STATEMENT
BY HE MR. ANTÓNIO LOURENÇO DOS
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
I
am grateful for the opportunity to address the "Committee of the
Whole" in my capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Allow
me to express first of all my appreciation for the important work the UN has
been performing over the years as regards children’s rights, particularly
through its specialized agency UNICEF.
Mr. Chairman,
For
countless children around the world the rights foreseen in the UN Convention
are nothing but a mirage. I believe there is no need to state here the
numerous inhumane conditions and daily assaults children suffer on their
dignity, be it in times of war or peace, be it in dictatorships or long
established democracies, and in violation to the rights that should be
guaranteed under that Convention, adopted more than a decade ago.
We at the OSCE consider that Peace and Security cannot be envisaged without upholding Human Rights. In 1990, in the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension, participating States decided to accord particular attention to the recognition of the rights of the child.
Later,
in 1999, the year of the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child, at the Istanbul Summit Declaration States
committed themselves to actively promote
children’s rights and interests, especially in conflict and post-conflict
situations.
Also
in 1999 States signed the Charter for European Security where they promise to
undertake measures to end violence against children as well as sexual
exploitation and all form of trafficking. This Charter also includes the
promotion of the adoption or strengthening of legislation to hold accountable
persons that are responsible for these acts and strengthen the protection of
victims. Moreover,
the Charter promised to
But OSCE commitments with respect to children are still quite limited and OSCE action in this field is still to be developed. Particularly worrisome to us at the OSCE has been the problem of trafficking. Children have been traded and forced into sexually or economically oppressive and exploitative situations for the profit of others. Children are exchanged for prostitution, for begging and soliciting, for forced labor in factories, mines, plantations, domestic service, construction, under appalling life conditions.
In
this field, the OSCE has been developing public campaigns on awareness of
children’s rights and also more specific projects directly related to
trafficking in countries where this is more problematic. And because we
greatly value the involvement of the NGO community in our efforts, those
projects include the strengthening of the NGO network and its capacity to
address this difficult situation.
Furthermore,
we have an Anti-Trafficking Project Fund to empower OSCE field operations to
develop and expand their regional and national anti-trafficking initiatives,
and to enhance co-operation between the Office for Democratic Institutions and
Human Rights (ODIHR), OSCE field missions and other local actors in combating
trafficking in human beings, including children.
Children and Armed Conflict was the theme of ODIHR’s Seminar in 2000. Armed conflict has devastating consequences for children, physical and psychological. We are especially concerned about child soldiers, land-mines and post-traumatic stress disorders.
Mr.
Chairman,
Children
need our help: they are the most vulnerable group, powerless to defend
themselves. It is true that the rights of children are recognized as never
before, but the practical challenges are still many. Governments and civil
society need to take stronger action to implement their commitments.
The
OSCE has discussed and will continue to discuss how we can best enhance and
improve our protection framework for children, building upon
existing international standards for the protection of the rights of
the child that need our efforts to become a reality.
Thank you.