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United Nations 3rd Committee: Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children [+]
European Union Statement delivered by H.E. Mr. Thomas Mayr-Harting, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the General Assembly Third Committee on Item 64: Promotion and protection of the rights of children.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia, align themselves with this statement.
Despite national, regional and international efforts to protect and promote the rights of the child, the situation of children all over the world is far from acceptable. Children make up one third of the world’s population and are, without a doubt, among the most vulnerable. They need our special attention and protection.
With the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the international community made an important step towards the enhancement of their right to survive, live and grow in a good environment with access to education, health, nutrition, safety and security. The Convention and its optional protocols made an important contribution to this end, but our work is far from over.
The EU is strongly committed to the Convention and keeps the rights of the child at the heart of its policies, making them an integral part of the EU fundamental rights policy. The EU would like to renew its call to state parties to withdraw any reservations contrary to the object and purpose of the Convention and its optional protocols.
Some Member States of the European Union have already ratified the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on a Communications Procedure and others are in the process of signing or ratifying. The EU would like to use this opportunity to encourage Member States that have not ratified the instrument to consider doing so.
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