UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY Distr. GENERAL A/35/636 20 November 1980 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Thirty-fifth session Agenda item 73 QUESTION OF A CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD Report of the Third Committee Rapporteur: Miss Olajumoke Oladayo OBAFEMI (Nigeria) I. INTRODUCTION 1. The item entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child." was included in the provisional agenda of the thirty-fifth session of the General Assembly in accordance with Assembly decision 34/402 of 21 September 1979. 2. At its 3rd plenary meeting, on 19 September 1980, the General Assembly decided to include the item in its agenda and to allocate it to the Third Committee, 3. The Committee considered this item jointly with items 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 76, 79 and 8l at its 35th to 46th, 49th and 50th meetings, from 28 October to 5 November and on 7 November 1980. The views expressed by the representatives of Member States, specialized agencies and observers on this item are contained in the summary records of those meetings (A/C.3/35/SR.35-46, 49 and 50). 4. No advance documentation was before the Committee under this item. 5. At the 35th meeting, on 28 October the Chief of the New York Office of the Division of Human Rights made an introductory statement on behalf of the Director of the Division. II. CONSIDERATION OF DRAFT RESOLUTION A/C.3/35/L.14 6. At the 36th meeting, on 29 October, the representative of Poland introduced a draft resolution (A/C.3/35/L.14) sponsored by Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bhutan, Bulgaria, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Ecuador, France, the German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Greece, Guatemala, India, Jordan, Mexico9 Mongolia, Morocco, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sri Lanka, Suriname, 80-30248 . A/35/636 English Page 2 the Syrian Arab Republic and Yugoslavia, subsequently joined by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Burundi, the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, -Jamaica, the .Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Zaire. 7. At the 50th meeting, on 7 November, the Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote (see para.8). III. RECOMMENDATION OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE, 8. The Third Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: Question of a convention on the rights of the child The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 33/166 of 20 December 1978, entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child", and 34/4 of 18 October 19799 entitled "International Year of the Child", Bearing in mind Commission on Human Rights resolutions 20 (XXXIV) of 8 March 1978, 19.(XXXV) of l4 March 1979 and 36 (XXXVI) of 12 March 1980 as well as Economic and Social Council resolutions 1978/18. of 5 May 1978 and 1978/40 of 1 August 1978 and Council decision 1980/138 of 2 May 1980, Aware of the widespread interest during the International Year of the Child in working out an international convention on the rights of the child and of the important role the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund have to play in the subject-matter concerned, Noting further progress in discussions on and elaboration of such a draft convention by the Commission on Human Rights, 1. Takes note with satisfaction of the work so far accomplished and the spirit of co-operation in elaborating a convention on the rights of the child; 2. Welcomes Economic and Social Council decision 1980/138 by which the Council authorized an open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights to meet for a period of one week prior to the thirty-seventh session of the Commission to complete the work on the draft convention; 3. Requests the Commission on Human Rights, at its thirty-seventh session, to continue to give high priority to the question of completing the draft convention on the rights of the child; 4. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-sixth session the item entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child".