Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
September 14, 2009
The 52nd session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child began in Geneva on Monday. Its members will review reports from Bolivia, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Qatar on legislative and administrative measures aimed at protecting children.
Opening the session, the Committee Chairman Yang Hee Lee emphasized that today during the implementation Convention on the Rights of the Child States are facing enormous challenges due to the current economic turmoil and the outbreak of the new flu.
"Today, we are witnessing a very difficult situation in the financial sector, which has escalated into a global economic crisis. The first hopes for economic recovery had emerged. However, another crisis has arrived. The world is facing an influenza A(H1N1) pandemic," said Yang Hee Lee. He noted that while a number of countries have stockpiled flu medications, the problem is that many people have developed resistance to these drugs. The Committee Chairman also expressed concern about the shortage of flu vaccines. "We can only pray and hope that children living in all parts of the world will be provided with the necessary doses of vaccine and medications," Yang Hee Lee noted.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child consists of 18 experts, one of whom serves as Chair. The Committee was established to monitor compliance with the international Convention on the Rights of the Child. It was adopted by the General Assembly in 1989 and entered into force in 1990. Its members periodically report to the Committee on their compliance with this international legal instrument. Only Somalia and the United States have not yet ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In 2000, two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child were adopted: on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography. The Committee is tasked with monitoring the implementation of these new international legal instruments. At the 52nd session, Poland, Turkey, and Yemen will report to the Committee on their progress in implementing these Optional Protocols.
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