UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/39/706 5 December 1984 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Thirty-ninth session Agenda item 97 QUESTION OF A CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD Report of the Third Committee Rapporteur: Mr. Grzegorz POLOWCZYK (Poland) I. INTRODUCTION 1. At its 3rd plenary meeting, on 21 September 1984, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include in the agenda of its thirty-ninth session the item entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child" and to allocate it to the Third Committee. 2. The Third Committee considered the item jointly with items 95, 96, 98 and 99 at its 44th to 46th, 48th to 52nd, 56th and 57th meetings, on 19 to 21, 23, 26 to 28 November and 3 December 1984. An account of the Committee's discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (A/C.3/39/SR.44-46, 48-52, 56 and 57). 3. The Committee had before it the report of the Economic and Social Council, chapter V, section A (A/39/3 (Part I)) 1/ and a letter dated 17 April 1984 from the Permanent Representative of Democratic Kampuchea to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (A/39/185-S/16486). 4. At the 44th meeting, on 19 November, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights made an introductory statement. 1/ To be issued as Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/39/3). 84-31424 0189P (E) /... A/39/706 English Page 2 II. CONSIDERATION OF DRAFT RESOLUTION A/C.3/39/L.57 5. At the 56th meeting, on 3 December, the representative of Poland introduced a draft resolution (A/C.3/39/L.57) entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child", sponsored by Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria,, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso_,_ the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, the Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Finland, Gambia, the German Democratic Republic, Ghana, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, _Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Uganda, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia. Zaire, Zambia and zimbflbwp, as well as the Ivory Coast and Venezuela, subsequently jointed by Jamaica and Senegal. 6. At its 57th meeting, on 3 December, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/39/L.57 without a vote (see para, 7). III. RECOMMENDATION OF THE 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 1980, 36/57 of 25 November 1981, 37/190 of 18 December 1982 and 38/114 of 16 December 1983, Recalling also Commission on Human Rights resolutions 20 (XXXIV) 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 2/ See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1978, Supplement No. 4 (EA978/34), chap. XXVI, sect. A. 3/ Ibid., 1979, Supplement No. 6 (E/1979/36), chap. XXIV, sect. A. 4 Ibid., 1980, Supplement No. 3 (E/1930/13 and Corr.1), chap. XXVI, sect. A. 5/ Ibid., 1981, Supplement No. 5 (E/1981/25 and Corr.1), chap. XXVIII, sect. A. A/39/706 English Page 3 11 March 1982, 6/ 1983/52 of 10 March 1983 7/ and 1984/24 of 8 March 1984 8/ 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, 1983/39 of 27 Hay 1983 and 1984/25 of 24 May 1984 and Council decisions 1980/138 of 2 May 1980 and 1981/144 of 8 May 1981, Reaffirming 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 and security, Recalling that the year 1984 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child 9/ which was proclaimed to the end that the child may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his own good and for the good of society the rights and freedoms set forth therein and be, in all circumstances, among the first to receive protection and relief, Aware of the fact that, twenty-five years after the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the situation of children in many parts of the world still continues to be far from satisfactory, Stressing again the need to keep up the momentum of positive action for the sake of children, generated by the International Year of the Child, Mindful of the important role of the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations in promoting the well-being of children and their development, Convinced of the significance of an international convention on the rights of the child, as a standard-setting accomplishment of the United Nations in the fields of social development and human rights, for protecting children's rights and ensuring their well-being, Noting with satisfaction the widespread interest in the elaboration of an international convention on the rights of the child displayed by a great number of Member States representing all geographical regions and socio-political systems, as well as by international organizations, 6/ ibid., 1982, Supplement No. 2 (E/1982/12 and Corr.1), chap. XXVI, sect. A. 7/ Ibid., 1983, Supplement No. 3 (E/1983/13 and Corr.1), chap. XXVII, sect. A. 8/ Ibid., 1984, Supplement No. 4 (E/1984/14), chap. II, sect. A. 9/ Resolution 1386 (XIV). A/39/706 English Page 4 Noting with appreciation that further progress has been made in the elaboration of a draft convention on the rights of the child during the fortieth session of the Commission on Human Rights, 10/ 1. Stresses the significance of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child which has directly stimulated the idea of elaborating an international convention on the rights of the child; 2. Welcomes Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/25, in which the Council authorized a meeting of an open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights for a period of one week prior to the forty-first session of the Commission to facilitate and speed up the completion of the work on a draft convention on the rights of the child; 3. Requests the Commission on Human Rights to give the highest priority and to wake every effort at its forty-first session to complete the draft convention and to submit it, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its fortieth session; 4. Invites all Member States to offer their effective contribution to the completion of the draft convention on the rights of the child at the forty-first session of the Commission on Human Rights; 5. Requests the Secretary-General to provide all necessary assistance to the working group to ensure its smooth and efficient work in the fulfilment of this important task; 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fortieth session the item entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child". 10/ See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1984, Supplement No. 4 (E/1984/14), chap. XIII.