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CRINMAIL 847

16 January 2007 - CRINMAIL 847

 


- SOMALIA: Peace needed to end the suffering of thousands of children [news]

- ANGOLA: Lives in Ruins - forced evictions continue [publication]

- COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: 44th session opens [news]  

- COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN: Violence against girls [news]

- CHINA: Joint Review of the Maternal and Child Survival Strategy [publication]

- COUNCIL OF EUROPE: Children's rights at the Parliamentary Assembly [event]

** NEWS IN BRIEF **

** WEEKLY CRIN QUIZ **


To view this CRINMAIL online, go to: http://www.crin.org/email/crinmail_detail.asp?crinmailID=1875

Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at info@crin.org. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.


SOMALIA: Peace needed to end the suffering of thousands of children [news]

[LONDON, 12th January 2007] - Peace and stability are urgently needed in Somalia to end the suffering of thousands of Somali children affected by the recent conflict, said UNICEF and Save the Children UK. Children have been victims of conflict and, according to eye-witness accounts, have featured prominently in recent fighting as active combatants.

UNICEF and Save the Children demand that all children associated with armed forces or groups must be immediately released from their ranks or from detention centres where they might currently be held. Both agencies call upon the Transitional Federal Government and Somali Institutions to take the necessary steps to ensure these children are adequately cared for, and safely reunited with their families without discrimination.

UNICEF and Save the Children say they are very disturbed by reports that Somali children and women are among the casualties of aerial bombardment and accounts that camps for internally displaced people are coming under grenade attack. The agencies are concerned that with the closure of Kenya’s borders, the threats to fleeing Somalis have increased. While noting that children are most vulnerable of all, they say they have received information that some have been randomly shot in the street, while others risk being recruited to fight by re-emerging warlords. The agencies say this is unacceptable under any rules of engagement.

Whilst the prospect of a centralised government brings opportunities, there are huge challenges facing the country that stand in way of stability and a safe future for children. The agencies’ concern is now compounded by the fact that the conflict situation is restricting access for humanitarian workers to reach vulnerable populations, deliver supplies and monitor the extent of child rights violations.

UNICEF Somalia Representative, Christian Balslev-Olesen stated "Any continuation of the conflict within Somalia would do much to compromise the modest gains that have been achieved by the Somalis with the support of the International Community over the past 15 years."

El Khidir Daloum, Save the Children’s Country Director said "Children in Somalia, and in particular the South, are suffering the consequences of a triple humanitarian crisis: drought, flooding and now conflict. Unless the situation stabilises rapidly, no one can guarantee the safety of Somali children. More children will be separated from their families, orphaned and vulnerable to abuse and neglect."

Education is key to the rehabilitation of Somali children. However, with over 65,000 - 70,000 people displaced by current fighting and continuing insecurity, school enrolment has been severely affected.

[Source: Save the Children]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12209

Further information

ANGOLA: Lives in Ruins - forced evictions continue [publication]

Amnesty International today released a report revealing the scale and extent of forced evictions in Angola, and expressing particular concern at forced evictions carried out by Angolan authorities, apparently at the request of the Catholic Church in Angola.

The organisation said that nearly all of the forced evictions were accompanied by excessive use of force, which sometimes involved police beatings of children and women - including one pregnant woman - and indiscriminate shooting at residents attempting to protect their homes.

According to the report, Lives in Ruins: forced evictions continue, thousands of families have been forcibly evicted since 2001 - nearly always without notification to the families affected. Tens of thousands have been left without shelter, with hundreds of families still living their lives in ruins.

Since September 2004, the homes of residents in the Kilamba Kiaxi municipality have been demolished repeatedly to make room for public and private housing projects. In 2006, the Angolan government publicly acknowledged the right to compensation of those forcibly evicted, and proclaimed that it was reviewing its housing strategy with a view to responding to the housing needs of its urban population. Thus far, none of the affected residents of Kilamba Kiaxi has received compensation or alternative adequate accommodation.

"Despite these claims by the government, the housing situation in Luanda has not improved - in fact, hundreds of families are still homeless after having been forced from their homes," said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme. "Disturbingly, many forced evictions in the last two years have been carried out apparently at the request of the Catholic Church."

In 1998, the Angolan government formally returned to the Catholic Church land the Church owned prior to independence, in response to a request by the late Pope John Paul II when he visited Angola in 1992. However, families have been living on this land - in the Wenji Maka neighbourhood of Luanda - for several years, or even decades in some cases.

When granting the land title to the Catholic Church, Angolan authorities reportedly did not take into consideration those people already living on the land, and national police have repeatedly tried to expel over 2,000 families in the area where the Catholic Church intends to build a sanctuary.

In response to Amnesty International's request for information regarding the Catholic Church's involvement in these forced evictions, the Archbishop of Luanda stated the Church, when reclaiming title over land, had asked the government to provide land in other areas for the affected individuals. The Archbishop also alleged that in many instances individuals put up constructions on land when they found out that the Church had intentions to use the land. The Archbishop further justified the actions of the Church by saying "summum ius summa iniuria" (extreme law, extreme justice) - or, as the Archbishop interpreted it, "justica absoluta pode desembocar em injustica" (absolute justice can result in injustice).

