Resolution on the Union's position in the Special Session on chidren of the United Nations General Assembly

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the EU position on the Special Session on Children of the UN General Assembly. It pointed out that, although the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child had been ratified by 91 countries, its implementation is lacking. Parliament called for the implementation of this and of the new treaties developed during the past decade, specifically the optional protocol on children in armed conflict, and ILO Convention 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. The Council is requested to make the ratification of these treaties a priority in its political dialogue with third countries. Since girls in developing countries are more disadvantaged than boys, the Commission should take specific measures to protect the rights of the girl child in development and humanitarian aid policy. Lastly, it is suggested that all proposed EU directives, policies and programmes should be subject to child impact analyses in order to assess their potential implications for children.