INSTRUCTION: JOIN CONSENSUS AND DELIVER EOP ON UN

UNCLAS STATE 119804

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM UNGA SOCI AORC
SUBJECT: INSTRUCTION: JOIN CONSENSUS AND DELIVER EOP ON UN
GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION "RIGHTS OF THE CHILD"

REF: A. (1) RAZZOUK-DEPARTMENT EMAIL (11/16/2009 AT
9:07PM)

B. (2) RAZZOUK-DEPARTMENT EMAIL (11/17/09) AT 7:38PM)


1. The Department instructs USDEL to join consensus on the
resolution entitled "Rights of the Child" based on the text
of the resolution provided in REFTEL 1 with proposed changes
to OP 19 in REFTEL 2. If the resolution that is tabled
differs from what was provided in REFTEL 1 and REFTEL 2,
please consult with the Department.


2. USDEL is further instructed to deliver the following
EOP:

The United States is pleased to have joined consensus on the
Rights of the Child resolution. Our decision reflects our
deep commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of
children in our own country and around the world.

Among its notable calls, this year,s resolution encourages
states to protect children from sexual exploitation and human
trafficking. The United States has continued to strengthen
our protections for children in this area and the William
Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2008 contains many provisions protecting children from
severe forms of human trafficking. The United States has
also taken the initiative to combat serious child
exploitation issues such as child pornography and child
labor.

This resolution recognizes the basic needs of children. In
the United States, and extensive network of federal, state,
and local programs protects children,s rights on varied
issues such as access to health care, foster care, and
education. For example, President Barack Obama signed into
law the Children,s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization
Act of 2009, which provides substantial new resources to
states and territories to strengthen their existing health
care programs and extend coverage to an estimated 11 million
children, 4 million who were previously uninsured.

This year,s resolution also highlights the important issues
of a child,s ability to express their views in matters that
affect them, either directly or through a representative, and
their ability to participate in decisions that impact their
lives. A number of U.S. states have established offices of
child advocates or ombudspersons, and others are considering
establishing such offices. These child advocates provide an
important vehicle through which children can express their
views in crucial matters that affect them such as child
custody, foster care, and juvenile justice. This resolution
also stresses the importance of the equal participation of
girls. The rights of girls still require special attention,
as the majority of children who do not attend primary school
around the world are girls and girls around the world are
still subjected to trafficking, exploitation, and sexual
violence.

This resolution recognizes that the rights of children around
the world still have not been fully realized. The United
States views UNICEF as a key partner in our global efforts to
protect children and fully supports its initiatives to
improve children,s health care, education, protection from
violence and exploitation, and advocacy on behalf of their
rights. We particularly appreciate UNICEF,s actions on
behalf of children in emergency situations, its efforts to
eradicate polio, and its work toward achieving the Millennium
Development Goals related to basic universal primary
education and the elimination of gender disparity in
education. As an expression of our support, the United
States provides a significant amount of voluntary
contributions to UNICEF each year. In addition to its work
with UNICEF, the United States works through UN partners like
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to
further promote the protection of children.

We join consensus on this resolution today with the express
understanding that it does not imply that States must become
parties to instruments to which they are not a party or
implement obligations under human rights instruments to which
they are not a party and, by joining this resolution, we do
not recognize any change in the current state of treaty or
customary international law. We thank the co-sponsors for
their flexibility and hope to continue working with them with
regard to PP2 and OP2. We understand the resolution
reaffirmation of prior documents to apply to those who
affirmed them initially.

We recognize that today marks the 20th anniversary of the
adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The
United States has not ratified the Convention, but we are a
party to its Optional Protocols. Consistent with the goals
of the Convention, the United States continues its domestic
efforts to strengthen already existing protections for
children and to pursue new and innovative ways of ensuring
that the rights of children are realized. In the last 20
years, around the world, the United States showed our
commitment to the underlying spirit of the convention through
domestic programs that address, among other things, health,
education, and exploitation. Additionally, around the world,
the United States works with the countries represented in
this room to improve the lives of children everywhere. We
look expectantly towards the next 20 years with the hope and
strong belief that by working together, we can build upon the
extraordinary progress we have already made for the world,s
children.
CLINTON