The Angolan government is reportedly planning the biggest urban project ever attempted in Africa, and is implementing other construction projects with the support of the Chinese government. The resulting increased pressure for urban land is resulting in forced evictions of the poorest families of Luanda from various neighbourhoods in the capital city, driving such families into ever deeper poverty.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12233

For more information, contact:
Amnesty International - International Secretariat
1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, UK
Tel: +44 20 7413 5500; Fax: +44 20 7413 5823
Email: info@amnesty.org
Website: http://www.amnesty.org 

Further information

COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: 44th session opens [news]

The Committee on the Rights of the Child opened its forty-fourth session, adopting the agenda and discussing the organisation of work for the session. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, Director of the Division of Human Rights Procedures at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, also addressed the Committee.

In opening remarks, Mr. Ndiaye briefed the Committee on the latest developments since the Committee's last session. He noted that the General Assembly had adopted the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, as well as the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its additional protocol – three instruments that would enrich the international system for the protection of human rights.

He also drew attention to the first global study on all forms of violence against children, which had been presented on 11 October to the General Assembly by the Independent Expert charged with the study, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. The UN Report on Violence against Children, the fruit of that study, had been launched in Geneva on 20 November. The Committee on the Rights of the Child had a fundamental role to play in following up that study, as the Committee's Concluding Observations had already testified. In addition, the study recommended that a Special Representative on violence against children be nominated, and he was sure that the Committee's recommendation in that regard would be decisive.

Regarding the reform of treaty bodies, Mr. Bacre wished to recall that, following the recommendation of the fifth Intercommittee Meeting of human rights treaty body organs, held in June 2006, the Working Group on reform of treaty bodies had met on 28 and 29 November 2006 and its report had been included in the dossier for this session. He wished to underscore that the proposition made by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which sought to create a permanent bureau tasked with coordinating the harmonisation of working methods, had been well received by the representatives of other Committees, and it had been agreed to put in place, on a trial basis, a brainstorming group on Treaty Bodies. That group would meet three times a year and would be composed of two members from each Committee, elected for a period of two to four years. In addition, the Working Group on Reservations had held a successful meeting on 14 and 15 December 2006, accomplishing a further step towards the harmonisation of the Committees' working methods.

Before concluding, Mr. Bacre wished to express the gratitude of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and of the Secretary-General to the four members of the Committee whose mandate was expiring next month: Jacob Egbert (Jaap) Doek, Norberto Liwski, Alison Anderson, and Awa N'Deye Ouedraogo.

Jaap Doek, Committee Chairperson, in a brief opening statement, said this was an election year, which was a good year for all democracies. Unlike States, however, the Committee did not stop its work in an election year. The Committee had three sessions last year in two chambers and they had accomplished what they had set out to do: that is, they had cleared up their backlog. All reports submitted by 31 December 2006 would therefore be able to be treated in 2007, an achievement the Committee could be proud of.

He added that, during this session, the Committee would start work on a General Comment on the rights of children of indigenous peoples. They would discuss an outline for the Day of General Discussion in September on Article 4 (which specifies that States must undertake all appropriate legislative, administrative, and other measures for the implementation of the rights recognised in the present Convention). Other issues to be discussed included follow-up on the UN Report on Violence against Children and continued work on a General Comment on juvenile justice.

[Source: UN]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12214

Further information

COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN: Violence against girls [news]

[15 January 2007] – States who have signed on to the United Nations international bill of rights for women must continue to press for an end to gender-based violence, a senior UN official today told experts gathering in New York to evaluate compliance with the treaty. "Regrettably, violence against women and girls remains unabated in whatever form and manifestation, depriving them of the full enjoyment of their human rights,” said Rachel Mayanja, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, according to the text of her remarks.

Ms. Mayanja was addressing the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, a panel comprising 23 international experts on women’s issues, which opened a two-week session at UN Headquarters in New York. Established in 1982, the Committee tracks the status of women in countries that have ratified the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Currently, the Convention has 185 States parties.

Ms. Mayanja also welcomed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s appointment of three women in top posts within the Organisation. “His tenure as Secretary-General has started very auspiciously for women,” she said. “Of the five appointments he has made so far three are women, translating into 60 per cent.”

She pointed out that Deputy Secretary-General designate Asha-Rose Migiro previously served as Committee member.

During this session, the Committee’s 37th, panel members will examine the reports of 15 countries – Austria, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Greece, India, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Suriname, Tajikistan and Viet Nam – regarding their implementation of measures to eliminate discrimination against women.

Youth report to the 51st annual Commission on the Status of Women

The Working Group on Girls and UNICEF's Voices of Youth, are calling for children and young people's feedback on the Youth Version of the Report of The Expert Group Meeting on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination and Violence Against the Girl Child. The report talks about which girls are in danger of violence and unfair treatment and suggests ways governments and their citizens can protect them.

Children and young people's recommendations and suggestions are expected before 30th January 2007, and will be presented at the 51st annual Commission on the Status of Women at United Nations headquarters in February-March 2007 and will influence how the world works to stop discrimination and violence against girls.

