A/34/PV.36 General Assembly

The decision taken by the General Assembly to proclaim this year as the Interna- tional Year of the Child [resolution 31/169] has been a happy initiative which will enable us to draw the atten- tion of world public opinion and that of Member ccun- tries to the needs of children throughout the world. 2. Bringing up children so that they will become good citizens has been one of the main concerns of mankind in classical antiquity. It would be no exaggeration to say that the basis of modern education is the dictum " \loO~ uYLli~ 8\1 O~UU.H UYLEL ", which was reproduced verbatim by the Latins as mens sana in corpore sano and in the concept of Agogi, whose ideal it is to provide the citizens of the future with moral, intellectual and physical qualities which would permit them to play a responsible role in the conduct of community affairs. That concern is clearly apparent on the many amphoras and other art objects of that time, as was demonstrated in an exhibition organized by the National Ar- chaeological Museum to celebrate the International Year of the Child. That exhibition was entitled "The child in antiquity". 3. The same concern has guided the policy of the Greek Government which, during the last three years, has proceeded to a thorough restructuring of the educa- tional system by promulgating a series of laws which have all come into force in the meantime, Perhaps the most important of these is that which prolongs the period of compulsory schooling, making it 9 instead of 6 years. Young Greeks up to the age of 15 enjoy a general and standard education. At the same time primary, secondary and university education is free of charge. Furthermore, my Government, despite the policy of austerity which it has been compelled to follow because of the world economic situation, in the same 753 NEWYORK period increased the allocations for education both in absolute figures and also as a percentage of the gross na- tional product. 4. The celebration of the International Year of the Child has also given rise to a series of additional measures to benefit the child. I shall mention a few in the field of education. 5. Surveys on the needs of pre-school children are be- ing conducted in 1,000 rural communities, covering a total of 12,000 families. In order to expand pre-school education throughout the country, 350 new nursery schools have been created as well as 132 new kinder- gartens. Television stations have inaugurated ex- perimental educational programmes for primary schools and these will be expanded gradually. A bill concerning the education of children who need special care will be prepared shortly and submitted to the Chamber of Deputies. Another bill relating to the reorganization of institutions to re-educate minors is already on the agenda of the Chamber. 6. In the field of health and social security, pursuant to a law which will be passed shortly, the plans for all new urban and rural complexes covering more than 25 hectares will have to include model parks for children. Furthermore, 265 new recreational centres have been in- augurated recently in the Athens region alone. Plans are being prepared and measures studied to reduce infant mortality. An interministerial committee is preparing a code for the protection of children and teen-agers. 7. In other fields the ILO Convention concerning the Minimum Age of Admission to Employment I has been ratified. A national congress of societies for the protec- tion of minors has been organized with the theme of juvenile delinquency and the protection of children who have left home. The convention on adoption law has been ratified and an interministerial committee has been set up to study all the problems of children of migrant workers. Finally Greece is taking an active part in the International Year of the Child by organizing con- ferences and debates, as well as various cultural and recreational activities. 8. My country is not only concerned about its own children. It is fully aware of the enormous and pressing needs of children in the developing regions. The Greek Government has always given full support to the cause of children in the United Nations. In particular, we are concerned about situations in which children suffer more than adults, as is the case with refugees. We believe that such cases deserve preferential treatment by the international community. I International Labour Office, Official Bulletin, vol. LVI, 1973, series A, No. I, Convention No. 138. A/34/PV.36 10. The International Year of the Child should not be limited to expressions befitting the occasion and elo- quent speeches. Rather, it should serve as an occasion for reflection on what is perhaps the most important problem facing us in the future. It is our duty to study the future of our children because that future, like our own, can only be considered in terms of the present state of affairs in the world. Has not the time come for us to devote more to the needs of children and less to pursu- ing our own dreams, especially when those dreams lead rather to self-destruction than to the improvement of the human condition? Even if we survive, what sort of world shall we leave to our children if we take account only of our material needs? 11. Let me quote from the message of the President of the Greek Republic, the eminent humanist Mr. Con- stantin Tsatsos, who said this on the occasion of the beginning of the International Year of the Child: "Children are still far from the hatred and blind- ness generated by individual and collective passions. They have not had time to become evil like adults. They are hungry for bread but they are also hungry for affection. All the interests and greed which have divided us for centuries do not exist in the child. The child unites us. It does not yet belong to the miserable and sinful race of men. The child belongs to God."

