Statement by H.E. Robert Hill, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of Australia to the United Nations, and Mr Mikael Dunlop and Ms Catherine Maher, Australian youth delegates to the Commemorative High Level Plenary Meeting devoted to the follow-up to the outcome of the Special Session on Children
12 December 2007
(As delivered)
Mr President
There have been considerable successes achieved by the international community since we met in 2002 to address child rights and adopt A World Fit for Children.
Collective global action has been taken to reduce the under-five mortality rate and increase school attendance and educational opportunities equally for boys and girls. Systems are in place to protect children from violence, including the recent agreement to establish a UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on this issue, and those affected by armed conflict.
While considerable progress has been made over the past five years, we must all recognise that the challenge to create a world fit for children still remains. Over half the children in the developing world continue to live without access to basic services, commodities and the protection necessary to survive and develop.
Australia has invested significant resources to help strengthen and support Australian families and children. Like other countries, Australia has worked hard to implement the goals of A World Fit for Children, domestically and within our region. Our response to A World Fit for Children outlines actions being taken by all levels of government in Australia to improve outcomes for children and young people, with input from non-government organisations, and children and young people themselves.
Australia’s children and young people generally have good health by world standards, with low morbidity and mortality rates, free education and strong educational attainment.
However, we recognise that our Indigenous children in particular are not achieving as well as the rest of the population on some key measures of health, education and wellbeing. The Australian Government puts special emphasis on improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The aim is to ensure accessibility and responsiveness of the education and health systems for Indigenous Australians.
We are committed to working together with our partners, including the United Nations system, to ensure that the generally high standards our children experience become a reality for children and young people throughout the world.
We do this particularly through our aid programs. In a spirit of partnership, we work closely with other governments and international organisations to advance the health and education of children and young people in developing countries across the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. We also have a proud history of promoting and safeguarding the rights of children internationally.
UNICEF is a particularly important partner for Australia in our efforts to achieve a world fit for children. Australia recognises UNICEF’s key role in saving and improving the lives of children, and advocating for their rights. UNICEF’s strategic priorities align with many of the objectives of the Australian aid program, including maternal and child health and basic education, HIV/AIDS, child protection and humanitarian assistance. In 2006, Australia contributed over $60 million in funding to UNICEF.
A significant part of our work through the aid program is devoted to investing in people, by supporting the provision of basic health and education services – vital for ensuring that children grow healthily and learn and develop to their full potential. Australia also works to mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS on young people and children in developing countries, through awareness-raising activities and the provision of treatment, care and support for children living with, or affected by HIV/AIDS. Through measures to combat child trafficking, and by taking action to mitigate the impact of conflict on children in our region, Australia works to achieve a world where children are safe and protected.
Advancing gender equality is also a core principle underpinning our efforts. The views, needs, interests and rights of women and girls must shape the development agenda as much as men and boys. By integrating this concept into all our development projects, Australia assists children in ways that promote such equality, for example, through support for gender equitable access by children to basic social services, and programs to address the specific protection needs of girls and boys.
Australia considers that measures to improve the lives of children should be central to all international development efforts. The interests of the world’s children are central to the Millennium Development Goals, and their achievement is critical to the wellbeing and future of our children. Over the coming five years we must also continue to work collaboratively to achieve the important goals set out in a World Fit for Children.
Mr President
Since 2002, we have all learned a great deal. If we are going to create an environment in which children not only survive, but also thrive, we must combat poverty and guarantee that all children are provided with adequate food, shelter, quality education and access to basic health services.
If we are to meet our responsibility to protect all children from harm and exploitation, we must uphold their rights and bring those who would infringe them to account.
And if we are going to make our vision for a world fit for children a reality, we as the international community – governments, international organisations, civil society and the private sector – must re-affirm our commitment, mobilise our resources and work together in a global partnership to this end. This high-level meeting, bringing together Member States, the United Nations system and civil society, is our signal to children and young people that our commitment to this effort will not waiver.
Thank you Mr President.