In addition, the Working Group on Girls and Voices of Youth have set up an online forum at www.unicef.org/voy, which provides the opportunity for girls to share their thoughts and suggestions about what must be done to end discrimination and violence against the girl child. The forum will close at the end of the month. The results will also be used in the Youth Report to be presented at the 2007 meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

[Source: UN and UNICEF]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12229

Further information

CHINA: Joint Review of the Maternal and Child Survival Strategy [publication]

[BEIJING, 11th January 2007] - A report recently published by UNICEF confirms that while China is on-track for reaching the Millennium Development Goals four and five, there remain serious concerns about slowing progress given the increasing disparities between urban and rural areas, as well as the situation of vulnerable populations such as migrant workers. Mortality rates in the least developed rural areas, where just under half of the total population lives, are four to six times higher than urban areas and account for three quarters of the total mortality burden. The report is the outcome of a review conducted by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO and the UNFPA, with assistance from national and international experts.

In her statement, UNICEF Representative Dr Yin Yin Nwe emphasised: "Our challenge is to reach the most marginalised and vulnerable populations and ensure universal access to affordable and equitable health care, for only equitable and harmonious development will enable China to fully reach the Millennium Development Goals".

While China is experiencing an epidemiological transition, with diarrhoea a significant cause of death only in very remote areas, four or five causes of death remain responsible for over 75 per cent of all maternal and child deaths. With neonatal mortality and post-partum haemorrhage still leading causes of death, universal access to essential obstetrical and neonatal care, as well some other key high impact interventions such as exclusive breastfeeding, have the potential to further reduce maternal mortality by 52 per cent and child mortality by 34 per cent, the report says.

The report goes on to make the following specific recommendations:
 

  • Give priority to remote and poor rural areas and migrants in urban areas.
  • Ensure universal access to an essential package of quality antenatal, obstetrical and neonatal care and integrated childhood care and development.
  • Give priority to strengthening maternal and child health (MCH) interventions at township and village levels.
  • Tailor the MCH service delivery mechanisms to the characteristics of different areas.
  • Reaffirm the public health positioning of MCH services through a strengthened policy and planning framework.
  • Increase funding for health services in poor areas.
  • Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health expenditure.
  • Ensure full coverage of paid MCH services by the Rural Health Insurance system (RCMS) and provide subsidies for the poor.
  • Develop an effective strategy for human resource development.
  • Strengthen the MCH surveillance system.


UNICEF is to support the documentation and testing of the implementation of these recommendations in 50 counties in 13 provinces. The aim is to provide evidence, mobilise support, develop networks and improve advocacy efforts to further reduce maternal and child mortality, to help ensure China remains on-track to achieve MDGs four and five.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12202

For more information, contact:
UNICEF
H-9, 3 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, US
Tel: +1 212 824 6127
Email: netmaster@unicef.org
Website: http://www.unicef.org

Further information


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COUNCIL OF EUROPE: Children's rights at the Parliamentary Assembly [event]

The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly will hold the first part of its 2007 regular session from 22-26 January 2007. On the 25th, it will hold a debate on HIV and AIDS, and more specifically the situation of children, including AIDS orphans, as well as women and girls.

The world is now entering its 25th year of HIV and AIDS. The disaster affects every continent, including Europe. Poor countries are hardest hit by HIV and AIDS, and so are children.

There is an urgent need for everyone – and particularly decisions-makers – to address the specific problems of combating the disease among HIV and AIDS children and also to recognise the need to take care of abandoned infected children or orphans children whose parents become AIDS victims.

The report from Rapporteur Mr Michael Hancock (Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee) indicates a certain number of measures to be taken: the first amongst them, for Member States, is to introduce a “child perspective” into their HIV and AIDS policies and development aid policies to the third world, in particular Africa.

Children and violence

In addition, Princess Caroline of Hanover, President of the World Association of Children's Friends, and the Executive Director of UNICEF Ann Veneman will intervene, on Tuesday 23 January, in the debate on combating violence against children and other forms of child exploitation and abuse, as part of the three-year Council of Europe campaign “Building a Europe for and with children”.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12235

For more information, contact:
Council of Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex, France
Tel: +33 3 88 41 25 51; Fax: +33 3 90 21 50 33
Website: http://www.coe.int

Further information

** NEWS IN BRIEF **


HIV and AIDS: Children and AIDS: A stocktaking (16 January 2007)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12236&flag=report

KENYA: Schools disrupted as deadly fever hits incomes (12 January 2007)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12203&flag=news

IRAQ: In Baghdad slum, sectarian strife is also child's play (12 January 2007)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12208&flag=news

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** WEEKLY CRIN QUIZ **

On 11th January 2002, the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, situated at a US naval base in Cuba, was receiving its first “war on terror” detainees, following the invasion of Afghanistan. Five years on, detainees have still not been charged or tried, they do not know how long they will be detained, and they are unable to challenge the lawfulness of their detention. This week, protesters mobilised around the world to call for the closure of Guantánamo.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/quiz/index.asp?quizID=1022

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