It was a source of great satisfaction for me to come before the General Assembly to convey a message of solidarity from the Honduran Committee on the In- ternational Year of the Child, under the chairmanship of Her Excellency the First Lady of the Nation, Mrs. Carlota de Paz Garcia, and to share with the other Members of the Organization our experience and the ef- forts we have made towards improving the status of children throughout the world. 13. The initiative of devoting the year 1979 to the child had from its inception the warmest support of the Hon- duran Government, and the concept of the Interna- tional Year of the Child as a time of reflexion and action oriented towards the future, and not merely as another event in the busy schedule of international conferences also won our enthusiastic support. 14. Honduras is a country that has a young popula- tion. Our best resources are human resources, and our best prospects for development rest in the children and teen-agers whose training in various areas of labour and professional activity will in the future lead the country to new levels of economic and social development. 21. Honduras wishes to express its appreciation of the work UNICEF has accomplished since its foundation for the benefit of the children of all our countries; we appreciate also the modern and dynamic attitude it has taken in recent years in its activities within the United Nations system and in the co-ordination of the Interna- 15. The National Committee on the International Year of the Child was established with the basic purpose of serving as a co-ordinating centre to provide the im- 16. The plan of action for the International Year in- cludes both medium- and long-term objectives in the following areas in particular: a programme of com- prehensive child care, including projects for establishing nursery schools and child-care centres to care for the children of working parents and to provide for their vocational training; programmes of social welfare through family education; special attention devoted to children in irregular situations, and the creation of a special centre for handicapped and retarded children; campaigns for vaccination, nutrition and health; the construction of a recreational centre in the capital city, and children's parks in various areas; educational cam- paigns in the press, radio and television. 17. In developing the many activities programmed for 1979, the participation of Honduran society, by giving thought to the problems of children, has grown to an unprecedented degree and has made a definite contribu- tion to the increased awareness of both public authorities and public opinion as a whole. In this it has helped to bring about an awareness of the need to devote greater attention to and more effectively to im- plement" in the future a solution to such serious prob- lems as early infant mortality, school drop-outs, and so on. 18. This year, the children of Honduras have taken part in numerous competitions in music, the plastic arts and the theatre, all of which have stimulated their creative talents. They have had the benefit of concerts and festivals that have introduced them to culture and they celebrated with particular enthusiasm a national day set aside for them on 10 September. 19. With regard to future years, however, the task has only begun, and in my country there is a desire to pro- ject the results of 1979 into the immediate future by in- cluding special children's programmes in the next five- year plan, both in terms of material activities and in terms of important legal and social projects such as a new family code and a new law on the protection of minors. 20. In the meantime, it is obvious to us that interna- tional co-operation in this field is increasingly impor- tant, not only at the level of an exchange of experiences, but also with regard to the necessary technological sup- port for the development of such programmes. secretaria~ of the International Year, headed by Mrs. Aldaba-Lim, and to request that it continue to ac- comp!ish its enormous tasks in future years, to our great benefit. 23.. Our.count,ry took part in the Special meeting on Children in Latin Amenca and the Caribbean that was held under the auspices of UNICEF in Mexico City from 16 to 18 May 1979, and we wish to draw the As~embly's attention to. the declaration adopted there, 2 which represents a regional consensus with regard to policy concerning the child. 24. I!1 conclusion, we can only reiterate the appeal made m other forums for the international community to respond generously to the needs of the refugee children in South-East Asia and our own Central American countries. , 25. Mr, ANDERSON (Australia): Our children are our future. We must all now move to ensure that the momentum and progress achieved in this Year of the Ch.ild are sustained. T~e promise, the hopes, the expec- tations generated by this Year must not be dissipated. 26. The success thus far of the International Year of the Child has surpassed all our expectations. It has reached across national boundaries and touched all of us. Governments, international agencies, community organ~zationsand individuals have all combined to give a particularly sharp focus to the needs and expectations of our children. 27.. There is nothing more ,important than the way in which we treat, care for, tram and educate the children o.ftoday, the leaders of tomorrow. The example we pro- v.lde, the values we.promote, the understanding and in- sights we communicate will shape events for the next four to five decades. The Year of the Child has drawn attention to the needs, the problems, the growth and the development of children everywhere. Throughout the world there are many millions of children who enter the world in desperate poverty, who face the prospect throughout their lives of hunger, disease, want and disadvantage. Who is not deeply concerned by the plight of such children? 2,8. rhe position of some children is appalling. The Situation, for example, of children suffering the effects of apartheid and racial discrimination is an affront to humanity. The rights of such children will be secured only in a non-racial society in which all the people of southern Africa, irrespective of race colour or creed enjoy freedom, equality and huma~ dignity. The in: alienable rights of these and all children must be respected. 29. N~r is the situation of refugee children something ~e can Ignore. Fear, the death of loved ones, flight in c~rcumstances Of physical danger, the hardship and ten- sions of camp life combine all too often with hunger, 30. Within a country like my own, the problems are not of .these dimensions or of this character. Yet in Australia we do have seriously handicapped children some burdened by disease and inadequate nutrition: There are children in Australia, as in many industrial- ized countries, who suffer the deprivations of isolation There are other children affected by social disorders: chil~ren.denie~ the nourishment and support of normai family life. Still other children are deprived of needed intellectual and cultural stimulus. The essential vulnerability o,f children is made more acute by their need to cope with changes in the role and function of the f~mily and, in many of our societies, with rising violence and an increasing incidence of drug and alcohol-related problems. 31. The challenge posed by the Year of the Child has been to ensure that no child, wherever he or she may be has his o~ her future handicapped because of a poo; start 11l life. We must reaffirm our responsibilities towards our greatest resource-the citizens of tomor- row. 32. The success of the Year of the Child to date has been most encouraging. We all owe a particular debt to the untiring efforts of l!NICEF, the lead agency, and to the Special Representative for the International Year of the Child and to her staff. Mrs. Estefania Aldaba-Lim's visit to ~ustralia was a source of great inspiration. Her compelling advocacy of the cause of the child made an invaluable contribution to Australian community think- ing about the needs of children throughout the world. 