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STATEMENT
BY

fT.E. LESLIE K. CHRISTIAN
AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF GHANA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
ON AGENDA ITEM 66: (A) PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RTGHTS OF CHILDREN, AND (Bl FOLLOW-UP TO THE OUTCOME OF THE SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN

AT THE THIRD COMMITTEE OF THE 62NDSESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

NEW YORK, 18 OCTOBER, 2OO7

Mr.Chairman, My delegationwelcomesthe Secretary-General's comprehensive repofts submittedunder this agendaitem. The contentsof the report are of great interestto us. Ghanaplacesa high priorityon promoting and protecting the rights the child.Accordingly,hasput in place of it measures aimed addressing at the coreissues will ensure better that for children. this regard, me a future In let briefly address threeissues that are of particular interest my delegation. to A. Follow-upto the specialsessionof the GeneralAssemblyon children

In December, 2007,the General Assembly reviewcommitments out in will set "A worldfit for children". the finaldocument the special of session childrefl, on This will mark the fifth year after the adoption this historic of document. My delegation encouraged the Secretary-General's is by follow-up reportindicating visible signs progress implementing outcome the special of in the of session. But at the sametime we are wary of the observation our failureto achieve that the goals 2002will significantly of efforts undermine towards achieving otherequally goalspafticularly, UnitedNationMillennium important the Declaration the and Millennium Development by 2015. Goals It is our expectation that this highlyimportantreviewmeetingwill createthe momentum a scaled-up for response Governments other stakeholders by and and proffer new ways of confronting challenges the that we face in order to expedite effottsto attainthe goalsthat we five yearsago.Ghana our reiterates its firm commitment achieving goals,and we wouldshareour good to these practices the fofthcomimg at high-level meeting. B. Violence againstChildren

My government welcomes the report by Mr,' Paulo Sergio pinheiro,the Independent Expertdirectingthe Secretary-General's comprehensive first indepth study on violence againstchildren. This repoft has provided with us information the disseminationthe studyon and progress on of madein the initial phase followup to the study,We appreciate the study's of that recommendation globally, has catalysed action especially sinceit occurred a very earlystage. at The futureof our worlddepends a largeextenton the responsible to actions we take today to safeguard welfareand well-being our children.Many the of countries haveaccepted international treaties that require themto guarantee the protection children.Somecountries, of however, yet to establish are monitoring andresponse mechanisms.

The Convention the Rights the Child on of and the African Chafter Children's on Rights continue provide important to an monitoring instrument the national at level in Ghana. We have workedhard at the national level in the area of children's rightsand developed various strategies prevent formsof violence to all against children. The Government Ghanafully recognizes urgency the task aheadand of the of agrees that the study'srecommendations a comprehensive offer framework for the protection children of fromall formsof violence the national, at regional and international levels. However, notealsothat Governments are committed we that to this causecontinue be challenged institutional to by capacity weaknesses. For these countries, overarching goalsof the study would be achieved the if resource allocation wereincreased actions children. for on C. Childrenand Armed Conflict

I wouldliketo thankthe Special Representative the Secretary-General (SRSG) of for Children and ArmedConflict, Radhika Ms. Coomaraswamy her briefing for and welcome reportas well as the Gracia her Machel 10-year Strategic Review. My Government particularly is supportive her advocacy dialogue of and strategy with parties conflict, to We are happyto notethat overthe yearstangible progress beenmadethat has hascreated strongmomentum the children armed a for and conflict agenda and also provideda more extensive globalawareness the issue.The Security of Council has playedan impoftantrole in this area throughits adoptionof (2005),The existing resolution 1'612 monitoring and repofting mechanism on children and armed conflictis duly appliedin the concerned countries and provides objective, timelyandreliable information violations, on Collaborative effofts among the Office, of SpecialRepresentatives, multistakeholders such as UNICEF, MemberStates,regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations other civil society groupsas well as children and themselves have resulted admirable in progress the advances.Significant in development field programmes training field personnel, of and of suchas Child Protection Advisersto United Nations peacekeeping operationscannot go unmentioned. The repoftbeforeus acknowledges measures that havebeentakento address the situation children pafticularly of through progressive the legislative structures and commitment DDRprogrammes. to However, manysituations conflict in of considerable distance existsbetween still strongchild protection standards and norms andthe actual situation children the ground.We are alarmed for on that rapeis beingusedas a weapon war and, children pafticularly are the girls of

targetof gravesexual violence. Moredisturbing the fact that the climate is of impunity flourishing suchviolations undetected unpunished. go is and and In cases wherethe continuing recruitment children no longer central is of a issue, reintegration children society of into remains challenging. SRSG her report The in hashighlighted emerging critical issues concern of suchas the security camps of for IDPsand refugees wherechildren most susceptible vulnerable are and to recruitment othergrave and violations. negative The impact armed of conflict on children cannot underestimated. be In conclusion, Chairman, delegation Ghanawishes reiterate Mr. the of to its concern aboutthe situation children of affectedby armedconflict and urge all Member States that havenot already doneso to sign,ratifyandfullyimplement the corresponding relevant international instruments. various The reports before proposeexcellent this Committee recommendations and comprehensive to improve protection children. notedin the 1996landmark the of As Machel study, "war violates everyrightof the child"-the rightto life,the rightto be with family and community, rightto health, rightto development the personality the the of and the right to be nufturedand protected". international The community must intensify effoftsto protectchildren affected armedconflict by and mitigate their suffering fromthe atrocities war. of you, I thank