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united nations | medjashi - republic of
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united nations high commissioner for human rights
mission statement | sources |
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Organizations for protecting the rights of the children |
UNICEF
Abused and neglected, millions of children
have become virtually invisible says UNICEF report
UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman launches the
State of the World's Children report in London joined by youths Guriya Khatun
from India (L) and Corina Panaite from Romania (R).
LONDON, UK, 14
December 2005 – Hundreds of millions of children are suffering from
severe exploitation and discrimination and have become virtually invisible
to the world, UNICEF said today in a major report that explores the causes of
exclusion and the abuses children experience.
Launching the
report in London, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said
millions of children disappear from view when trafficked or forced to work in
domestic servitude. Other children, such as street children, live in plain
sight but are excluded from fundamental services and protections. Not only do
these children endure abuse, most are shut out from school, healthcare and other
vital services they need to grow and thrive.
‘The State of
the World’s Children 2006: Excluded and Invisible’ (www.unicef.org/sowc06)
is a sweeping assessment of the world’s most vulnerable children, whose rights
to a safe and healthy childhood are exceptionally difficult to protect. These
children are growing up beyond the reach of development campaigns and are often
invisible in everything from public debate and legislation, to statistics and
news stories.
Without focused
attention, millions of children will remain trapped and forgotten in
childhoods of neglect and abuse, with devastating consequences for their
long-term well-being and the development of nations. The report argues that
any society with an interest in the welfare of its children and its own future
must not allow this to happen. “Meeting the Millennium
Development Goals depends on reaching vulnerable children throughout the
developing world,” Ms. Veneman said. “There
cannot be lasting progress if we continue to overlook the children most in need
– the poorest and most vulnerable, the exploited and the abused.”
UNICEF Executive
Director Ann M. Veneman
In the past
UNICEF has reported extensively on how poverty, HIV/AIDS and armed conflict are
undermining childhood itself. ‘Excluded and Invisible’ details how these
factors, as well as weak governance and discrimination, deprive children of
protection from abuse and exploitation, and exclude them from school, healthcare
and other essential services at alarming rates.
The report finds
that children who lack vital services are more vulnerable to exploitation
because they have less information on how to protect themselves, and fewer
economic alternatives. Children who are caught in armed conflict, for example,
are routinely subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence. It is these
children – alone and defenseless – who are being ignored.
Discrimination on
the basis of gender, ethnicity or disability also factors into the exclusion of
children. For example, discrimination shuts millions of girls out of school
and blocks critical services for children from ethnic minorities and indigenous
groups. An estimated 150 million children live with disabilities globally, many
without opportunities for education, healthcare, and nurturing support because
of routine discrimination.
The State of the
World’s Children argues that the world must go beyond current development
efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable children are not left behind.
The report also
outlines concrete actions that can be taken by civil society, the private
sector, donors and the media to help prevent children from falling through the
cracks. These and other efforts by people and organizations at all levels of
society help to build a ‘protective environment’ for children – one that
protects children from abuse in the same way that immunization and adequate
nutrition protect them from disease.
“Those who harm children rob them of opportunities to
grow up safe, healthy and with dignity,” Veneman said.
“To ensure that children are protected, the abuse and
exploitation of children must be brought to light and those who violate children
brought to justice.”
The State of the
World’s Children is UNICEF’s annual flagship publication. It is the most
comprehensive survey of global trends affecting children and provides the most
thorough almanac of up-to-date statistical data on children.
This year the
launch of The State of the World’s Children officially kicks off UNICEF’s 60th
anniversary. UNICEF is the world’s leader for children, working on the ground
in 157 countries to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood
through adolescence.
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United Nations (UN)
The role of the United
Nations in respect for human rights
In
May 2002, the UN Special Session of the General Assembly on Children focused
attention on making progress for children and investing in them as keys to
building global peace and security.
The United
Nations has repeatedly emphasized the need to integrate human rights into the
broad range of its activities. It is essential to recognize the potential of
almost all UN human rights mechanisms and procedures for contributing to the
protection and promotion of children’s rights.
Human rights treaties
The creation of a
body of international human rights law is one of the United Nations’ great
achievements. The United Nations has helped negotiate more than 70 human
rights treaties and declarations—many
focused on the rights of vulnerable groups such as women, children,
persons with disabilities, minorities and indigenous peoples. Together, these
treaties and declarations have helped create a ‘culture of human rights’
throughout the world, providing a powerful tool to protect and promote all
rights. In accordance with the treaties, States parties have set up treaty body
committees
that may call upon States to respond to allegations, adopt
decisions and publish them along with criticisms or recommendations. For the
full text of the core human rights treaties, see the links at right.