33. The global response to the Year of the Child has demonstrated the value of co-ordinated attention to special issues. It has shown that where such attention is carefully prepared and the focus of activities is on prac- tical measures at an attainable level, then the prospects of success are greatly enhanced. Indeed we are con- vinced that the primary emphasis in the'International Year of the Child on activities at the national level has bee~ ~ kt:y fact,or in .the welcome level of community participation evident in the development of projects to the greater over-all benefit of the world's children.'By way of corollary, we have also noticed that the direct relevance of the Year of the Child to national activities has also helped to stimulate awareness in many coun- tries of the United Nations in the broader context. It has helped generate increased community support for in- volvement with the United Nations. At a time when cynicism is too common a feature of international af- fairs, the value of such support should not be under- estimated. 34. In Australia the objectives of the International Year of the Child have been, first, to raise awareness and stimulate action to meet the needs of all children' secondly, to revi~w and revise attitudes and approache~ to the care of children; thirdly, to identify and initiate action to overcome inadequacies, duplication and in- consistencies in the provision of services to children' a.nd, finally, to ~ighlight and accommodate the par: ticular needs of disadvantaged children. 35. A feature of Australia's Year of the Child ac- tivities has been the number of initiatives by individuals and groups aimed at raising awareness in Australia of the situation of children in developing countries. At the same time, the activities of the Year have drawn atten- tion to the needs of many Australian children, as well as to the concern existing in our community with regard to the welfare of children in general. 36. The level of awareness in Australia of the Year has been remarkably high. People everywhere as parents, relatives, teachers, communities, particular interest groups, agencies or organizations are discussing their at- titudes to, and the importance and the adequacy of, care for children. The network which has been established of Commonwealth, State and local committees, involving a:ll levels of Government, non-governmental organiza- tIOns and the community, has enabled the responsibility and initiative for action in the Year of the Child to be appropriately and effectively distributed. 37. The Australian Government facilitated co- ordination in Australia of the Year of the Child by establishing an International Year of the Child Unit within its Department of Social" Security. Funds were also given to the International Year of the Child Na- tio~al Co~mitteeof Non-Governmental Organizations. Jomtly wIth the State Governments, the Australian Goyernment launched a major publicity campaign designed to encourage involvement of Australians in the Year of the Child. The theme of the campaign is "Care". This was accompanied by recurrent Govern- ment grants to the States to finance special Year of the Child projects, and by seeding grants for community projects involving children under the age of 12 years and stimulating community participation in the Interna- tional Year of the Child. 38. The following are some few examples of the many projects which have been initiated. A Child Accident Prevention Foundation has been established. The Foun- dation's aim is the reduction of the alarmingly high dOrJ.1est\c accident .rate among children through co- ordmatlOn of a natIOnal approach to preventive educa- tion. The Australian Government made available $1 million to help establish the Foundation. A consultation with children is to be conducted to obtain their views on issues of concern to them. This will be one of the first attempts made in Australia seriously to document and publicize the views of children. Another project is that being unde~ta~en by !h~ Australian Youth Performing Arts AssociatIOn. ThiS Involves small performing arts troupes travelling to remote Australian rural areas to bring to children in those areas "cultural and creative in- fluences" to which they would normally not have access. 39. Those examples have simply been picked at ran- dom.. Hundreds of events and projects have been ~rgaUlze<!by GovernIlfent, nOl~-g9vernmentalorganiza- t!ons, pnvate en!erpnse and mdlviduals. Film, televi- SIon, books, radIO, r~search studies, reports, newslet- t~rs., .conferences, .s~mmars, ~orkshops, discussions, ex- hibItions, competitIOns, festIvals and cultural activities ha~e all been used to get the message of the Year of the Child across to everyone in our community. 41. Follow-up at the international level is also needed. We hope that UNICEF will continue to maintain an ac- tive interest in the issues and activities generated by the Year of the Child. We, for example, see considerable value in the proposals made to the Economic and Social Council by the Executive Director of UNICEF for the exchange of experience and of child-related research between developed and developing countries on pro- grammes for children. We would also see some benefit in Member States being invited to submit information, to be circulated at the thirty-fifth session of the General Assembly under the UNICEF item, on continuing na- tional activities in the wake of the Year of the Child. That could be followed, at intervals of say every four >:ears, by a system of periodic reporting by organiza- tIOns and Member States. Such a system would enable the General Assembly to monitor and stimulate progress towards the longer-term objectives of the Year of the Child, while avoiding over-commitment of the resources of the United Nations and Member States. 42. When considering the longer term we think it e~sentialthat pl~nning for follow-up of th~ Year should aIm for pr~ventlOn as well as cure. First priority must cl~arly be given to ensuring that every child in the world gams the material security and increased life-expectancy that children in industrialized countries generally already enjoy. Particular urgency must attach to the rest~ration of in!ilienable human rights to children d.epnved of such nghts. We strongly support the discus- su;ms now proceeding in the Commission on Human RIghts towards the conclusion of an international con- vention on the rights of the child. At the same time it is cle~r that urt;>anized ~igh-technology societies im'pose their .own senous ~trams on the ~elfare and happiness of chIldren. A.ttentlon must be paid to ensuring that the proble~ns which confront children in industrialized c0!1ntnes do not, as a matter of course, flow on to the chIldren of those nations which are now in the process of rapid industrialization. 43. Futur~ planning should also, in our view, maintain tpe e~p~asls on the .role of t~e family. The quality of hf~ wIthm the fa:mIly and m the community helps chIldren to gro~ Ill. every res~ect. In Australia many groups are contnbutmg to consIderation of the viability and. ~tructure of a national policy for children and famlhes. 44. ~inally, we shou~d be seeking to draw maximum benefIt from the expenence of the International Year of the Child in determining approaches to future co- 45. The International Year of the Child has been a success because it has been a co-operative venture on the part of all whose activities involve or affect children. It has provided a unique opportunity for government, voluntary and business organizations to work together with community groups, families and individuals, with one purpose-the care of children. We are particularly happy to sponsor the draft resolution which has been circulated here today [A/34/L.4]. For we must not allow the International Year of the Child to pass us by in a cloud of rhetoric and platitudes - to be quickly forgotten in 1980. We must ensure now that the pro- gress achieved during this Year is put on an enduring basis.

