EU Presidency Statement - Follow-up to the outcome of the special session on children

Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia1, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

At the Special Session on Children in May 2002 we committed ourselves to a Declaration and Plan of Action, with the promising title: 'A World fit for Children'. We also agreed to look into the progress and achievements of the goals outlined in the Plan of Action, by including this item on the agenda of the 59th General Assembly. The European Union welcomes the present review, as it attaches great importance to the agreed concrete and action-oriented goals in the Outcome Document. It is our responsibility and duty to translate these goals into actions.

The end review of the World Summit for Children showed that progress in creating a better world for children has been unequal. Millions of children still live in abject poverty, deprived of growing up in dignity and of access to education and other essential services which could have offered them opportunities to make a future of their own. Poverty is the main bottleneck in the realisation of children's rights. Poverty eradication is therefore at the heart of the development strategies adopted by the EU and we believe that creating a world fit for children is creating an enabling environment, which has an impact on the lives of children and their families. In implementing our overarching policies on poverty alleviation we focus on children by mainstreaming gender and human rights, including children's rights, set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The European Union acknowledges the fact that many governments have addressed the four priority areas in 'A World Fit for Children' in their poverty reduction strategies and that progress has been achieved, notably in the areas of basic education, health and water and sanitation. However, there is concern that few of the poverty reduction strategies give significant focus to child protection.

The European Union attaches great importance to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, which provide a comprehensive normative framework for our policies in promoting and protecting children's rights, including in crises situations. The EU welcomes that the Committee on the Rights of the Child has produced General Comments on a number of important themes, such as on adolescent health and on HIV/AIDS, thereby giving guidance to States parties as to the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and its Optional Protocols. We believe that this will help in developing and implementing child focussed policies in the priority areas that are highlighted in the Plan of Action of the Outcome Document. We welcome the fact that children's rights are integrated in the work of UNICEF, the ILO and other relevant organs of the United Nations. The European Union calls upon all entities in the UN system to continue working towards an integrated response. Close co-ordination of respective activities remains vital.

The European Union's commitment to the cause of children is reflected in its policies, as well as in its efforts in developing partnerships and in mobilizing resources to promote children's rights through the EU and EU Member State budgets. This approach is illustrated by the extensive input provided to the formulation of the EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict by a range of children's rights organizations, including UNICEF, Save the Children and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict and the co-operation on children's rights training which is being pursued by UNICEF and the European Commission.

In this regard National Plans of Action for Children of State parties are important instruments to put in place mechanisms for meaningful partnerships, the allocation of resources, partnerships, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The EU therefore calls upon States parties that have not yet done so to prepare or strengthen National Action Plans, with a set of specific time bound and measurable goals and targets. In doing so, they should co-operate with civil society actors, including the non-governmental organisations working for and with children as well as children themselves. It is important to involve children as they have the right to be taken into account in matters affecting their own life. They have the right to play an active role and to express their opinions in the community and society, not only on specific plans of action and programmes for children but also on all programmes that affect their lives. We recognise the need to ensure that all children and young people are included, without discrimination on the grounds of disability, gender, ethnic origin, social status or any other cause, and to make particular efforts to ensure that all children and young people benefit from development programmes.

President,

I would like to focus briefly on two priority areas that are highlighted in the Plan of Action of the Outcome Document: providing quality education and combating HIV/AIDS.

Providing quality education

The EU is convinced that education, especially of girls and women, is central for poverty reduction, the achievement of sustainable development and the construction of democratic, prosperous societies. The EU reaffirms its strong commitment to the Education for All (EFA) goals and to MDG 2 and 3 on achieving universal primary education by 2015 and eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005. We therefore urge all states to take all necessary measures to eliminate obstacles to the full realisation of the right to education, with particular emphasis on the education of girls. Addressing the gender gap should be a key policy priority in the education plans of governments for improving access and quality. Considering the necessity to increase funds and to improve the quality of education interventions, the EU supports the EFA-Fast track Initiative as an evolving global partnership of developing and donor countries and agencies to support global EFA goals. The EU underlines the need for education to be protected and restored in conflict and post-conflict periods. It considers education a key component of crisis-related policies and of reconstruction programmes. The EU calls on all states to pay special attention to the impact of HIV/AIDS on education systems and the role education can play in confronting HIV/AIDS vigorously and to take the appropriate measures to reinforce action in this area. Achieving the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education requires special attention to the needs of marginalised groups of children and young people who are excluded from education, including those with disabilities, orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, and other disadvantaged groups.

Combating HIV/AIDS

Across the world, nearly 14 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS and their numbers will nearly double to 25 million by the end of the decade. Moreover, millions have been made vulnerable by the disease as HIV/AIDS both thrives on and exacerbates other challenges including poverty, armed conflict and gender discrimination. It rolls back decades of progress in child survival. The EU calls upon all States to take immediately and necessary measures (both policies and programmes) to respond to the needs of millions of children orphaned or affected by HIV/AIDS and their carers. There is an urgent need to massively scale up assistance and mobilise partnerships with the international donor community and national governments. Rapid delivery of resources is urgently needed. The European Union reaffirms its commitment to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculoses and malaria. It welcomes the activities of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculoses and Malaria and encourages specific attention for children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in developing countries. It recognises the role of older people in caring for children orphaned or affected by HIV/AIDS and the need to include them in poverty reduction programmes. Relevant also is the need to ensure that young people have access to accurate information, education and services to promote sexual and reproductive health, and especially to help them avoid HIV infection. As we said in our statement to the UNGA Third Committee on the Rights of the Child, sexual and reproductive health and rights is essential in the fight against HIV and AIDS, poverty and maternal and child mortality. The rights of young people concerning their own sexual and reproductive health are still too frequently ignored or overlooked. We again acknowledge the important work carried out by UNICEF and UNFPA in creating awareness and increased access to information and services for young people and adolescents.

President,

While acknowledging all the good work that has been done so far, we have to remain focussed on the need to ensure that the follow-up to the outcome of the Special Session will bring about genuine improvement in the lives of children. It's not about us, reviewing year after year how much progress we made. It's about them, and about how much of a future they have.

Thank you.

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• Déclaration de la Présidence de l'Union européenne - Enfants et les conflits armés (23/2/2005)