Mr. President, The year 1999 marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. One of the top priorities of any nation should be the enhancement and protection of the rights of children.
Children constitute one of the most vulnerable groups within the boundaries of any state.
They are victims of violence, disease, malnutrition and sexual exploitation. They represent over fifty percent of the world's refugees, displaced persons, and conflict victims. They are often separated from their families, deprived of education, and too frequently, forcibly recruited by armed factions. Millions of children under the age of 15 around the world are employed full or part-time in what can be described as exploitative child labor. Children are at the mercy of the adults around them.