From thjs rostrum the delegation of the Byelorussian SSR can state with full justification that, as a result of the victory of the great October Revolution and of the building of a developed socialist society, the aims of the International Year of the Child, as formulated in the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, were be- ing successfully carried out in our Republic long before a decision was taken to institute the International Year of the Child. In our country the growing generation receives the best that the people have to give. The children are given constant attention, and everyone can be sure that the fate of his child is of the utmost impor- tance. 47. In the very first years of the existenceof the Soviet State, in 1917 and 1918, the Workers' and Peasants' Government adopted many decrees to protect the mother and the child. On-the initiative of the founder of our State, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, a principle was established which to this day is still a law of our land: "The best should be given to the children". That princi- ple has been observed in all stages of our development. Even in the very tragic years of destruction after the Great Patriotic War of 1941 to 1945, during which the Byelorussian SSR lost 2,230,000 human lives-that is, one quarter of its entire population-and while the adults went without the barest necessities, the children were still educated and given whatever existed'in terms of clothes and food. No child was left without care. 48. Care for children is reflected in the legislation of the Byelorussian SSR. 49. The Constitution, in particular, givesto all citizens the right to the protection of their health, and that right is implemented through free medical assistance by the various State institutions. Also, particular care is given to the health of the growinggeneration, and this includes the prohibition of child labour except where this is con- nected with vocational education. Their successin these fields is clearly illustrated by the fact that the child mor- tality rate in the ByelorussianSSR has decreased 17-fold since the institution of Soviet power. 50. The Constitution gives all citizens the right to education. This right ensures that all forms of education 51. The Constitution provides protection of the family by the State. The State cares for the family by instituting a broad network of facilities for the child, the organiza- tion and improvement of social'status and of nutrition, the payment of allowances following the birth of a child, further allowances and benefits to be given to families with many children and many other types of assistance available to the family. Throughout the Byelorussian SSR, there is a wide network of day-care centres and other institutions attended by half a million children. Considerable attention is also being given in our Republic to extra-curricular activities for children. Numerous Pioneer and Students' Palaces and Pioneer Houses are placed at their disposal, and also youth sta- tions for technicians and young naturalists, pioneers and school camps, special popular libraries, theatres and cinemas for children, stadiums, sports facilities and other institutions are all available. 52. Questions involving the care of children and the educational aspect of their activity are the concern of practically all State organizations and institutions, and of other such enterprises as collective farms and various generalized organizations. 53. The Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR and local soviets of people's deputies. are assisted by stan- ding committees dealing with questions of the life and work of women and the care of mothers and children. These committees concern themselves with matters in- volving health care for mothers and children and pro- vide assistance to families bringing up children. 54. In this sphere of child care, considerable work is being done by the committees of people's deputies on medical care and on youth and other problems, and also by the labour unions and the Communist youth groups. The activities of these organizations have receiveda new stimulus in this International Year of the Child. 55. In its last session in June of this year, the work of the Standing Committee on Matters Concerning the Work and Life of Women and the care of mothers and children was discussed by the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR. In the report of the President of the Committee it was clearly explained how the Committee is exercising control over the progress of work on the health and upbringing of children and the implementa- tion of plans for the construction of school buildings, kindergartens, hospitals and polyclinics. The Supreme Soviet has adopted a decree which approved the ac- tivities of the Committee and has set further targets for the application of measures aimed at improving the health and working conditions of mothers and children, the improvement of children's conditions of life, their studies, upbringing and free-time activities. 56. The Decreeof the Government of the Byelorussian SSR published in April of this year has established a net- work of measures for the observance of the Interna- 57. The measures set out in that plan are being suc- cessfully implemented. 58. In the Byelorussian SSR all the conditions exist for the harmonious physical, spiritual and moral develop- ment of children. They are educated in such a way as to become men and women who will be characterized by the adoption of aspirations towards lofty social ideals, humanitarianism, high-mindedness and a genuinely creative attitude to work. The measures involving child care now being put into effect in the Byelorussian SSR far exceed the standards laid down, in particular, in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations [resolution 1386 (XIV)] in 1959, 59. However, children's rights are far from being en- sured everywhere. In many countries of the world the plight of millions and millions of young citizens is still an unhappy one. In poor sections of the population in developed capitalist countries, children are still suffer- ing from hunger, poverty and sickness, and are deprived of the opportunity to study. In southern Africa, the children of the indigenous populations of the Republic of South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, together with their parents, are afflicted with all the horrors of racism, apartheid and their attendant injustices. Children in the Arab lands seized by Israel are enduring the tragedy of foreign occupation. In the military con- flicts, the blame for which can be laid at the door of the forces of imperialism and hegemonism, many innocent children, their mothers and their fathers, are being killed. We are aware of the difficult situation of the children in the majority of developing countries, whose troubled colonial past has contributed to this state of af- fairs. The continuing arms race caused by imperiahsm has diverted enormous resources away from creative purposes, which include the solution of the problem of the improvement of the lot of chl:Jren. 60. The delegation of the Byelorussian SSR considers that the International Year of the Child must become a year of joint endeavours in the broadest circles of the world community in order to bring into force the prin- ciples laid down in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child so as to ensure a Peaceful and happy future for all children. 61. The World Conference which was held in Moscow from 7 to 11 September this year and which took as its 3 See document E/ICEF/Misc. 325 (Russian only). For the sum- mary of the reply of the Byelorussian SSR, see document E/ICEF/663, p, 56. 62. It is important that in connexion with the Interna- tional Year of the Child all States Members of the United Nations and of other international organiza- tions, and the whole of the world community, should unite in the struggle to defend children from suffering and sorrow, from racial discrimination and exploita- tion, from poverty and wars. To achieve this aim it is necessary to generate efforts to promote detente, to put an end to the arms race, to strengthen peace and the security of nations, which would open up real oppor- tunities to solve other important problems, including the improvement of the condition of children. It is the duty of the world community to direct its efforts towards ensuring that the children of all nations shall not know war, and that they shall enjoy a peaceful and happy childhood. 