RE,PUBLIC OF ZAIJ{BIA

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Pe r m a n e n M issi o n f Z a mb i ato th e United t o Nations, 237 East52ndStr eet. New Yor k . Y 10022 N T e x :( 2 1 2 )8 8 8 -5 7 7 0 Fax:(212) BBB-5213 E-mail. zambia@un.int

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BY STATEMENT KAPAMBWE H.E.MR.LAZAROUS REPRESENTATIVE AND AMBASSADOR PERAAANENT OF OFTHEREPUBLIC ZAMBIA NATIONS TO THEUNITED
ITEM66: ON AGENDA

OF AND PROMOTION PROTECTION THE R I G H T O F T H EC H I L D S

I NT H E

SESSION OF THE 62NO REGUTAR THIRDCOA'TATITTEE O FT H E GENERAL ASSEMBLY UNITED NATIONS

october 19th 2oo7 New York

Mr. Chairman. Sinceit is the first time that I am takingthe ftoor, in this committee,I wishto take this opportunity congratulate Mr. Chairman the other members to you and of the bureaufor your etection and to assureyou of our fu[ suppoftand cooperation achieving committees' in the goals att our detiberations. in Mr. Chairman, Let me beginby saying that my detegation associates itsetf with the statement detiveredby Pakistan behatfof the G77 andChinaand Namibia behatf on on of SADC. Zambia attachesgreat importance this Agenda to item which addresses the Rights the Chitd.We believethat the prombtionand protectionof the of Rights the Chitdwitl createan idealsituationwherechitdren,s of fundamental rightsand freedoms wit[ be futty protected and promoted,as evidenced my by country's ratification the convention the Rfghts the chitd (cRc). of on of At this juncture, I woutd tike to hightight what Zambiais doingin addressing the issues the Rightsof the Chitd.Zambiahas a numberoi constitutional on and tegistative provisions which protectthe rightsof chitdren. The constitution encompassesBil[ of Rights a that protectsfundamental rightsand freedoms of children. In addition to constitutionat and tegislative piote.tion, there are nationalpolicies aimedat improving wetfareand quatityof tife of chitdren the in Zambia,inctuding the NationatChitdpolicy, the Nationit youth poticyand NationalProgramme Action. Theseform core guidetines imptementing of for CRC initiatives. Mr. Chairman, Zambiabelieves that youngpeoptedeserve havepowerovertheir ownfate. to That is why, it took note of the presence youngdetegates the United of to nationsthis year, that represented many countries-and sloke on issues that affect the Youthand chitdrenunderagenia item 62( b). Mdstof the youthwho spoke expressed concernover the stow progress achieving in the Mittenium Development Goals whichhavereached h;tf way point betieen the yearof the adoption that of imptementing. and Mr. Chairman, ln promoting chitd heatthy,Zambiahasimprovedaccess basicrurat heatth to seMces and has estabtished homebasedcare programmes whoseeffortsare beingcomptimented the Civit Society. by Through the minlttry of Heatth, the governmentfurther put in place an lntegratedManagement Chitdhood of ltlnesses (lMCl) improvethe careof chitdrenunderflve, in a holisticmanner. to ln addition, adotescentreproductiveheatth seMces targeting the youth