World Conferences and Summits
The standards
articulated in the international covenants and conventions have been reinforced
through declarations and plans of action that have emerged from a series of
World Conferences organized by the United Nations. These conferences have
gained importance as real forums for deciding on national and international
policy regarding such global issues as the environment, human rights and
economic development. They focus world attention on these issues and place
them squarely on the global agenda.
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United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) is to protect and promote all human rights for all.
OHCHR is
guided in its work by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent human rights instruments, and the
1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The promotion of universal
ratification and implementation of human rights treaties is at the forefront of
OHCHR activities.
OHCHR aims to
ensure the practical implementation of universally recognized human rights
norms. It is committed to strengthening the United Nations human rights
programme and providing the United Nations treaty monitoring bodies and special
mechanisms established by the Commission on Human Rights with the highest
quality support.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the official with principal
responsibility for United Nations human rights activities. OHCHR is committed to
working with other parts of the United Nations to integrate human rights
standards throughout the work of the Organization.
OHCHR bases
itself on the principle that human rights are universal, indivisible,
interdependent and interrelated. All rights civil, cultural, economic, political
and social - should be given equal emphasis, and promoted and protected without
any discrimination. The realization and enjoyment of all rights for women and
men must be ensured on a basis of equality.
OHCHR is
committed to promoting the realization of the right to development and to
strengthening a rights-based approach to development.
OHCHR engages
in dialogue with governments on human rights issues with a view to enhancing
national capacities in the field of human rights and towards improved respect
for human rights; it provides advisory services and technical assistance when
requested, and encourages governments to pursue the development of effective
national institutions and procedures for the protection for human rights.
A
number of OHCHR field presences have been established with a view to ensuring
that international human rights standards are progressively implemented and
realized at country level, both in law and practice. This is to be accomplished
through the setting up or strengthening of national human rights capacities and
national human rights institutions; the follow up to the recommendations of
human rights treaty bodies and the mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights
and the creation of a culture of human rights.
An essential condition for the success of field presences is that governments,
national institutions, non-governmental organizations, as well as the United
Nations country teams, are increasingly empowered to take on human rights
related activities on their own, within the context of regional or sub-regional
strategies.
OHCHR seeks to play an active role in removing obstacles and meeting
challenges to the full realization of all human rights and in preventing the
occurrence or continuation of human rights abuses throughout the world. To
achieve this OHCHR will work closely with governments, United Nations bodies,
regional organizations, international and non-governmental organizations and
civil society.
OHCHR Activities in FYR of Macedonia
OHCHR is
implementing a Comprehensive Technical Cooperation Programme in the Field of
Human Rights that will last 3 to 5 years subject to periodic implementation
reviews and availability of funds. The programme had started in 2002 and is
implemented in close cooperation and consultation with partners in the
Government, international organizations and the civil society.
The activities include:
* Human Rights Education in
Primary and Secondary Schools
* Strengthening of Civil Society
* Development of a National Human Rights Action Plan
* National Human Rights Institutions
* Strengthening of Government Capacity in the Field of Human Rights
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MEDJASHI - Republic of Macedonia
Mr. Dragi Zmijanac executive director and cofounder of FCEWM
at the press conference of the Macedonian national coalition of NGO's
for protection of the rights of children
The First
Children's Embassy in the World "Medjashi" (FCEWM) - Republic of
Macedonia was founded on the 29th of April 1992 in Skopje. FCEWM is a
World Association for protection of children and does not belong to any
government or party.
MNCNPRC
has been formed on 13 of November 1997 in Skopje on an initiation of the
FCEWM. The head office of the Coalition Secretariat is in Skopje in the
FCEWM. Members participate with 2 delegates. NGO's with their program targets
and goals for child protection join the coalition. Now, with a support from
UNICEF the number of the members raised on 25 NGO. On September 13, 1999 in
the Work Session of the UN- Comity for the rights of a child in Republic of
Macedonia, in the name of the Coalition participated Prof. D-r Vladimir
Ortakovski and Valerijan Monevski.
This World Association as a First
Children's Embassy in the World of the First Children's land in the World "Medjashi"
operates through its Honorary Ambassadors, Honorary Consul General and Honorary
Consul, Permanent Representatives and Honorary Members of Collegium, Children's
Diplomatic Corps, General Consulates, Consulates, Consulates Departments and
Office in the country and abroad as well as through its members in Macedonia and
in the World.