63. The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Comrade Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, said in his speech of welcome to the World Conference entitled "For a Peaceful and Happy Future for All Children',: "Children are our love, our hope, our tomorrow. In their hands the older generation must place everything created by the genius of mankind so that they can proceed further along the road of creation; we must pass on to them the baton in the race for peace and social progress. The Year of the Child must in fact become each year of our lives!" 64. Guided as we are by the principle of international solidarity with the peoples of other countries, the Byelorussian SSR is participating in the provision of assistance to the developing countries inciuding as well in assistance to improve the living conditions of their children. Our Republic actively participates in the various programmes which were instituted by the United Nations, by UNICEF, by UNESCO and by other international agencies working in this field. 65. The delegation of the Byelorussian SSR takes a most positive view of the activities of UNICEF and of the secretariat of the International Ycar of the Child. 66. We should also like to express the hope that in the very near future a convention on the rights of the child, which is now being discussed in the United Nations thanks to the initiative of the People's Republic of Poland, will be concluded. We would like to stress the importance and urgency of that instrument. 67. The desti .,.>t mankind depends on what we, the adults, do today in order to ensure a peaceful, happy 69. My Government strongly believes in the need for security and welfare for children. In launching the ac- tivities of the International Year of the Child in Malawi, my President stated: "You cannot talk of a nation without children. Children are the beginning of the na- tion". It is therefore only fitting and proper that the United Nations should be concerned with the plight of children throughout the world. We must provide for our children, who are the future leaders and will form the nations of the future and who are, hence, a great asset for the success and prosperity of every country. In that com exlon, the Malawi delegation wishes to expres~ its utmost appreciation to the United Nations for declaring 1979 the International Year of the Child. 70. As representatives are no doubt aware, Malawi became independent only in 1964. Prior to our in- dependence, Malawi was so neglected by the colonial Government and its poverty was such that even ( .r closest friends felt we could not make a success of our independence. That was quite understandable because there were very few schools, the existing health services were basically curative, and their coverage was almost negligible. Improved rural water supplies were. non- existent and houses were poorly constructed out of wat- tle and daub. People throughout the country experi- enced famine every year. 71. Today, agriculture has been developed to such an extent that, contrary to what both our friends and our enemies had expected, Malawians throughout the coun- try are now better fed and better dressed and live in reasonably good houses. Malnutrition is no longer the result of lack of food in Malawi but rather of improper methods of feeding and food preparation. The Interna- tional Year of the Child is therefore regarded in Malawi as a spring-board which has provided a valuable oppor- tunity to intensify existing nutrition education pro- grammes within the framework of homecraft groups and women's organizations so that mothers may learn proper food preparation and proper feeding methods. The International Year of the Child has also given an opportunity to Malawians to rededicate themselves to the noble task of nation-building through the proper care of children. 72. In order to give a purpose and direction tc ac- tivities during the International Year of the Child, my Government has established a national commission which is responsible for drawing up a co-ordinated pro- gramme of activities to review, evaluate and co-ordinate services for children throughout Malawi. This commis- sion is also responsible for raising funds both locally and externally through the International Year of the Child (Malawi) Fund; for initiating and sponsoring research studies related to child welfare; examining all social legislation in Malawi and, where appropriate, in- itiating amendments to it or proposing new legislation; and, lastly, examining all existing policies related to 73. As I indicated earlier, the national commission has drawn up a national programme of activities which has been approved by the Government and which conse- quently forms an integral part of its over-all economic and social development policy. This programme is geared towards the physical, social and mental develop- ment of the child from birth to the age of seven, through the development of pre-school play group centres which, during the colonial era, were a prerogative of the whites. During the next 10 years the target group will therefore be children under five years of age and children attending primary school. As the theme for the International Year of the Child in Malawi is "Child growth and development", services to the pre-school child are being given the highest priority, followed by those to children attending primary school, to ensure that their physical, social and mental development is promoted. This theme emphasizes "growth", with nutrition as a vital factor. 74. Since its independence in 1964, the Malawi Gov- ernment has laid ever-increasing emphasis on promoting the services pertaining to the proper development of the child. The Government is currently developing a net- work of pre-school play-group centres. At present, more than 56 per cent of the school-age population is entering primary schools, and only 16 per cent of those successfully completing their primary education can be placed in secondary schools. In order to improve the situation further an extremely ambitious expansion pro- gramme involving 200 additional primary schools, 24 additional secondary schools and three additional teachers' training colleges has been embarked on and should be completed within the next two years. When this project has been completed, it is hoped that more than 70 per cent of the school-age population will enter primary schools, and that about 30 per cent of those successfully completing primary school education will be placed in secondary schools. 75. In the field of health, nutrition education is being undertaken through the co-ordinated efforts of the Ministries of Health, Education, Community Develop- ment, Social Welfare and Agriculture and Natural Resources. The target of this programme is the children and mothers through the home economics and home management programmes. Health education is being highlighted by intensifying heaith education activities in clinics, dispensaries, hospitals, schools, homes and public health education centres. The hospitals arc being improved and expanded, and new ones are being con- structed. An ambitious immunization programme is be- ing undertaken with a view to improving the present health services coverage of 50 per cent of the children. 76. The Malawi Government has also established self- help piped-water projects,and improved wells and bore- hole programmes which aim at bringing potable water to 90 per cent of the rural communities by the year 1990. This project will be very beneficial to our children, since the majority of the diseases are water-borne. 77. With regard to improved housing, it is hoped that, as the country continues to enjoy excellent economic 78. As regards handicapped children, the education authorities advocate the integration of handicapped children in ordinary schools. To this end, 25 resource centres have been established throughout Malawi where handicapped children requiring special attention attend side by side with their able-bodied counterparts. There is also in existence a special college where the deaf and the dumb go. An orthopaedic workshop is being established which will, among other things, produce prosthesis for handicapped children. 79. The International Year of the Child National Commission is a Malawi national body on children's af- fairs that now defines and recommends to the Govern- ment the over-all policy on children. It is responsible for co-ordinating children's affairs, thereby avoiding duplication and overlapping of services for children. Consequently, it has succeeded in promoting fuller understanding and the implementation of what is en- shi ined in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. 