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between the agesof 10 and 19 have becomeprioritiesin the heatth and wetfare sectors. Efforts are being made to protect youngpeople from earty pregnancies exposure sexuatty and to transmitted diseases as HIV/AIDS. such At this point, I would tike to mention that Zambiais faced with a tot of challenges sincemost rural areas dependon services offeredin ctinics Urban in areas. In this regard,more resources thereforeneeded order to buitd are in adequaterural ctinicsto decongest clinicsin urban areas.My countryis also faced with the probtem braindrainof Zambian of doctors and nurses that have migrated to developed countries.To this effect, Effortsare being madeby Zambiato improvethe conditions services heatthpersonnel orderto of for in the redress situation. Mr. Chairman, With regard to quatity education, Zambia has estabtished the Nationat Education Poticydocument whichsetsthe generalprinciptes education of that include Liberalization, Decentratization,Equatity and Equity, euatity, Partnerships and Accountabitity. Basedon these principtes, the goat of the educationsystemin Zambiais to ensurethat every chitd has access free to basiceducation. Underthe Ministryof Community Development Social and Services, Zambia is supporting over 22,000orphans and vutnerabte children,1,654chitdrentiving with HIVand AIDS. Furthermore is atsosupporting it StreetChitdren by Centers way of grants. In this regard,My government acknowtedges in spite of that efforts taken to achievereformsin the educationsector, there is a needto prioritize interventionsin order to increaseenrotmentof chitdren and to safeguard that thosein schoots remainandcomptete their education. Mr. Chairrnan, ln 2000,Zambia launched lnternational the Programme Etimination Chitd for of (IPECL) protectchitdren Labour to against abuse, exptotation violence. and The programme contributed the progressive IPECL has to etimination exploitative of chitd tabour in the country by the provisionof educational and economic atternatfves the workingchitdren.In termsof progress the tocatization for on of the IPEC labourprogramme, NationalPtanof Action(NPA) a was prepared and a Nationat Steering Committee that directsand monitors imptementation the of the NationatProgramme ChitdLabourhasbeen put in ptace.Furtherrnore, on Zambia has recognized Convention No. 182 conceming the prohibitionand immediateaction for the eliminationof the Worst Formsof Chitd Labour as part of the nationalplanof action. With regardto ChitdSexuat Exptoitation and Abuse,Zambiain tine with the commitment of memberstatesof the UN prohibitssexualexptoitation and

with the in sexualabuseof chitdren.To this effect, government partnership sexualexploitation that adopted specificmeasures are addressing Civit Society Bitt Domestic for the to and abuseand havepresented Parliament ChitdRights on tegislation line with the United NationsConvention the Rightsof the in provide a comprehensive Chitd. The Bitt seeks to, among other things frameworkfor the protectionof the rightsof the chitd and to protectthe girt and forced labour.ln chitd from sexualabuse,trafficking,sexualexptoitation Exptoitation viotence, and order to furthermitigatethe effectsof ChitdSexual an across the countrywhich provide havebeen estabtished One Stop Centers integrated service to victims of sexual exptoitationinctuding counseting, and treatmentfor injuries,investigations prosecution. Mr. Chairman, In combating HIV as crisis. this regard, Zambia dectared has HIV/AIDS a nationat in young peopte has been top on Zambia's agenda. This has ted to strengthening the national capacityto stop the spreadof AIDSthrough of prevention HIVinfections youngpeople,prevention mother in of advocacy, of (PMTCT), improvement access votuntary to testing to chitd transmission and of programmes. given greaterattention to the Zambiahas and drug treatment infectedwith HlV.Programmes aimed situationof chitdren who are themsetves to chitd have been at reducingtransmission the virus from mother of introducedand HIVcounseting antenatalcentershas atsobecomeroutine. in Despite these and other interventions,it is estimatedthat about 90,000 children are tiving with HIV in Zambia. Of great importancein the administration ARVtherapy is the trainingin the ctinical management of of HIV/AIDS counsetors, which in the past has beenorientedtowardsaduttcare and tittle information the needs children. of on Mr. Chairman, ln conctusion,wishto mentionthat atthough in I there hasbeensomeprogress reatizingthe commitments in the final documentof the TwentySeventh set SpeciatSession the GeneralAssembty on and the United NationsMiltenium Dectaration the Mittenium and Devetopment manyof the goalshavenot Goats, plenarymeeting been futfitted.Member states wilt, duringthe High-Level in progress made in the five years since the December, look at the implementation the Declaration of and Ptanof Action for "A Wortd Fit for Children",and assess achievements, the chatlenges what remains be and to done. We owe it to the chitdrento ensure that we galvanize our effortsto truty atl makea difference their livesso they too canenjoy a tife fitted with promise to and prosperity "A WortdFit for Chitdren" I thankyou.