Situation in the OPT/Children’s rights – CHR/61st session – Summary record (excerpts)

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Sixty-first session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 40th MEETING

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

on 8 April 2005, at 12 noon

 Chairperson:   Mr. WISIBONO  (Indonesia)

   later:   Mr. VASSYLENKO  (Ukraine)

     (Vice-Chairperson)

   later:  Mr. WISIBONO  (Indonesia)

     (Chairperson)

CONTENTS

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ( continued)

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (agenda item 13) (continued ) (E/CN.4/2005/63, 73-77, 78 and Corr.1 and 2 and Add.1 and Corr.1 and Add.2 and 3, and 129; E/CN.4/2005/G/7; E/CN.4/2005/NGO/18, 29, 51, 73, 98, 124, 126, 194, 206, 222, 229, 251, 269, 319, 326 and 337; E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/34)

…

88. Ms. ABBAS (Observer for the Syrian Arabic Republic) said that according to the United Nations, the lives of a thousand million children around the world were at risk from hunger, disease, poverty and war. Instead of enjoying the rights set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all those children had in effect been deprived of their childhood.

89. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 (E/CN.4/2005/27) had reported serious violations of human rights, including children’s rights, ranging from house demolitions as collective punishment to the deaths of 650 children under 17 years of age since 2000 and the detention of 380 children in Israeli prisons and detention camps where they were subjected to torture and to inhuman and degrading treatment. The lot of the children of Palestine and Iraq seemed to be endless oppression, deprivation and fear. Moreover, Syrian children living in the occupied Golan Heights were deprived of the most basic human rights and the actions of the Israeli occupation authorities had an adverse impact on their economic and social circumstances and their physical and mental health. Such practices breached Israel’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Moreover, Israel consistently refused to allow international fact-finding missions or representatives of international organizations to visit the occupied Golan Heights to monitor the situation of the children livin g there. 

…

The meeting rose at 3 p.m.