80. The Malawi Government recognizes the fact that the provision of adequate basic services to all children calls for skilled manpower, base-line data and other resources beyond the capacity of a developing nation such as Malawi. This being the case then, my Govern- ment is willing to explore further possibilities of bilateral, regional and even global co-operation in this field. With this objective in mind, Malawi participated in the East African Regional International Year of the Child Symposium that was held at Nairobi in March 1979. Also, the International Development Agency has provided funds for additional schools and, as the representative of the United Kingdom indicated this morning [35th meetings, the British Save the Children Fund has sponsored and financed an immunization pro- gramme concerned initially with the eradication of poliomyelitis. For all this aid we are) very grateful. 81. My delegation strongly believes that political will and Government commitment are crucial for the suc- cessful provision of basic services for children. Local participation in the provision of these basic services and their effective co-ordination at 'I levels, beginning at the village level and ending at the national level, are also extremely important. In Malawi the local people par- ticipated in the drawing up of the International Year of the Child national programme of activities. They will also be involved in the execution of that programme by providing labour and material assistance on a self-help basis. The International Year of the Child national pro- gramme of activities does not only form an integral part of our development programme, but my President has also taken the lead by making personal donations to the activities of the Year and by publicly announcing his support for all our. children's programmes. As I in- dicated earlier on, the International Year of the Child Fund has also been established to raise funds to support children's programmes approved by the Government through the National Commission so as to ensure con- tinuity of the activities of the Year and a directorate for children during the years to come. 82. Finally, the Malawi delegation wishes to register its most profound gratitude and appreciation to

It is for my delegation a matter of deep satisfaction that this item is being considered in plenary meetings of the General Assembly, since that serves to enhance the im- portance and the significance of all the problems affect- ing children in the International Year of the Child. The Government of Chile attaches special importance to events of this nature, since we believe that they con- tribute to a large extent to promoting the desire, especially in developing countries, to act on specific problems. 84. We believe that one of the main objectives of the Year of the Child and of discussing the item in plenary meetings of the Assembly is to enable countries to share their experiences so as to enrich their respective national programmes. I shall therefore not refer to the situation of children at the international .level, since this has already been sufficiently dealt with in many documents of this Organization and in statements by previous speakers. 85. On the basis that the child is a fundamental part of the nation, Chile considers that, within the means at its disposal, it is the inescapable duty of its Government to work towards meeting fully all the needs of children at the various stages of their development. 86. That is a concept on which for a very long time the Government of my country has focused, in keeping with Chile's centuries-old-tradition of granting preferential treatment to the condition of children. In the past five years this priority care has been geared to structuring a comprehensive and systematic system of child care which would continuously improve over time, so as to ensure sufficient quality and coverage of services to meet the special needs of the child population. This system of child care was instituted at the beginning of 1978 with the "National policy on children and youth, 1978-1982", which was adopted by a supreme decree en- trusting the Ministry of. Justice with ensuring the care, development and well-being of the child. 87. The policy to which I am referring rests on the assumption that a country's economic development is indivisible from its social development and, at the same time, that child-oriented policies cannot stand in isola- tion but must take into account and co-ordinate multiple activities in various sectors. Experience has shown that it is not advisable to establish plans geared exclusively to the child without taking into account that the child develops in the context of the nucleus of his family. Consequently, my Government has emphasized the redi. '~ibution of income in favour of lower-income families, as is clearly shown in the increase of funds devoted to the health, housing, education and social security sectors. To demonstrate this greater allocation of resources, it suffices to mention that during 1969 and 1970 an average of $750 million was spent in those sec- tors, while in 1978 $1,244 million was spent on the same objectives, purchasing power being equal. This means that there was an increase of 49 per cent in real terms over the eight-year period, which, given a growth in the population of approximately 17 per cent for the period, is equivalent to an increase of 22 per cent per capita in expenditures in those sector ,. 89. The over-all application of these policies has already yielded some results which we find to be ex- tremely encouraging and which support the solid action for the child continuously carried' out by successive Chilean governments, and that has led to the actual con- dition of the child and the young population of the country coming increasingly closer to the levels recom- mended by international agencies as ideal. 90. I should like to emphasize three of the most impor- tant areas in this regard. In the field of health con- siderable changes have been introduced which have directly benefited mother and child programmes, sup- plemented by a considerable increase in human resources ranging from obstetricians, paediatricians, midwives and dieticians to rural nursing aids, and specific programmes such as that of the Mother and Child Extension Service. This latter programme has enabled us to obtain considerable improvement in the treatment of respiratory illnesses and perinatal risks, which are major causes of infant mortality. Further- more, we have expanded our mass inoculation cam- paigns and at the same time the psychological and social education of the infant and the child has been included as a normal national health activity. Finally, structural changes introduced in the National Health Service have sought to rationalize services in order to improve coverage and quality, and in recent years these have reached 90 per cent of the population through 365 hospitals and 1,600 health care centres. A result of all this has been the continuous reduction of infant mor- tality from 92 per 1,000 in 1968 to 39.7 per 1,000 in 1978. Pre-school mortality in the same period fell from 6.5 per 1,000 in 1970 to 1.9 per 1,000 in 1978. Life ex- pectancy rose from 61.2 years in 1970 to 66 years in 1977 and the over-all mortality' rate for the same period fell from 8.7 to 6.8 per 1,000 inhabitants. All of these figures have been taken from statistics of international agencies. 91. In the nutritional field also important progress has been made. According to surveys made in 1968, 67 per cent of Chilean children under 6 years of age showed some degree of malnutrition-first, second or third degree. This figure has plummeted to the unprecedented level of 12.3 per cent of that population group. Of that number, 10 per cent show marginal undernourishment, 1.7 per cent average malnutrition and only 0.6 per cent serious malnutrition. In programmes in this field em- phasis has also been placed on infants under 2 years of age, children between 2 and 6 years of age and pregnant and nursing women. For t~e first group, preferential treatment is given during the first year of life, almost 16,000 tons of whole milk being distributed annually to meet almost all their r.utritional requirements. For the second group, up to 18,000 tons of baby foods are distributed annually, meeting an average of 35 per cent of the nutritional requirements of 85 per cent of the children of the country. Milk is distributed to 65 per cent of the pregnant and nursing women throughout the country and 3 kilogrammes of additional dairy foods are distributed to families with children who show some degree of malnutrition. All this is supplemented by the 92. In the educational field coverage has been ex- panded tcinclude children between the ages of 7 and 14 and at present 98 per cent of that population is enrolled in school. This has had an impact on reducing the il- literacy rate, which is now only 6.8 per cent. Drop-out and repeater rates have fallen and diagnostic centres are being set up to solve problems. All of this is being sup- plemented by special actions to cover high risk groups. These encompass the establishment of programmes on psychomotor emotional stimulation for infants and the structuring of the system of education and encourage- ment for pre-school children under 6. 