It would like to pay particular tribute to Unicef, without whose experience and expertise such a strategy would not have been possible. The Assembly notes that the rights of the child are still far from being a reality in our own rich and developed continent of Europe and that children are often the first victims of armed conflicts, economic recession, poverty, and in particular budgetary constraints. Accordingly, it is important for the Assembly that states should be helped to give effect, within their own national situation, to the commitments entered into under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to promote a change in the way children, as individuals with rights, are viewed and also to encourage their active and responsible participation within the family and society.
Children are citizens of the society of today and tomorrow.
Society has a long-term responsibility to support children and has to acknowledge the rights of the family in the interest of the child. Responding to children's rights, interests and needs must be a political priority. The Assembly is convinced that respect for children's rights and greater equality between children and adults will help preserve the pact between generations and will contribute towards democracy. Text adopted by the Assembly on 24 January 1996.