The First Children's Embassy in the World
unites the children of Macedonia with the children of the world. It
co-operates with all international organizations that are interested in the care
and protection of children.
The basic task of the First
Children's Embassy in the World "Medjashi", is to carry out the United
Nations Declaration and Conventions on Children's Rights. The First Children's
Embassy in the World as well as its Honorary Ambassadors, Honorary Consuls,
Permanent Representative and Honorary Members of Collegium and our Consulates
and Consular Departments will particularly support the following tasks:
• proclaiming certain territories for
children's territories (with a special status with the United Nations);
• accomplishing scientifically verified
humanitarian ecological cultural and recreational projects of the First
Children's Embassy "YEET" (Youth Nobles Every Territory);
• protection of children from war clashes
and all other conflicts;
• fighting against misuse of children for
sexual and economic aims;
• protection of children from conflict
about ethnic, religious, racial, linguistic, sex and other forms of intolerance;
• protection of children from spreading
of nationalism and chauvinism;
• the sovereignty of the children's
territories and ban of the use of children's objects for unintended and
especially for war aims;
• fighting against the misuse of children
for political aims;
• financing and support of projects of
the children fund of UN;
• extensive advocacy for the interests of
the children of the world in the United Nations Organizations (realization of
the idea for the Child Ambassador Chair in the General Assembly in the UN);
• recognition of the First Children's
Land in the World, as well as other Children's territories proclaimed by the
First Children's Embassy in the World "Medjashi" as territories of the most
numerous nations in the world-Children's nation;
• nomination and issuing diplomatic
passports to Honorary Ambassadors, Honorary Consul General, Honorary Consuls,
Permanent Representatives and Honorary Members of Collegium of the First
Children's Embassy distinguished citizens from Macedonia the country and abroad,
who fight for protection of the children's rights in the World.
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Commission on Human Rights
The Commission meets annually in Geneva for
six weeks and is composed of 53 States members. Over 3,000 delegates from member
and observer States and from non-governmental organizations participate. During
its regular annual session, the Commission adopts about a hundred resolutions,
decisions and Chairperson's statements on matters of relevance to individuals in
all regions and circumstances. It is assisted in this work by the Sub-Commission
on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, a number of working groups and
a network of individual experts, representatives and reporters mandated to
report to it on specific issues.
Sub-Commission on the Promotion
and Protection of Human Rights
57th session, Geneva
(25 July - 12 August 2005)
The United Nations Sub-Commission on the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights is the main subsidiary body of the
Commission on Human Rights. Originally the “Sub Commission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities”, it was established in 1947 with 12
members and renamed in 1999. Today, it is comprised of 26 independent experts in
the field of human rights who are elected by the Commission, with due regard to
equitable geographical distribution, and who act in their personal capacity.
Half the membership is elected every two years for a four-year term. In 2005,
the membership consists of seven experts from Africa , five from Asia , five
from Latin America , three from Eastern Europe and six from Western European and
other States.
Each year the Sub-Commission holds its regular session in July/August for
three weeks in Geneva . In addition to the members, the annual session is
attended by about 1,000 observers, including representatives of States, United
Nations bodies and specialized agencies, other intergovernmental organizations
and non-governmental organizations having consultative status with the Economic
and Social Council.
The central task entrusted to the Sub-Commission is to assist the
Commission on Human Rights in its work. Its main functions are to undertake
studies on human rights issues, to make recommendations to the Commission
concerning the prevention of discrimination of any kind relating to human rights
and fundamental freedoms and the protection of racial, national, religious and
linguistic minorities, and to carry out any other functions which may be
entrusted to it by the Council or the Commission. The Sub Commission is often
described as a “think tank” for the Commission on Human Rights. Studies
undertaken have addressed various aspects of the realization of human rights,
the administration of justice, combating discrimination and protecting the human
rights of minorities, indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups. On several
occasions the Commission has highlighted the importance of those studies and the
recommendations based on them to its work.
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Sources:
http://www.unicef.org/sowc/index_30450.html
http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30198.html
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/index.htm
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Children
Rights section |
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 Basic
Children Rights
This page
includes some documents about basic children rights which should be available
for every child in the world.
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People
and Action
A lot of people helped children to be happy and
to feel safe. But there is still huge number of unprotected children.
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