93 , From all these measures we can see that the Government of Chile is at present allocating resources to the social sector in much larger amounts than the traditional average with a view to meeting the needs of the family. We believe that this is the basis of childrens' well-being. 94. In view of this, my delegation regrets that the draft resolution which has been submitted [A/34/L.4] does not include any reference to the family. We attach great importance to this and therefore we shall contact the authors of the draft resolution in order to seek the in- corporation of that concept. 95. Together with this action, and bearing in mind the universal objectives of the International Year of the Child, our activities to observe the Year have focused on support for and the intensification of regular plans and programmes for children as well as on stimulating and strengthening the private sector and the entire com- munity in undertaking activities for children with a view to opening up new prospects for the child care system. The Government of Chile believes that this is not just the task of the State, but the task of the entire communi- ty. Therefore it has invited the entire community to participate. The campaign carried out by the National Commission for the International Year of the Child has contributed to emphasizing the needs of children in underprivileged situations. This in turn has led to addi- tional State action through new plans and programmes to support sectoral policies, 96. In this regard we should mention the five-year plan for children 1978-1982 of the Ministry of Justice; the national programme for supplementing nutrition and the child and teen-ager health programme, both of the Ministry of Health; and the infant comprehensive care programme of the Ministry of Education. A special pro- gramme will be established for the prevention and treat- ment of malnutrition and for special physical and men- tal rehabilitation, mobile libraries are being set up for children, and the system of scholarships for poor children is being expanded. 97. Together with these measures the Government is trying to rationalize the administration of justice for children in order to modernize and establish new and necessary legal standards to provide a clear conception of the minor. I should mention the institutionalization of a National Service for Children, the establishment of a minimum age for penalties at 18, abolition of the con- cept of the age of discretion changes in the adoption law and a special law to protect the retarded child. 100. Finally, we maintain our view that the secretariat of the International Year of the Child should not con- tinue to exist beyond 1980, but that it should be dis- solved gradually so as not to interfere with the pace of activities set in motion by the International Year of the Child. This will allow an orderly transition to the take- over of work by UNICEF. 101. I should not like to end without paying a very sincere tribute on behalf of my Government to the Special Representative for the International Year of the Child, Mrs. Estefania Aldaba-Lim, for the important work she has done and the effort she has made in pro- moting the Year. The best recognition that the interna- tional community can give her will be found in the un- questionable success of her work and her personal endeavours.

The proclamation by the General Assembly cf 1979 as the International Year of the Child, according to the terms of resolution 31/169 which was adopted on 21 December 1976 on the initiative of several States in- cluding Romania, has confirmed the interest which is felt by all peoples about the destiny of the new genera- tion and the attention they give to it. We agree with many other delegations in feeling that this Year is one of the most important humanitarian endeavours under- taken under the aegis of the United Nations. It exhorts all States, all international organizations and also world pu blic opinion to intensify efforts for the solution of the material and social problems of the younger genera- tion, and to educate children and young people in the spirit of the construction of a better and more equitable world, free of arms and wars. 103. The International Year of the Child, which is be- ing celebrated at a time when a complex international situation has been created as a result of a number of problems now facing contemporary society, is par- ticularly important if we take into account the fact that 104. The Romanian delegation notes wi~h satisfac- tion that the general objectives established for the Inter- national Year of the Child have found an appropriate echo in the decision-making circles of many countries. A large number of Heads of States and Governments have sent messages which reflect the actions that they are taking at the national level to meet the needs of the child. The central idea that is found in most of these messages is that the condition of the child in the developing countries cannot be divorced from the economic and social situation in those countries. That situation is affected by the present inequitable economic world system and by the existence of relationships based on dependence. 105. The President of the Socialist Republic of Romania, Mr. Ceausescu, stressed in his message that: "The International Year of the Child must provide the occasion for intensifying the struggle being waged to resolve the main problems of international life, because on this the improvement of the situation of the child will depend, and also the creation ,!f better conditions of material existence,. of schoohng and social assistance for the young generation of the whole world." 106. We recall that the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, adopted two decades ago, proclaimed that mankind owes the child the best it has to give. We regret to state that the "picture of childhood" presented by to- day's world is still darkened by the sad reality of millions of hungry and barefoot children who are swell- ing the ranks of the illiterate and dreaming in vain of oc- cupying a seat in a school; of millions of children suffer- ing from malnutrition and living in slums, not to men- tion those who are being made the innocent victims of wars. Owing to the enormous military expenditures and grave anomalies existing in the social and political life of the world, to the detriment of the development of coun- tries and the living standard of peoples, such children have no opportunity of preparing themselves for life and becoming aware of the achievements of science and technology. 107. Romania therefore feels that every means must be used to put an end to the division of the world into rich countries and poor countries and to construct a new international economic order to ensure a more rapid development of national wealth, especially in those countries that are backward, so that they can raise the material and spiritual level of life of all citizens and, in the first instance, of young people and children. 108. It is obvious that the arms race and the enormous expenditures being devoted to developing highly ad- vanced weapons of mass destruction have a totally negative impact on the economic and social develop- ment of peoples and, consequently, on the lives of children. Romania therefore believes that the struggle to improve the condition of childhood is indissolubly link- ed to the struggle to end the arms race and to achieve disarmament. The Romanian Government supports the implementation of concrete measures for disarmament and it considers that a part of the funds thus saved should be devoted to improving the material and spiritual conditions of the life of peoples and that a cer- 110. Along with many other States, Romania feels that the United Nations has an important role to play 10 promoting world-wide programmes devoted to the child. 