sou · GNB365 · 2000-01-01 00:00:00 — I regeringens proposition om- nämns bl a BO:s synpunkter. – Inflytande för barn och unga Inflytande och medbestämmande för barn och unga, dvs barnkonven- tionens artikel 12, är en av BO:s viktigaste frågor. Barns och ungas syn på verkligheten och vad som är viktigt i livet – det som kallas barnpers- pektiv – måste genomsyra samhället på ett helt annat sätt . BO:s arbete kring barns och ungas delaktighet och inflytande syftar främst till att stärka barns och ungdomars egna möjligheter att få sina åsikter beaktade inom förskola, skola, i den kommunala beslutsprocessen, i föreningslivet och samhället i stort. I regeringsrapporten -94 "Hallå där" föreslog BO att det för kom- munens beslutande organ, i alla frågor som berör barn och unga, ska föreligga en skyldighet att under ärendets handläggning inhämta syn- punkter från kommunens icke röstberättigade barn och unga, i den ut- sträckning det bedöms möjligt. Detta förslag har sedan BO vidareut- vecklat i årsrapporten -97 "Barndom sätter spår" till ett förslag om ändring i kommunallagen med liknande innehåll. BO:s lagförslag har diskuterats i den parlamentariska som föreslog att man borde avvakta en sådan ändring i kommunallagen som BO föreslagit medan två av ledamöterna reserverade sig och ansåg att en ändring borde genomföras . BO:s lagförslag har vidare diskuterats i den ungdomspolitiska kommittén och i demokrati- utredningen där förslaget legat till grund för demokratiutredningens skriftserie, rapport nr 5 av K. , om barn och demokrati . Av myndighetens instruktion framgår att BO ska ta initiativ till en sam- ordning och utveckling av samhällets förebyggande insatser inom barn- säkerhetsområdet, för åldrarna . BO ska vidare medverka till att forskning och kunskap inom området utvecklas samt att lagstiftning och rättstillämpning tar hänsyn till barns och ungas särskilda förutsättningar och behov. Insatserna är inriktade på att ge barn och ungdomar ett riskmedvetande och handlingsberedskap. Några områden där BO:s insatser haft betydelse redovisas nedan. BO har gjort en kartläggning där det kan konstateras att ansvarsfrågan kring barnolycksfall alltför sällan utreds när det gäller olyckor i brunnar och dammar samt fallolyckor från fönster och balkonger. Kartlägg- ningen låg till grund för ett flertal förslag i BO:s årsrapport till regeringen -99 "Å sen tycker jag" och har väckt uppmärksamhet, inte minst i lokalpressen. samordnade BO en årlig nationell manifestation för barnssäkerhetsfrågor, sk BUS- veckor, med utgångspunkt i ett sär- skilt nätverk med olika sektorsansvariga myndigheter och organisatio- ner. Genom de årliga BUS- veckorna har säkerhetsfrågorna för barn och ungdomar fått en allt större tyngd inom flera centrala myndigheter och organisationer. I några kommuner har permanenta BUS-grupper bildats och rutiner för kontinuerligt BUS-arbete har införts. Årliga presseminarier kring ämnen som barnsäkerhet i i bostadens in- nemiljö, i den nära utemiljö och lekplatser, samt inom barnomsorg och skola har bidragit till ett starkt mediaintresse för dessa frågor vilket bi- dragit till ökad kunskap om barnolycksfall och barnsäkerhet inte minst i kommuner och landsting. 3 Barns och ungas villkor i samhället En av BO.s uppgifter handlar om att belysa barns och ungas generella uppväxtvillkor. Det innebär bl a att följa utveckling och förändring inom barnomsorg, skola, hälso- och sjukvård, kultur, fritidsverksamhet och boende, visa på skillnader för pojkar och flickor i olika samhällsgrupper samt följa hur besparingar inom kommun och landsting påverkar barns och ungas livsvillkor. Beskriva barns och ungas uppväxtvillkor Inom ramen för uppgiften att belysa barns och ungas villkor följer BO aktuella forsknings- och utvecklingsarbeten samt håller samman statistik och olika sektorsövergripande uppföljningsstudier om barn och unga upp till . Med utgångspunkt i detta samordningsuppdrag har BO bildat ett särskilt nätverk med olika myndigheter som har sektorsansvar för barn; t ex , , BO:s dokumentationer inom detta område är främst de årliga rap- porterna till regeringen och statistikboken som utkommer . Det kan i sammanhanget nämnas att den årsrapport som BO överlämnade till regeringen "Barndom sätter spår" gav upp- hov till en intensiv debatt i media och utgjorde underlag vid en särskild riksdagsdebatt om hur barns och ungas påverkas av nedskärningar inom offentlig sektor. Sammanfattningsvis kan sägas att BO:s sammanställningar om barns och ungas uppväxtvillkor bidrar till att ; öka den generella kunskapen i samhället om barns och ungas livs- villkor barn själva får komma till tals genom att de frågor som BO ställer direkt till barn och unga via barnkanalen och unga kanalen redovisas i dokumentationerna utgöra ett studie- och referensmaterial för olika forskare, bl.a. "Barnrapport". riksdagsledamöter kan använda BO:s material som underlag för mo- tioner, frågor och interpellationer den allmänna debatten, ledare och krönikörer får stoff till diskussio- ner om barns välfärd andra myndigheter får kunskap om barns och ungas villkor utanför det egna ansvarsområdet politiker, tjänstemän, olika yrkesgrupper och föräldrar får argument för att förbättra barns och ungas villkor i kommuner och landsting A/RES/48/134 National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights Recalling the relevant resolutions concerning national institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights, notably its resolutions 41/129 of and 46/124 of and Commission on Human Rights resolutions /40 of 10 1987, 1988/72 of 10 1988, 1989/52 of 7 1989, 1990/73 of 7 1990, 1991/27 of 5 1991 and 1992/54 of 3 1992, and taking note of Commission resolution /55 of 9 1993, Emphasizing the importance of the , the International Covenants on Human Rights and other inter- national instruments for promoting respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Affirming that priority should be accorded to the development of appropriate arrangements at the national level to ensure the effective implementation of international human rights standards, Convinced of the significant role that institutions at the national level can play in promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms and in developing and enhancing public awareness of those rights and freedoms, Recognizing that the United Nations can play a catalytic role in as- sisting