Nations are staging special events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into force on November 20, 1989.
Lisa Schlein | Geneva 20 November 2009
"One of these problems is children's physical abuse. In schools, they hit children, in their houses. And, the other is the sexual abuse."
Nations are staging special events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into force on November 20, 1989. It is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. Every country in the world, with the exception of the United States and Somalia, has ratified it. In pre-Convention days, most of the world thought children should be seen and not heard. Now, 20 years later, some children are making their voices heard. But most remain silent and their human rights continue to be violated.
"I want to have my rights and I want to defend those who don't have a voice to say no," says 12 year old Tracy from Lebanon. She is one of 23 children chosen from 16 countries to come to Geneva to participate in workshops, debates and other events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention. Tracy is an active member of the Children's Council of World Vision in Lebanon and understands the problems children face in her country.
"One of these problems is children's physical abuse. In schools," she says, "they hit children, in their houses. And, the other is the sexual abuse."
Sixteen-year old Fredrica says children's rights in her country, Sierra Leone, are being violated. Their situation is going from bad to worse every day.
"So many things are happening to us that is against the rights and when the Convention on the Rights of the Child puts laws, most of these laws have been violated every day," she says. "So, many violence, cases of child trafficking… Every day things are going bad, bad, bad and bad. But, we just hope that things get better for all the children living in Sierra Leone and also in Africa."
Cara is 17 and part of Planned Canada's Youth Action Council. It's an organization that works with children, families and communities to improve conditions in the developing world. Cara says she feels a special responsibility to speak out on behalf of disadvantaged children because she comes from a country that has a stable government, and a good educational and health system.
"I feel that it is my responsibility because I have the resources to help other children around the world who don't have a voice and who don't have their rights respected to really speak up for them and try to help them in any way I can."
Cara notes many adults don't know children have rights. She feels duty bound to inform them, as well as the children, of their rights.
"Because the children need to know how to protect themselves, how to stick up for themselves and fight for what is right. And, the adults need to know," she says. "It's just as important for them to know so that we gain their support. Because us alone, we are limited to do so much, but us together, if we work together to fight for child rights, then we can really have success."
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, super-model, Claudia Schiffer, actor, Ewen McGregor and Hollywood actress, Mia Farrow have been advocating for the rights of children for years. They are trying to make life better for them. So is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
"With the adoption of the Convention by the General Assembly two-decades ago," she says, "the international community unanimously recognized for the first time in history that children, both girls and boys alike, are not simply the property of their parents or of their care givers, but individual rights-holders."
Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Saad Houry, calls the Convention a milestone, but notes the reality does not always live up to the document's vision of a world made safe for all children. He says millions of children remain excluded from that dream.
"Despite remarkable economic growth in scores of countries over the past 20 years, shocking disparities are also growing, with the poorest children left further behind."
Much remains to be done to ensure children's rights are being respected. Nevertheless, young people all over the world clutch onto their dreams and believe they can turn them into reality.
Despite the success of the Convention in raising awareness of children's rights worldwide, one of the largest and most influential countries in the world has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United States has not approved the Convention because it fears government interference in family life and the possible loss of its sovereign rights.
Also, many of the countries that have ratified the Convention have not taken any measures to implement the laws.
Supression of children's rights and the abuse of children remain major worldwide problems.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
UNICEF chief calls for end of "unspeakable violations" against children
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The "unspeakable violations" that happen almost everyday to children all across the globe need to be a thing of the past, chief of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ann Veneman said here on Friday.
In her remarks on the occasion to mark the Universal Children's Day and the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the UN headquarters in New York, Veneman said: "Let us remember the unspeakable violations of rights that occur almost daily to the most innocent of innocents, children."
Saying that much has been achieved in the past 20 years, Veneman underscored that the annual rate of under age five deaths fell to 28 percent, 1.6 billion people worldwide gained access to improved water sources between 1990 and 2006, and that the gender gap has narrowed where more children attend primary school than previously.
"Children are no longer the missing face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic," she said, adding that advances have also been made in child protection in the face of child soldiers, prostitution and early marriage.
"Yet, much more remains to be done," Veneman warned. "That an estimated 8.8 million children continue to die before they celebrate their fifth birthday is simply unacceptable."
She named preventable diseases, like pneumonia and malaria, as well as malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, lack of healthcare resources and protection against violence and exploitation, as some of the many culprits to children.
Speaking about her personal experiences, Veneman said, "I have spoken to girls in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where sexual violence, pillaging, burning of homes and killing define their daily lives."
"I have met boys who were abducted from their families and forced to wage war in their own countries, sometimes even in their own communities," she said.
"The world must build on the progress achieved to ensure that stories such as theirs become part of the past," Veneman said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child, which initiated actions aimed at benefiting and promoting the welfare of children worldwide.
Twenty years have passed, too, since the same assembly got a Convention on the Rights of the Child signed to clearly establish the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children.
Now, 193 countries have ratified that convention, making it one of the most endorsed conventions in the world.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-21 07:17:30
In her remarks on the occasion to mark the Universal Children's Day and the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the UN headquarters in New York, Veneman said: "Let us remember the unspeakable violations of rights that occur almost daily to the most innocent of innocents, children."
