Symposium on "Convention on the Rights of the Child – Looking Ahead"
The National Human Rights Commission along with the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) and UNICEF organised a symposium on 20 November 1999 to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
It was on this date, in 1989, that the Convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Sixty-one countries, in an unprecedented first-day response for any United Nations treaty, signed the Convention on that date itself. Today, the Convention is the most universally accepted human rights treaty in history, having been ratified by all but two countries. India acceded to the Convention on 11 December 1992.
Addressing the symposium, Chairperson Mr. Justice J.S. Verma said that the protection of children from exploitation and the promotion of their human rights should be given top priority, as they constitute the future of the nation. The World Summit on Children had adopted a resolution to give every child a better future, but even after a decade this remained a distant dream. Children constitute the weakest, most vulnerable and defenseless section of society and steps should be taken for their all-round development, as the right to development is an universal and inalienable human right. "Being provided adequate care and protection should be declared a child’s right and not merely a welfare measure, as a right is enforceable in the event of failure."
Inspite of governmental efforts, about 63 million children in the age group 6 - 14 years are illiterate in this country. Despite various forms of legislation banning child labour, children are still widely employed in the glass works, slate, match and fire works industries. Justice Verma felt that the Constitutional requirements prohibiting the employment of children in hazardous industries should be strictly enforced. An industry should be construed to be hazardous if it were dangerous to children, and not just adults. He felt that, despite the passage of 50 years since the adoption of the Constitution, there had not been an adequate change in the mind-set of society, including that of the government. "An example is the recent prohibition of the employment of children below 14 years by Government servants. The Central Government agreed to notify the scheme only after exhibiting a great deal of reluctance."
Justice Verma said that children need to be protected not only from exploitation and the violation of their basic rights, but also from malnutrition, illiteracy and the lack of health care. Quoting statistics, he described this decade as a most brutal decade: 2 million children had died in armed conflicts, 4 –5 million had been disabled, 12 million rendered homeless and 1 million orphaned across the globe. 90 per cent of deaths in wars during this period were of children and civilians. As many as 25 countries used children for combat purposes.
He described the problem of juvenile delinquency as arising mainly due to a lack of education. "The first remedy for the ills plaguing children, including infant mortality and child prostitution, is free and compulsory education."
Retired Supreme Court Judge, Mr. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, called upon the Government to implement in letter and spirit the interpretation given to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution by the Supreme Court. He said that every child in the country has a right to be properly nourished and to receive free and compulsory education. The Constitution provides for all of the rights of the child, but what was required was the political will and financial resources to implement the provisions of the Constitution. There was no shortage of resources in the country to provide for the basic rights to children, but unfortunately most of these resources were diverted to wasteful expenditure. "It is not the Government alone that I am blaming. Our entire generation should answer the question as to what we have achieved over the last 50 years. Instead of establishing Commissions and publishing White Papers, we should bring out a Black Paper as we continue to have the largest number of illiterate children in the world, " he observed.
Ms. Kiran Aggarwal, Secretary, DWCW, said that the Government had implemented various provisions of the CRC, as a result infant mortality and malnutrition in the country had been significantly reduced. The Government was now planning to create a National Co-ordination Mechanism for monitoring the CRC. It was also in the process of creating a National Commission for Children.
The UNICEF Representative in India, Mr. Alan Court, said that in addition to survival and development, there is need to secure for children their basic civil rights to a name, nationality and freedom from discrimination on grounds such as gender, colour, religion or ethnic origin. There is also the whole issue of child protection, where protection from exploitation and abuse must go hand-in-hand with providing access to primary education. He suggested that a further broadening of the term " hazardous industry" could include any employment which prevented children from getting an education.
Other panelists on the occasion were Ms. Rita Panicker, Director, Butterflies, Ms.Pamela Philipose, Development Editor, Indian Express, and Dr. Ms. Erma Manoncourt, Deputy Director (Programmes), UNICEF.
It was on this date, in 1989, that the Convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Sixty-one countries, in an unprecedented first-day response for any United Nations treaty, signed the Convention on that date itself. Today, the Convention is the most universally accepted human rights treaty in history, having been ratified by all but two countries. India acceded to the Convention on 11 December 1992.
Addressing the symposium, Chairperson Mr. Justice J.S. Verma said that the protection of children from exploitation and the promotion of their human rights should be given top priority, as they constitute the future of the nation. The World Summit on Children had adopted a resolution to give every child a better future, but even after a decade this remained a distant dream. Children constitute the weakest, most vulnerable and defenseless section of society and steps should be taken for their all-round development, as the right to development is an universal and inalienable human right. "Being provided adequate care and protection should be declared a child’s right and not merely a welfare measure, as a right is enforceable in the event of failure."
Inspite of governmental efforts, about 63 million children in the age group 6 - 14 years are illiterate in this country. Despite various forms of legislation banning child labour, children are still widely employed in the glass works, slate, match and fire works industries. Justice Verma felt that the Constitutional requirements prohibiting the employment of children in hazardous industries should be strictly enforced. An industry should be construed to be hazardous if it were dangerous to children, and not just adults. He felt that, despite the passage of 50 years since the adoption of the Constitution, there had not been an adequate change in the mind-set of society, including that of the government. "An example is the recent prohibition of the employment of children below 14 years by Government servants. The Central Government agreed to notify the scheme only after exhibiting a great deal of reluctance."
Justice Verma said that children need to be protected not only from exploitation and the violation of their basic rights, but also from malnutrition, illiteracy and the lack of health care. Quoting statistics, he described this decade as a most brutal decade: 2 million children had died in armed conflicts, 4 –5 million had been disabled, 12 million rendered homeless and 1 million orphaned across the globe. 90 per cent of deaths in wars during this period were of children and civilians. As many as 25 countries used children for combat purposes.
He described the problem of juvenile delinquency as arising mainly due to a lack of education. "The first remedy for the ills plaguing children, including infant mortality and child prostitution, is free and compulsory education."
Retired Supreme Court Judge, Mr. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, called upon the Government to implement in letter and spirit the interpretation given to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution by the Supreme Court. He said that every child in the country has a right to be properly nourished and to receive free and compulsory education. The Constitution provides for all of the rights of the child, but what was required was the political will and financial resources to implement the provisions of the Constitution. There was no shortage of resources in the country to provide for the basic rights to children, but unfortunately most of these resources were diverted to wasteful expenditure. "It is not the Government alone that I am blaming. Our entire generation should answer the question as to what we have achieved over the last 50 years. Instead of establishing Commissions and publishing White Papers, we should bring out a Black Paper as we continue to have the largest number of illiterate children in the world, " he observed.
Ms. Kiran Aggarwal, Secretary, DWCW, said that the Government had implemented various provisions of the CRC, as a result infant mortality and malnutrition in the country had been significantly reduced. The Government was now planning to create a National Co-ordination Mechanism for monitoring the CRC. It was also in the process of creating a National Commission for Children.
The UNICEF Representative in India, Mr. Alan Court, said that in addition to survival and development, there is need to secure for children their basic civil rights to a name, nationality and freedom from discrimination on grounds such as gender, colour, religion or ethnic origin. There is also the whole issue of child protection, where protection from exploitation and abuse must go hand-in-hand with providing access to primary education. He suggested that a further broadening of the term " hazardous industry" could include any employment which prevented children from getting an education.
Other panelists on the occasion were Ms. Rita Panicker, Director, Butterflies, Ms.Pamela Philipose, Development Editor, Indian Express, and Dr. Ms. Erma Manoncourt, Deputy Director (Programmes), UNICEF.