the development of national institutions by acting as a clearing- house for the exchange of information and experience, Mindful in this regard of the guidelines on the structure and func- tioning of national and local institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights endorsed by the General in its resolution 33/46 of , Welcoming the growing interest shown worldwide in the creation and strengthening of national institutions, expressed during the Regional Meeting for of the World Conference on Human Rights, held at from 2 to , the Regional Meeting for Latin and the Caribbean, held at from 18 to 22 January 1993, the Regional Meeting for , held at from 29 to , , held at from to 2 October 1992 and the Workshop for the and Pacific Region on Human Rights Issues, held at from 26 to 28 January 1993, and manifested in the decisions announced recently by several Member States to establish national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, Bearing in mind the of Action, in which the World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed the im- portant and constructive role played by national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, in particular in their advisory capacity to the competent authorities, their role in remedying human rights violations, in the dissemination of human rights information and in education in human rights, Noting the diverse approaches adopted throughout the world for the promotion and protection of human rights at the national level, empha- sizing the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights, and emphasizing and recognizing the value of such approaches to promoting respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, 1.Takes note with satisfaction of the updated report of the Secre- tary-General, prepared in accordance with General resolution 46/124 of ; 2.Reaffirms the importance of developing, in accordance with na- tional legislation, effective national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights and of ensuring the pluralism of their mem- bership and their independence; 3.Encourages Member States to establish or, where they already exist, to strengthen national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights and to incorporate those elements in national de- velopment plans; 4.Encourages national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights established by Member States to prevent and combat all violations of human rights as enumerated in the of Action and relevant international instruments; 5.Requests to con- tinue its efforts to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and national institutions, particularly in the field of advisory services and technical assistance and of information and education, including within the framework of the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights; 6.Also requests to establish, upon the request of States concerned, United Nations centres for human rights documentation and training and to do so on the basis of established procedures for the use of available resources within the for Assistance in the Field of Human Rights; 7.Requests the Secretary-General to respond favourably to requests from Member States for assistance in the and strength- ening of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights as part of the programme of advisory services and technical cooperation in the field of human rights, as well as national centres for human rights documentation and training; 8.Encourages all Member States to take appropriate steps to pro- mote the exchange of information and experience concerning the es- tablishment and effective operation of such national institutions; 9.Affirms the role of national institutions as agencies for the dis- semination of human rights materials and for other public information activities, prepared or organized under the auspices of the United Na- tions; 10.Welcomes the organization under the auspices of follow-up meeting at in with a view, in particular, to examining ways and means of promoting technical assistance for the cooperation and strengthening of national institutions and to continuing to examine all issues relating to the question of national institutions; 11.Welcomes also the Principles relating to the status of national in- stitutions, annexed to the present resolution; 12.Encourages the and strengthening of national in- stitutions having regard to those principles and recognizing that it is the right of each State to choose the framework that is best suited to its particular needs at the national level; 13.Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General at its fiftieth session on the implementation of the present resolution. Principles relating to the status of national institutions 1)A national institution shall be vested with competence to promote and protect human rights. 2)A national institution shall be given as broad a mandate as possible, which shall be clearly set forth in a constitutional or legislative text, specifying its composition and its sphere of competence. 3)A national institution shall, inter alia, have the following respon- sibilities: (a)To submit to the Government, Parliament and any other com- petent body, on an advisory basis either at the request of the authorities concerned or through the exercise of its power to hear a matter without higher referral, opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports on any matters concerning the promotion and protection of human rights; the national institution may decide to publicize them; these opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports, as well as any prerogative of the national institution, shall relate to the following areas: (i)legislative or administrative provisions, as well as provisions relating to judicial organizations, intended to preserve and extend the protection of human rights; in that connection, the national institution shall examine the legis- lation and administrative provisions in force, as well as bills and proposals, and shall make such recommendations as it deems appropriate in order to ensure that these provisions conform to the fundamental principles of human rights; it shall, if necessary, recommend the adoption of new legisla- tion, the amendment of legislation in force and the adoption or amendment of administrative