promoting their human rights and extending the choices
available to them. The needs of children and youth have been supported through
programmes targeting early childhood and basic education, maternal, child and youth
health including HIV/AIDS, child protection, including the rehabilitation of child soldiers, and
youth participation as part of peace building. In concert with our developing country
partners, civil society and the wider international community, New Zealand is committed to
ensuring that the voice and rights of children are mainstreamed into all development
planning and other poverty elimination activities.
Australia’s aid program supports improved governance, in particular strengthening law and
justice, human rights, democratic institutions and developing civil society, which contributes
to an environment where child
exploitation is less likely to occur. Australia also supports a range of activities to combat
child exploitation in partner countries.
We consider it crucial that all relevant organs of the UN system systematically mainstream
child rights throughout all their activities and adopt a strong child rights approach. Our
countries look forward to continuing to work with UNICEF and other concerned UN bodies
and countries to develop and implement further effective measures to improve the situation
of children.