Mr. Chairman:

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Chinese Government's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Over the 10 years, the Chinese Government has actively fulfilled its commitments, further improved the situation of the survival and development of the child, safeguarded children's legitimate rights and interests, and made unremitting efforts in promoting the cause of child development:

Firstly, conscientiously implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and enhancing international cooperation. The Chinese Government has submitted its first report on its implementation of the Convention, and the report has been considered. The Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed its approval of China's attitude of conscientiously implementing the Convention. To further demonstrate the Chinese Government's emphasis on the protection of the rights of the child, the Chinese Government has signed the two optional protocols of the Convention, and is pressing ahead for the ratification of the protocols. In the mean time, the Chinese Government is now preparing its second report on its implementation of the Convention.

Secondly, establishing a legal system protecting children's rights and interests. In the recent 10 years, China has formed a fairly complete legal system to ensuring the survival and development of the child, a system which, centered on the Constitution and pivoted on the Law of Protection of the Minor, and included civil, criminal, and administrative laws and regulations, such as the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, the Law of Education, the Law on Maternal and Infant Health Care, the Law of Adoption, the Marriage Law, and the Labor Law, thereby providing effective legal guarantees for the protection of children's rights and interests and advancing the cause of children.

Thirdly, formulating the plan of development of children. In 1992, in line with the general targets of the national plan for economic and social development and in the light of the 24 global goals of child development, the Chinese Government, taking into account of the actual situation of child survival and development in China, formulated the "National Program of Action for Child Development in China in the 1990s. "(NPA) The NPA for children contained 49 targets, including lowering the infant mortality rate, lowering the mortality rate of children under five, lowering the malnutrition rate of children, maintaining the rate of coverage of planned immunization, universalizing basic education, protecting children in hardship, and protecting children from HIV/AIDS. By the end of 2000, China had basically attained the global goals set in NPA for children and by the World Summit on Children. All these fully demonstrated that, China has made tremendous achievements in protecting children's rights. In order to further improve the situation of survival and development of the child, and to protect the children's legitimate rights and interests, on 22 May 2001, the Chinese Government promulgated the new NPA for Children (2001-2010), setting even higher standards and requirements on the protection of children's rights and thus providing effective safeguards for the healthy growth of the child.

Mr. Chairman,

In the view of the Chinese Delegation, protecting children's rights is a common cause of the entire international community, and calls for concerted efforts by countries around the world. In this regard, we are gratified to see the beneficial work done by the United Nations and its specialized agencies as well as efforts made by the U.N. Secretary General and the two special rapporteurs on the question of the child. We would like to express our appreciation for such work and efforts.

At present, large numbers of cases of violations of children's rights still occur around the world; especially, there still exist such problems as armed conflicts' harmful impacts on children, the sexual violation and exploitation of children, trafficking in children, the abduction and illegal adoption of children, children's suffering from drugs and HIV/AIDS, and child labor, etc. To enable every child in the world to enjoy the rights provided in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is still necessary for the international community and governments of countries around the world to take more effective measures, in a concerted effort to locate and eliminate sources of the problems of the child, and to provide a good environment for children's healthy growth. Therefore, we hope that the Special Session on the child of the U.N. General Assembly will be held successfully. We believe that with concerted efforts of the international community, the work of the protection of the child will result in further progress, which will benefit the child of the whole world.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.