measures; (ii)situation of violation of human rights which it decides to take up; (iii)The preparation of reports on the national situation with regard to human rights in general, and on more specific matters; (iv)Drawing the attention of the Government to situations in any part of the country where human rights are violated and making proposals to it for initiatives to put an end to such situations and, where necessary, expressing an opinion on the positions and reactions of the Government; (b)To promote and ensure the harmonization of national legislation regulations and practices with the international human rights in- struments to which the State is a party, and their effective imple- mentation; (c)To encourage ratification of the above-mentioned instruments or accession to those instruments, and to ensure their implementa- tion; (d)To contribute to the reports which States are required to sub- mit to United Nations bodies and committees, and to regional insti- tutions, pursuant to their treaty obligations and, where necessary, to express an opinion on the subject, with due respect for their inde- pendence; (e)To cooperate with the United Nations and any other organiza- tion in the United Nations system, the regional institutions and the national institutions of other countries that are competent in the areas of the promotion and protection of human rights; (f)To assist in the formulation of programmes for the teaching of, and research into, human rights and to take part in their execution in schools, universities and professional circles; (g)To publicize human rights and efforts to combat all forms of discrimination, in particular racial discrimination, by increasing public awareness, especially through information and education and by making use of all press organs. Composition and guarantees of independence and pluralism 1) The composition of the national institution and the appointment of its members, whether by means of an election or otherwise, shall be established in accordance with a procedure which affords all necessary guarantees to ensure the pluralist representation of the social forces (of civilian society) involved in the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly by powers which will enable effective cooperation to be established with, or through the presence of, representatives of: (a)Non-governmental organizations responsible for human rights and efforts to combat racial discrimination, trade unions, concerned social and professional organizations, for example, associations of lawyers, doctors, journalists and eminent scientists; (b)Trends in philosophical or religious thought; (c)Universities and qualified experts; (d)Parliament; (e) Government departments (if these are included, their repre- sentatives should participate in the deliberations only in an advisory capacity). 2)The national institution shall have an infrastructure which is suited to the smooth conduct of its activities, in particular adequate funding. The purpose of this funding should be to enable it to have its own staff and premises, in order to be independent of the Government and not be subject to financial control which might affect its independence. 3)In order to ensure a stable mandate for the members of the na- tional institution, without which there can be no real independence, their appointment shall be effected by an official act which shall establish the specific duration of the mandate. This mandate may be renewable, provided that the pluralism of the institution's membership is ensured. Within the framework of its operation, the national institution shall: (a)Freely consider any questions falling within its competence, whether they are submitted by the Government or taken up by it without referral to a higher authority, on the proposal of its members or of any petitioner; (b)Hear any person and obtain any information and any docu- ments necessary for assessing situations falling within its compe- tence; (c)Address public opinion directly or through any press organ, particularly in order to publicize its opinions and recommendations; (d)Meet on a regular basis and whenever necessary in the presence of all its members after they have been duly convened; (e)Establish working groups from among its members as nec- essary, and set up local or regional sections to assist it in discharging its functions; (f)Maintain consultation with the other bodies, whether juris- dictional or otherwise, responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights (in particular ombudsmen, mediators and similar institutions); (g)In view of the fundamental role played by the non-gov- ernmental organizations in expanding the work of the national institutions, develop relations with the non-governmental organi- zations devoted to promoting and protecting human rights, to economic and social development, to combating racism, to protecting particularly vulnerable groups (especially children, migrant workers, refugees, physically and mentally disabled persons) or to specialized areas. Additional principles concerning the status of commissions with quasi-jurisdictional competence A national institution may be authorized to hear and consider complaints and petitions concerning individual situations. Cases may be brought before it by individuals, their representatives, third parties, non- governmental organizations, associations of trade unions or any other representative organizations. In such circumstances, and without prejudice to the principles stated above concerning the other powers of the commissions, the functions entrusted to them may be based on the following principles: (a)Seeking an amicable settlement through conciliation or, within the limits prescribed by the law, through binding decisions or, where necessary, on the basis of confidentiality; (b)Informing the party who filed the petition of his rights, in particular the remedies available to him, and promoting his access to them; (c)Hearing any complaints or petitions or transmitting them to any other competent authority within the limits prescribed by the law; (d)Making recommendations to the competent authorities, es- pecially by proposing amendments or reforms of the laws, regula- tions and administrative practices, especially if they have created the difficulties encountered by the persons filing the petitions in order to assert their rights.