Saying that much has been achieved in the past 20 years, Veneman underscored that the annual rate of under age five deaths fell to 28 percent, 1.6 billion people worldwide gained access to improved water sources between 1990 and 2006, and that the gender gap has narrowed where more children attend primary school than previously.
"Children are no longer the missing face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic," she said, adding that advances have also been made in child protection in the face of child soldiers, prostitution and early marriage.
"Yet, much more remains to be done," Veneman warned. "That an estimated 8.8 million children continue to die before they celebrate their fifth birthday is simply unacceptable."
She named preventable diseases, like pneumonia and malaria, as well as malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, lack of healthcare resources and protection against violence and exploitation, as some of the many culprits to children.
Speaking about her personal experiences, Veneman said, "I have spoken to girls in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where sexual violence, pillaging, burning of homes and killing define their daily lives."
"I have met boys who were abducted from their families and forced to wage war in their own countries, sometimes even in their own communities," she said.
"The world must build on the progress achieved to ensure that stories such as theirs become part of the past," Veneman said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child, which initiated actions aimed at benefiting and promoting the welfare of children worldwide.
Twenty years have passed, too, since the same assembly got a Convention on the Rights of the Child signed to clearly establish the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children.
Now, 193 countries have ratified that convention, making it one of the most endorsed conventions in the world.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-21 07:17:30
Special report: Global News Day for Children
Physical or emotional abuse during childhood could speed up the body's ageing process, US research suggests
A team from Brown University focused on telomeres, the protective caps on the chromosomes that keep a cell's DNA stable but shorten with age.
They found the telomeres of 31 people who had reported abuse as children tended to shorten more rapidly, speeding up cells' ageing process.
Experts cautioned that the study needed to be replicated on a larger scale.
The study is featured in Biological Psychiatry.
Lead researcher Dr Audrey Tyrka said: "It gives us a hint that early developmental experiences may have profound effects on biology that can influence cellular mechanisms at a very basic level."
Telomeres are relatively short sections of specialised DNA that sit at the ends of all our chromosomes.
They have been compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unravelling.
Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse
Dr Audrey Tyrka
Brown University
Each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten and the cell becomes more susceptible to dying.
Previous research has found that telomeres shorten at an accelerated rate when exposed to toxins such as radiation and cigarette smoke.
There has also been work suggesting that psychiatric problems and stress could have a similar effect.
The latest study suggests psychological trauma early in life could store up similar problems for the future.
The researchers concentrated on people who although reporting abuse in childhood were otherwise healthy and had no signs of current or past psychiatric disorders.
Dr Tyrka said more work was needed to pin down the exact impact of childhood stress on cellular ageing.
The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress
Professor Tim Spector
King's College London
She said: "We don't know what the full implications of this are yet.
"Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse.
"But the precise role of telomeres in this process remains to be determined."
Shorter telomere lengths have been linked to a variety of ageing-related medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
For this study, the scientists looked at 22 women and nine men.
Some subjects reported happy childhoods, while others reported emotional, physical or sexual abuse or neglect.
Professor Tim Spector, an expert on telomeres and ageing based at King's College London, said: "The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress.
"However, many different adverse environments are known to reduce telomeres - such as cigarette smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and social class as well as genes.
"In such a small sample such as this - any of these could actually be responsible rather than the abuse - so it needs replication on a much bigger scale."
By courtesy and special thanks to BBC news
They found the telomeres of 31 people who had reported abuse as children tended to shorten more rapidly, speeding up cells' ageing process.
Experts cautioned that the study needed to be replicated on a larger scale.
The study is featured in Biological Psychiatry.
Lead researcher Dr Audrey Tyrka said: "It gives us a hint that early developmental experiences may have profound effects on biology that can influence cellular mechanisms at a very basic level."
Telomeres are relatively short sections of specialised DNA that sit at the ends of all our chromosomes.
They have been compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unravelling.
Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse
Dr Audrey Tyrka
Brown University
Each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten and the cell becomes more susceptible to dying.
Previous research has found that telomeres shorten at an accelerated rate when exposed to toxins such as radiation and cigarette smoke.
There has also been work suggesting that psychiatric problems and stress could have a similar effect.
The latest study suggests psychological trauma early in life could store up similar problems for the future.
The researchers concentrated on people who although reporting abuse in childhood were otherwise healthy and had no signs of current or past psychiatric disorders.
Dr Tyrka said more work was needed to pin down the exact impact of childhood stress on cellular ageing.
The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress
Professor Tim Spector
King's College London
She said: "We don't know what the full implications of this are yet.
"Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse.
"But the precise role of telomeres in this process remains to be determined."
Shorter telomere lengths have been linked to a variety of ageing-related medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
For this study, the scientists looked at 22 women and nine men.
Some subjects reported happy childhoods, while others reported emotional, physical or sexual abuse or neglect.
Professor Tim Spector, an expert on telomeres and ageing based at King's College London, said: "The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress.
"However, many different adverse environments are known to reduce telomeres - such as cigarette smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and social class as well as genes.
"In such a small sample such as this - any of these could actually be responsible rather than the abuse - so it needs replication on a much bigger scale."
By courtesy and special thanks to BBC news
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