RESOLUTION(1)

on the protection of children's rights

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Nassau (Bahamas) from 11 to 14 October 1999,

- having regard to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

- having regard to the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the only human rights instrument which has so far been ratified worldwide, with the exception of the USA and Somalia,

A. having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which defines "child" as meaning every human being below the age of 18 years except where, under national law, majority is attained earlier, and which defines children's rights as comprising civil rights and freedoms, the right to a family or parental environment, the right to basic health care and a basic standard of living, the right to education, leisure and recreation and to special protection in the event of armed conflicts, legal conflicts or exploitation or if a child belongs to a minority or an indigenous population,

B. whereas many of the world's children live in the poorest countries on earth,

C. acknowledging with deep regret that, despite the international standards set by a multitude of conventions, decisions and resolutions, at least 120000 children, including girls, are currently taking part in armed conflicts across Africa (a figure which, for the world as a whole, rises to almost 300000) in both governmental armed forces and non-governmental armed groups, and in many cases this includes children under 15 years of age,

D. whereas, under the ICC Statute, the recruitment of children and the use thereof as soldiers is deemed to be a war crime,

E. whereas the right to education is a fundamental right, which boys and girls should enjoy in equal measure, and whereas particularly in the case of women there is a direct link between level of education and number of children and child mortality,

F. whereas religion, custom and tradition are no excuse for tolerating the genital mutilation of girls and under-age young women,

G. having regard to the extremely harsh situation faced by particularly disadvantaged children such as orphans, street children or sexually abused children, refugee children and traumatised child soldiers,

1. Reiterates its call on the EU and ACP countries to incorporate the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in their national legislation;

2. Proposes that the Council mark the tenth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by adopting a resolution expressing the political will to promote children's rights and take account of children's interests in all fields of EU policy with developing countries, particularly the ACP countries,

3. Calls on the ACP States and the EU to make 18 the statutory minimum age of eligibility for military service and to take measures to prevent any participation by children in armed conflicts, and support the demobilisation of child soldiers and their reintegration into society;

4. Calls on the ACP and EU governments to follow the example of Italy, Senegal and Trinidad and Tobago and to ratify the Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court so that the latter can come into operation as soon as possible;

5. Calls on the ACP States to implement, with EU assistance, programmes to develop strategies to prevent child labour and to take action against forms of child labour akin to slavery, laying down minimal provisions on hygiene, food, breaks from work and education and setting up bodies to represent young people;

6. Calls for the post-Lomé Convention to incorporate a specific article providing for protection of and respect for children's rights and for the new human rights clause likewise to include a reference to children's rights;

7. Calls for more funds to be made available under ACP-EU cooperation to combat poverty, and for specific consciousness-raising and child nutrition programmes, and for special medical provision to be made for HIV-positive children, and for genital mutilation of women below the age of majority to be defined as a criminal offence;

8. Calls on European and ACP countries to introduce more stringent national laws against sexual abuse, sex tourism and child pornography;

9. Considers, lastly, that the future of the developing countries lies essentially in their ability to provide children with decent education and training. Calls on the Commission and the ACP countries to take prevention, protection and reintegration measures, in particular by taking all necessary measures to promote the physical and psycho-social rehabilitation and effective reintegration into society of demobilised soldiers as children;

10. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission and the UN Secretary-General.

(1) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 14 October 1999 in Nassau (Bahamas).