STATEMENT BY MR. MAYANK JOSHI, FIRST SECRETARY, ON AGENDA ITEM 64: ‘RIGHTS OF CHILDREN’ AT THE THIRD COMMITTEE OF THE 69TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON 16th OCTOBER, 2014.

 

Madam Chair,

 

At the outset, I would like to thank the Secretary General and his Special Representatives for their reports under this Agenda item. I also thank the Special Representatives of the Secretary General for their presentations yesterday.

 

As we prepare to celebrate the twenty fifth Anniversary of Convention of Rights of Child, we are encouraged by the significant gains in the area of rights of child made in the last years.   Despite the gains achieved by the global community in all dimensions of the child rights agenda, including in the areas of health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, child protection and HIV/AIDS, millions of children continue to live in extreme poverty and remain affected by a range of socio-political crisis, armed conflicts and natural disasters. Particularly, the situation of children affected by armed conflicts around the world remains of grave concern. These humanitarian situations are of grave concern and demand immediate action for realizing the vision of a ‘World Fit for Children’.

 

Madam Chair,

 

Home to nearly 472 million children, i.e. 20% of the world’s child population, India remains committed to the development of every child, ensuring his or her rights and protection from exploitation and moral and material abandonment. 

 

Several provisions are enshrined in the Indian Constitution to promote the rights of child for their protection, development and welfare. The vision of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Charter for Children ensure that child rights are a lead indicator of national development at all levels of governance in India. 

 

The National Policy for Children of 2013 guides policy making with a rights-based approach, views children as individuals with rights and responsibilities appropriate to their age and level of maturity and defines ‘Child’ in tune with the Convention on the Rights of the Child to which India is a State party. 

 

The Indian Constitution provides for free and compulsory education for children up to the age of 14 years. The Government has also adopted a National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy in 2013. With nearly universal enrollment for primary education, our current focus is on the expansion of secondary education and its accessibility to girls, and skill development for improved employability. 

 

Madam Chair,

 

The foundations for physical, psychological, social and intellectual development are laid in early childhood. The innovative Mother & Child Tracking System leverages information technology for ensuring delivery of full spectrum of healthcare services to pregnant women and immunization services to children up to 5 years of age. The revised Integrated Child Development Scheme provides for special focus on children under three years of age, and pregnant and lactating mothers, strengthening of services including care and nutrition, counseling. The National Food Security Act, 2013 provides for age appropriate meal, free of charge, to meet the nutritional needs of children. Several innovative programmes are also being implemented to address infant and child mortality.

 

Every year, January 24 is marked as ‘National Girl Child Day’ in India to highlight the different problems faced by the girl child, the most vulnerable of all, and the need to spread gender sensitization amongst various sections of the society. New schemes like ‘Sabla’ for all round development of adolescent girls and ‘Saksham’ for adolescent boys are aimed at making them self-reliant by improving their health and nutrition status and also focus on gender sensitization. The government has undertaken legislative and policy measures to ban sex selective abortion and child marriage.

 

A safe, secure and protective environment is a precondition for the realization of all rights of children. The ‘Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) of 2009 was launched for creating a safe environment for children in need of care and protection, children in conflict and contact with law and any other vulnerable child. ‘Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012’ is a special gender neutral law that marks a major shift from the usual criminal law as it shifts the burden of proof on the accused in case of serious offences, provisioned. It also covers sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography.

 

Child trafficking is a serious form of violence leading to further violations of rights of children. The recent Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013, prescribes stringent punishment to prevent and combat human trafficking including sale of children. Integrated Anti Human Trafficking Units have been set up in 225 most affected districts and a web portal on Anti Human Trafficking has been launched in 2014. A Task Force on Human Trafficking has been established with neighboring countries to address trans-border aspects of this problem.  

 

India remains strongly committed to the full eradication of all forms of child labour, beginning with its most exploitative and hazardous forms and moving on to its progressive and effective elimination. 

 

Active use of new technologies and social media platforms form an integral part of these programmes. The ‘Childline’, India’s first 24/7, free, emergency phone outreach service for children in need of care & protection. A nationwide website called ‘TrackChild’ has been developed for tracking of missing children and their repatriation and rehabilitation.

 

Madam Chair,

 

There remain significant gaps in budget allocations and realization of rights of children. Further progress requires a major committed increase in the efforts of national governments mobilize resources, including though official development assistance as well as political will to prioritize children’s rights in resource allocation.

 

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have proved to be a guiding force that have improved and continue to improve the lives of many children, and we now need to ensure that the post-2015 agenda prioritizes the poorest and most vulnerable children critical to eradicate extreme poverty and promote equity.

 

India is committed to take affirmative measures to promote and safeguard the right of all children, especially those marginalised or disadvantaged, to live and grow with equity, dignity, security and freedom; to ensure that all children have equal opportunities; and that no custom, tradition, cultural or religious practice is allowed to violate or restrict or prevent children from enjoying their rights.

 

I Thank You.

 

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