Children’s rights – CHR/53rd session – Summary record (excerpts)

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Fifty-third session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 61st MEETING

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

on Monday, 14 April 1997, at 6 p.m.

Chairman:  Mr. SOMOL  (Czech Republic)

later:  Mr. STROHAL  (Austria)

CONTENTS

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, INCLUDING:

(a) STATUS OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD;

(b) REPORT OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY;

(c) PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THE EXPLOITATION OF CHILD LABOUR;

(d) QUESTION OF A DRAFT OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, AS WELL AS THE BASIC MEASURES NEEDED FOR THEIR PREVENTION AND ERADICATION (continued)

This record is subject to correction.

Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages.  They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record.  They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Official Records Editing Section, room E.4108, Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Any corrections to the records of the public meetings of the Commission at this session will be consolidated in a single corrigendum, to be issued shortly after the end of the session.

The meeting was called to order at 6.05 p.m.

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, INCLUDING:

(a) STATUS OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD;

(b) REPORT OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY;

(c) PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THE EXPLOITATION OF CHILD LABOUR;

(d) QUESTION OF A DRAFT OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, AS WELL AS THE BASIC MEASURES NEEDED FOR THEIR PREVENTION AND ERADICATION

(agenda item 21) (continued) (E/CN.4/1997/93, 94, 95 and Add.1-2, 96 and 97; A/51/306 and Add.1 and 456)

…

65. Mr. GALILEE (Observer for Israel) …

…

67. Like other countries of immigration, Israel faced typical problems of child protection in an immigrant environment.  Legitimate patterns of child-rearing in one culture might be considered child abuse in another, and the frustration and aggression created by the immigration process were frequently directed at the weakest target – children.  Millions of refugees in the world suffered from crisis-inspired cultural detachment.  In the past few years Israel had absorbed hundreds of thousands of immigrants, who constituted 10 per cent of its total population.  As a result it had become the world's largest laboratory for developing programmes to deal with the combination of immigration and child abuse.  It was ready and willing to share that accumulated knowledge and experience with others.

68. Israel's cross-cultural experiences were also applied to members of sub-cultures and closed societies.  It was proud of the work being done with Israeli Arabs.  Together, Jews and Arabs had adapted intervention techniques to Arab cultural values and child-rearing patterns.  Promising beginnings had been seen with Israel's neighbours, including the Palestinians.  A conference entitled “Human Rights Education for Young Children”, bringing together Israeli, Palestinian and other scholars, had been held by Israeli NGOs.

69. Israel was also involved in several programmes whose scope transcended the individual interest of the State.  It had provided shelter to children and youths from conflict-ridden areas such as Bosnia-Croatia and victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.  Medical care was offered to whomever could benefit from Israel's medical facilities and expertise, and training was given by Israeli experts on a regular basis both in Israel and throughout the world.

…

The meeting rose at 9.05 p.m.