Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Report of the Third Committee
Rapporteur: Mr. Pedro Cardoso……………………………………………… (Brazil)
1. At its 17th plenary meeting, on 20 September 2005, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include in the agenda of its sixtieth session the item entitled “Promotion and protection of the rights of children” and to allocate it to the Third Committee.
2. The Committee considered the item at its 15th to 18th, 21st, 23rd, 41st and 43rd to 45th meetings, on 14, 17, 18, 21 and 25 October and on 15, 18 and 21 November 2005. At its 15th to 18th meetings, it held a general discussion on the item. An account of the Committee’s discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (A/C.3/60/SR.15-18, 21, 23, 41, and 43-45).
II. Consideration of proposals
B. Draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.19
18. At the 21st meeting, on 21 October, the representative of Egypt, on behalf of Algeria, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, the Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, the Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Palestine, subsequently joined by Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Namibia, Qatar, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Zimbabwe, introduced a draft resolution entitled “The situation of and assistance to Palestinian children” (A/C.3/60/L.19), which read as follows:
“ The General Assembly,
“Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
“Bearing in mind the conclusion by the International Court of Justice, in its Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004, that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is applicable within the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
“ Recalling the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and the Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s, adopted by the World Summit for Children, held in New York on 29 and 30 September 1990,
“ Recalling also the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh special session,
“ Recalling further the relevant provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
“Noting with serious concern that the Palestinian children under Israeli occupation remain deprived of many basic rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
“ Concerned about the continued severe deterioration of the situation of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the severely detrimental impact of the continuing Israeli assaults and sieges on Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, resulting in the dire humanitarian crisis affecting the safety and well-being of Palestinian children,
“ Concerned also about the severely detrimental impact being caused by the unlawful construction of the wall by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated regime, on the socio-economic conditions of Palestinian children and their families and on the enjoyment by Palestinian children of their rights to education, to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing, to health and to be free from hunger, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
“ Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all children in the whole Middle East region,
“ Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, resulting in extensive loss of human life and injuries, including among Palestinian children,
“ Deeply concerned about the negative consequences, including health and psychological consequences, of the Israeli military actions on the present and future well-being of Palestinian children,
“1. Stresses the urgent need for Palestinian children to live a normal life free from foreign occupation, destruction and fear in their own State;
“2. Demands, in the meanwhile, that Israel, the occupying Power, respect relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and comply fully with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, in order to ensure the well-being and protection of Palestinian children and their families;
“3. Calls upon the international community to provide urgently needed assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian children and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions.”
19. At the 45th meeting, on 21 November, the Committee was informed that the draft resolution had no programme budget implications.
20. At the same meeting, the observer for Palestine made a statement, during which she withdrew draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.19 on behalf of the sponsors (see A/C.3/60/SR.45).
