STATEMENT BY
AMBASSADOR JASMI MD. YUSOFF
REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
ON AGENDA ITEM 112: PROMOTION AND
PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN
FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER 1999.
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation wishes to thank Mr. Olara Otunnu, the Secretary General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Ofelia Calcetos-Santos, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, Mr. Juan Somavia, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Ms. Carol Bellamy, the Executive Director of UNICEF and Mr. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for giving us the opportunity to have an informative and constructive dialogue on this item on Wednesday.
Mr. Chairman,
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the center-piece for international action to protect and promote the rights of the child. This Convention is the most widely accepted human rights document in history with 191 states being parties. As a state party to the Convention, Malaysia is committed to improving the situation of children. We take a very strong interest in and is concerned with the well being and protection of the rights of children as reflected in our national socio-economic policies and plans. In addition, specific policies and acts have been formulated by our respective Ministries, agencies and NGOs to protect the rights and welfare of children.
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation strongly believes that the institution of the family, as the most basic unit of society and the primary source of nurturing and caring of the child as well as representing the single most important guardian for the safety of the child. A strong and stable family unit, devoid of domestic violence, abuse and neglect can help alleviate and prevent many of the problems associated with children: the runaways, the abused, those driven to child prostitution and myriad of other problems. To help the family to protect the rights of the child, the family itself must be strengthened. Malaysia has since 1991 introduced a family development programme which covers various modules, including family health, parenting, development of human potential, and AIDS awareness and education. Families are provided with information on health promotion and disease prevention, family planning, nutrition and child development. The parenting skill module includes child upbringing and discipline, interaction and communication between parents and children and improving self-esteem. In addition to intellectual and emotional development, the programme aims at developing family members who are confident, responsible, considerate, hardworking and dedicated. Needless to say, this must be accompanied with supportive and conducive conditions where social-economic problems such as poverty and unemployment are also addressed.
Mr. Chairman,
Malaysia strongly deplores the practice of the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and has criminalised these activities in the country. We are very concerned that an increasing number of girls and boys from development countries are being trafficked to developed countries as well as between regions and states for their exploitation. The rise and unabated misuse of new information technologies, including the Internet, for purposes of child prostitution, child pornography and child sex tourism must be arrested immediately. My delegation would like to see more Internet service providers comply with existing legislation curtailing these activities, or to strengthen its own self-regulatory measures to prevent the misuse of the Internet as a means of promoting the trafficking and abuse of children for illicit purposes. My delegation also calls on member states to strengthen cooperation amongst each other to counter the trafficking of children for illicit purposes, through the dissemination of information, sharing of experiences, best practices and lessons learnt. Malaysia looks forward to cooperating with other countries and international organisations in this regards. We welcome measures to criminalise trafficking in children in all forms of commercialised sex and forced labour and will continue to punish its perpetrators through both criminal and civil measures.
Mr. Chairman,
Children are the most vulnerable and badly affected persons in armed conflicts. Therefore, their special needs must be taken into consideration, particularly their physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration into society. They should be enhanced coordination between international organisations to ensure effective protection for children affected by armed conflicts, particularly in respect of their exploitation and abuse. Priority should be given to tracing their families for reunification. My delegation strongly condemns the cynical and cruel use of children in armed conflicts. Every effort should be made to prevent this and to give children their due rights to education, health and enjoyment of a normal childhood. My delegation calls on state parties to refrain from recruiting any person who has not attained the age of eighteen years into the armed forces.
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation agrees with the finding of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission of Human Rights on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography that the justice system, education and the media are the three catalysts for child protection. There are now several international conventions and declarations that address the specific needs to promote and protect the rights and welfare of children. My delegation agrees with the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts on the urgent need to translate the call of an "era of application" into deeds by all the member states of the UN, the UN bodies and all other organisations, be they governments or NGOs. These actors are urged to coordinate and cooperate in order to achieve their common goals in protecting and promoting the rights and well being of children, both in times of peace and conflict.
Thank you.