Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New York (Fides Service) – “The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child entered into force in September 1990. That same month, a World Summit for Children was held to adopt the Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and a decade-long Plan of Action for its implementation” Archbishop Celestino Migliore Holy See permanent Observer to the UN said in his address to the 58th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 October which was discussing the “Promotion and Protection of the rights of Children”. The Holy See representative reminded those present of the suffering of children all over the world: “victims of neglect, cruelty, racial discrimination, sexual and other forms of exploitation; as refugees and displaced children. They are often marginalized because they are indigenous, disabled, orphans or street children. In several countries, they are also victims of the scourge of drugs and of natural and man-made disasters. And if all these were not enough, millions of children also become victims of HIV/AIDS, either through mother-to-child viral transmission or by being orphaned due to the AIDS-related premature death of their parents.” The Holy See Observer called for concrete international commitment to help children: “Improving child health and nutrition is a priority. The international community should work for optimal growth and development in childhood, with measures to eradicate hunger, malnutrition and famine, and thus to spare millions of children from unnecessary sufferings in a world that has the means to feed and care for all its citizens” AP (Fides Service 21/10/2003 EM lines 22 Words: 256)
