Special Session of the General Assembly on Children

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BAGHER ASADI (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN), CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP OF 77, ON AGENDA ITEM 4: ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PREPARATORY PROCESS AND THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON CHILDREN

New York, 29 January 2001

Madam Chairperson,

Since this is the first time that the G-77 and China is making its statement in the preparatory meetings, allow me to express, on behalf of our Group and my own delegation, my warm congratulations on your assumption of the chairmanship of the preparatory process of the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children. Your knowledge, experience and diplomatic capabilities will certainly assure the success of this process, My felicitations also goes to the other distinguished members of the Bureau for their election. I would also like to seize the opportunity to register our deep appreciation to Ms. Bellamy and UNICEF, as the secretariat of the Special Session, for all their good work in this regard, including the preparation of the first Draft Provisional Outcome Document: "A World Fit for Children".

As we approach the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children, the world seems to move to reaffirm once again its joint commitment to improve the situation of all children including disadvantaged and to make another urgent appeal to give every child a better future, Preparations are underway at all levels to make the Special Session a success in setting up a solid basis in the new century to better mobilize the national governments, international community and civil society for the best interests of children. This important global event, as we are all aware, has been designed and oriented to review the progress achieved in reaching the goals set by the World Summit in 1990, as well as to undertake a renewed commitment and consider future action for children in the forthcoming decade.

Fortunately, the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children is being convened at a time when the international community has gained a valuable asset of lessons learnt from the World Conferences and their respective review processes. We should also remind ourselves that one of the great strengths of this process when compared with the others is that the world has been able, beyond north-south divide or other political and ideological debates, to virtually arrive at a consensus on an instrument which constitutes the basis for future actions as well as a conceptual and legal international framework to promote and protect the rights of children worldwide. Therefore, the international community should seize this highly unique opportunity to act vigorously to realize the goals in this domain. The World Summit review process and its agreements must complement and reinforce the implementation of the Convention and the Rights of the Child.

Since the World Summit on Children, the world has undergone unforeseen changes. There has been positive change and progress in several areas set by the World Summit which has led to the overall improvement in children's situation worldwide, In this connection, it should be stressed, however, that this overall progress has been -uneven due to the different levels of development. This should be rectified, as the needs of children are the same all over the world. Despite this positive change, children continue to be the most vulnerable members of societies. Our world still faces formidable challenges in developing future actions for the promotion and the protection the rights and well being of children throughout the world, particularly in developing countries.

The G-77 and China believes that the end-decade review by the Special Session and the ensuing program of action should be guided by, above all, the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This process should also take into account other key factors to make it a success. Political commitment and leadership at all levels, creating enabling international economic and social environment and enhancing international cooperation are the key determinants for a broad- based and sustained progress in promoting children's rights and development.

The first task lying ahead of us, in our view, is to undertake an honest and self-critical appraisal of the past experiences, to update the goals adopted at the World summit so as to address major new challenges, to define specific areas of action and to determine how to shape the operational strategies for realizing measurable goals, to ensure setting up a progressive international machinery for the best interests of children, The goals should be innovative and action-oriented, utilizing all the available resources and tools to make a major difference towards the elimination of the obstacles in the way of improving the situation of children. All actors, governmental, intergovernmental, international financial institutions and civil society organizations should be actively involved in the entire process.

The great challenge in the implementation of the results of the end-decade review concerns the all-important question of resources and how they are to be made available for children. The mobilization of resources should enhance the traditional channels of financing and need to address new and innovative ways including through international cooperation. We are of the view that lack of resources as well as new challenges such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic have contributed to the slow progress and in some cases regression of the implementation of the goals of the World Summit for children.

Madam Chairperson,

On the method of work during the preparatory process and the Special Session, it is our conviction that the outcome should emerge through an all-embracing and participatory process of negotiation, which should begin as soon as possible.

The members of the G-77 and China have always endeavored to contribute to the best of their ability to the United Nations processes on children including the current preparatory sessions leading to the Special Session of the General Assembly for the follow-up to the Summit. The members of our Group further express their commitment to continue to support the collective efforts by the international community to make a better world for children and to assist all relevant actors to help realize the goals of the 1990 World Summit as well as future actions.

Madam Chairperson,

To conclude, the G-77 and China would like to express the hope that in the years and decades to come, we, the people of the world, will find better ways and means to protect our children. Let us resolve that all of us, wherever we are and whatever level of development we find ourselves, we will be committed in practical terms to provide a more humane, secure and prosperous social environment for our children.

Thank you very much.