UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/38/685 8 December 198 3 ENGLISH ORIGINAL: ENGLISH/FRENCH Thirty-eighth session Agenda item 95 OUKSTION OF A CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD Report of the Third Committee Rapporteur: Mme. Moussokoro SANGAPE-KABA (Guinea) I. INTRODUCTION 1. At its 3rd plenary meeting on 23 September 1983, the General Assembly decided to include in its agenda the item entitled "-Question of a convention on the rights of the child". At its 4th plenary meeting, on the same day, the Assembly decided to refer the item to the Third committee. 2. The Committee considered this item jointly with items 93, 94, 96 and 97 at its 49th to 54th, 57th and 59th meetings, on 21 ,23, 25, 28 to 30 November and 1 December 1983. An account of the discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (A/C.3/38/SR.49-54, 57 and 59). 3. The Commttee had before it the report of the Economic and Social Council, Chapter V, section A (A/38/3 (Bart I)). 1/ 4. At the 49th meeting, on 21 November, the Assistant Secretary-General, Centre for Human Rights, made an introductory statement. 11. CONSIDERATION OF DFAFT RESOLUTION A/C. 3/38/L.23 5. At the 50th meeting, on 23 November, the representative of Poland introduced a draft resolution, entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child", sponsored by Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, 1/ To be included in Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/38/3). 83-34780 4036P (E) A/38/68 5 English Page 2 Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bulgaria, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, the Gambia, the German Democrat ic__Republic, Ghana, Greece , Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hungary, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of) , Iraq, Jordan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, the Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republies, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Upper Volta, Uruquay, Venezuela, Viet Nan, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as Norway, subsequently joined by Benin, Cape Verde, the Congo, Guinea, ivory coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal and the united Republic of Cameroon. 6. At the 57th meeting, on 30 November, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/38.L.23 without a vote (see para. 7). III. RECOMMENDATION OF TUB THIRD COMMITTEE 7. 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, 34/4 of 18 October 1979, 35/131 of 11 December 198 0, 36/57 of 2 5 November 1981 and 37/190 of 18 December 1982. Recalling also Commission on Human Rights resolutions 20/XXXVII of 8 March 1978, 2/ 19/XXXV of 14 March 1979, 3/ 36/XXXVI of 12 March 1980, 4/ 26/XXXVII of 10 March 1981, 5/ 1982/39 of 11 March 1982, 6/ and 1983/52 of 2/ See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1978, Supplement NO. 4 (E/19 78/34), chap. XXVI, sect. A. 3/ Ibid., 1979, Supplement No. 6 (E/1979/36) , chap. XXIV, sect. A, 4/ Ibid., 1980, Supplement No. 3 (E/1980/13 and Corr.1) , chap. XXVI, sect. A. 5/ Ibid., 1981, supplement No. 5 (E/1981/25 and Corr.1), chap. XXVIII, Sect. A. 6/ Ibid., 1982, supplement No. 2 (E/1982/12 and Corr.1), chap. XXVI, sect. A. A/38/685 English Page 3 10 March 1983, 7/ as well as Economic and Social Council resolutions 1978/18 of 5 May 1978, 1978/40 of 1 August 1978, 1982/37 of 7 May 1982 and 1983/39 of 27 May 1983 and Council decisions 1980/138 of 2 May 1980 and 1981/144 of 8 May 1981, Bearing in mind that children's rights are basic human rights and call for continuous improvement of the situation of children all over the world as well as their development and education in conditions of peace, Mindful of the need to keep up the momentum of positive action for the sake of children, generated by the International Year of the Child, Noting the important role of the United Nations children's Fund and the united Nations in promoting the well-being of children and their development, Aware of the importance of an international convention on the rights of the child for more elective protection of children's rights, as well as of the widespread inteust in the elaboration of such an international instrument displayed by a growing number of Governments and international organizations. Considering that the year 1984 will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration of the nights of the Child, 8/ Reaffirming that mankind owes to the child the best it has to give. Noting with appreciation that further progress has been made in the elaboration of a draft convention on the rights of the child prior to 9/ and during 10/ the thirty-ninth session of the commission on Human Rights, 1. Welcomes Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/39 authorizing an open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights to meet for a period of one week prior to the fortieth session of the Commission to continue its work on the draft convention on the rights of the child, 2- Requests the Commission on Human Rights to give the highest priority at its fortieth session to the question of completing the draft convention and to make every effort to submit it, throught the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session, as the Commission's tangible contribution to the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child) 7/ Ibid., 1983, Supplement No. 3 (E/1983/33 and Corr.1l), chap. XXVII, sect. A. 8/ Resolution 1386 (XIV). 9/ See E/19H2/12/Add.l, sect. C. 10/ See official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1982, Supplement No. 2 (E/1982/12 and Corr.1), chap. XI. A38/685 English Page 4 3. invites all Member States to offer their effective contribution to the completion without delay of the draft convention on the rights of the child) 4. Requests the Secretary-General to provide all necessary assistance to the working group to ensure its smooth and efficient work 5. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-ninth session the item entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child".