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Statement by Ms. SHAO Wu of the Chinese Delegation on the Agenda Item "Rights of Children" during the Third Committee of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly

2017-10-11 22:46

Mr. Chairman,

The promotion and protection of the rights of children constitute an important part of the international human rights cause. In recent years, thanks to the continuous efforts of the international community, national governments and the civil society, the global endeavor to promote and protect the rights of children has made good headway. At the same time, however, in many parts of the world, poverty, hunger, disease, natural disasters, child labor, drugs, sexual violation, war and conflicts are still threatening the fundamental rights of children. The global protection of the rights of children still faces multiple challenges.

Mr. Chairman,

Children represent the future and the hope of a nation and its development. With around 280 million children, China is among the countries with the largest child population. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the protection of the rights of children. It has been our consistent goal to promote the all-round development of children. China has worked relentlessly to advocate and put into practice the principle of “children first” by drafting and implementing three successive National Plans of Action for Child Development in China in an effort to fulfil the commitment of the 27th Special Session of the GA on Children and implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its relevant Protocols, giving a strong impetus to the coordinated progress of the cause of children and of economic and social development. In recent years, the Chinese government has given more prominence to the promotion of the rights of children. The National People’s Congress, the highest legislative body in China, adopted the 13th Five-year Plan on Economic and Social Development, which devotes a section to “Healthy Development of the Minors”. Legislation, rules and regulations have been promulgated, including the Anti-domestic Violence Law, the Opinions on the Care and Protection of Left-Behind Children, and the Opinions on Enhancing Safeguards for Children in Vulnerable Situations. A series of important measures have been taken, including projects to improve nutrition of children in poverty and the three-year program of action on pre-school education, to better safeguard the rights of children.

Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese government supports the UN system in playing an important role in international cooperation to strengthen the protection of the rights of children. We support the civil society in playing a constructive part in promoting and assisting with the protection of the rights of children. The developed countries need to honor their commitments by increasing substantive assistance to the developing countries in terms of finance and technology so as to create a better environment and more favorable conditions for the development of children globally. In 2015, President Xi Jinping announced at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment that China would, in the next five years, help the developing countries implement 100 “Health Projects for Women and Children” and send medical teams on medical service tours. China will also implement 100 “Happy Campus Projects” and provide financial assistance to girls living in poverty for them to go to school so as to raise the enrollment rate of girls. These assistance projects are making steady progress.

China is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols, the Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, and the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption. China has already submitted for review its 3rd and 4th combined reports on the implementation of CRC and the initial report on the implementation of the two Optional Protocols. It shows the importance the Chinese government attaches to international human rights instruments, and the responsible manner in which we enhance dialogue and cooperation with the relevant treaty bodies.

Mr. Chairman,

There is still a long way to go to achieve the comprehensive protection of the rights of children. China will continue to fulfill its international obligations, take an active part in international cooperation, and work with the rest of the international community to strive for “a world fit for children”.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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