EU Presidency Statement - Rights of the Child

General Statement after the adoption of the resolution Rights of the Child (A/C.3/61/L.16), by Ms. Kirsti Pohjankukka, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, on behalf of the EU, UN 61st Session; III Committee, New York

Mr Chairperson,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

We in the EU would like to recall the enormous importance to us of matters relating to the rights of the child, and hence the great significance of this resolution for the EU, tabled for many years jointly by the EU with GRULAC.

The EU highly values this cooperation with GRULAC on matters relating to the rights of the child. It has decided to continue to do so also this year and has actively contributed to the development of the important ominibus resolution on the rights of the child that we have adopted today.

Nonetheless, the EU regrets that it was not possible to have a clear call for prohibition of corporal punishment in schools and in places of detention in this year's resolution. The EU abhors the use of corporal punishment in schools, which is outlawed in all EU Member States, and invites all States that have not yet done so to follow suit. The EU welcomes the appeals towards the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools and places of detention contained in the Study of the Independent Expert, Professor Pinheiro, and commends the work that the relevant UN agencies and the numerous non-governmental organisations that have actively participated in the study are carrying forward on this important issue.

We consider the language contained in paragraph 16e of the resolution as an indication of the inacceptability of corporal punishment in schools, which is invariably degrading, and we will pursue on all possible occasions in the future our long-standing position for the abolition of corporal punishment in schools and detention centres.

Thank you, Mr Chairperson.

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