111. As a sponsor of the resolution proclaiming the International Year of the Child, Romania has made all the problems of the child the subject of a.S!ate policy. In order to observe this Important event fittingly at the national level the Executive Policy Committee of the Central Com~itteeof the Romanian Communist Party adopted a decision concerning the activities to be organized in Romania withi~ the framew<;>r.k of the In- ternational Year of the Child. That decision and the measures it contained represent an eloquent expression of the interest and particular importance we attach to the creation of all the conditions necessary for the young generation and children, who represent the very future of the nation, to be able to take full advantage of the spiritual and material wealth of the country, pro- tected from any kind of threat or deprivation. 112. By a happy coincide~ce~the celebration of the In- ternational Year of the Child 10 Romama occurred dur- ing the thirtieth anniversary of the Organization of Pioneers, an organization open ~o all the coun~r~'s children at the age of 8. The President of the Socialist Republic of Romania on that occasion addressed a message to all the children of our country. 113. In Romania, the young generation is being educated in the spirit of the lofty principles and ideals of Romanian society, of love for the people that gave them birth and for the homeland in which they live, and veneration for the glorious past of struggle and sacrifices made in the cause of freedom, social and na- tional justice, progress and civilization. 114. The State's continuing concern to ensure the material means necessary to satisfy the needs of the young generation is reflected in the important budgetary allocations in favour of children. Indeed, allocations for children represent one of the principal sections of the national budget and an important share of the over-all expenditures for social and humanitarian purposes. In recent years, such expenditures have increased substan- tially. 115. In the same spirit, the Romanian Council of State issued, in March 1979, a decree providing for an in- crease in the State allocation for children, using for this purpose, funds resulting from the reduction in military expenditures. 116. The youth and children of our homeland enjoya new social, political and moral climate, supenor in nature to that of the former regime; they have at their 117. The fundamental law of the land-the Constitu- tion of Romania-provides in its article 21 that the right of citizens to education be realized by over-all com- pulsory education, by free education on all levels and through a system of State scholarships. In recent years, free school-books have been made available at the elementary and secondary levels.' 118. The practical effect of such provisions is il- lustrated by the fact that all children o~ school age are included in the educational system, which represents 6 million children and young people, Romanians, Magyars, Germans and ~ther national groups, .attend- ing some 30,000 educational mstitunons dunng the 1978-1979 school year. 119. Based on the fundamental concept of our po~icy with regard to the development of Romanian society-namely, that sch~ol should r~p~esent t~e. pnn- cipal factor in the education and trammg of children and the younger generation-s-the Romani~n State .will continue to work toward improvmg public education. In this year alone, provisions have been made to provide the school system with 3,000 new schoolrooms, 33,500 openings in boarding-schools, approximately 11,000 openings in vocational schools and more than 23,000 openings in kindergartens. In order to ensure.a healthy and vigorous growth for the young generation, steps have been taken to increase the effectiveness of social and medical assistance, special attention being given to the protection of the health of citizens, including mothers and children. 120. In creating conditions propitious to cultural and educational activities outside the class-room, a vast "Children's Centre" is now being built at Bucharest, and there are also plans to build a central headquarters for the Pioneers and Eaglets of the fatherland, the latter being pre-school children. 121. Having thus at their disposal all the materi~l con- ditions which are necessary to prepare them for life and for work, to develop their personalities, and to allow them to enjoy the benefits of science, culture and modern civilization, the children of our country, the young generation, will become free, equal citizens and active participants in the shaping of their destiny. 122. Romanian children are educated in a spirit of deep friendship for the children o~ the world, in a spirit of the ideals of peace, entente and international solidari- ty. 123. Animated by such ideals, they have been hosts to many international events, the most recent of which was a festival entitled "The Children of the World Wish for Peace". That festival took place at the international camp of Navodari, on the shores of the Black Sea. Romanian children have also participated in interna- tional events such as cultural and artistic festvals, sporting competitions, exhibitions and technical and scientific competitions organized in other countries under the aegis of the International Year of the Child. I 125. Referring to the supreme purpose which should be central to the concerns regarding the upbringing of the young generation, the President of the Socialist Republic of Romania recently stressed " . . . the best gift that the statesmen and the pro- gressive forces can give to the young generation of the world would be the cessation of the arms race and progress towards disarmament, thus ensuring for all the children on our planet a tranquil and happy life, a bright future, the chance of a childhood that is free from worry, to enable them to enjoy the great ad- vances of science and civilization and to carry further the flame of progress, freedom, equality and hap- piness for all mankind." 126. It is premature to assess the vast humanitarian ex- ercise which has been undertaken under the aegis of the International Year of the Child. These activities will, of course, be properly evaluated by UNICEF and by the General Assembly in the coming years. 127. The Romanian delegation feels, however, that two essential aspects must now be stressed. First of all, the fact that this exercise has proved that the problems of the young generation exist and are closely linked with the great social themes of the present time. Further- more, the problems of the young generation cannot be resolved except within the framework of a constructive approach and the solution of the main problems of the contemporary world, the establishment of the new inter- national economic order, disarmament and the building of a better and more equitable world, 128. Secondly, it is important that the interest which has been shown by the international community in the solution of the problems of the young generation and the efforts which have been undertaken should not diminish after the end of the International Year of the Child. 129. The echoes of the International Year of the Child must be heard again in the activities which will be under- taken in the international community to speed up the creation of a world of peace and social justice where the young generation will be able to flourish fully,

The Government of the Mongolian People's Republic and the Mongolian people sincerely approve the decision of the General Assembly to declare 1979 as the International Year of the Child, as an expression of the concern of the international community and of all people of goodwill to further the happiness of our children, who must continue the noble task begun by older generations. 132. Measures were taken in our country on a vast scale to observe the International Year of the Child. The best is given to our children, and this is a most characteristic feature of our socialist society. Right at the beginning of 1978 a national committee was set up to observe the Year of the Child. It was headed by the Deputy President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Don- dogiyn Tsevegmid, and includes representatives of im- portant State and social institutions. The committee has instituted a vast framework of measures to implement the decisions of our State in the field of mother and child protection and the improvement of the cultural and aesthetic education of the child, and the strengthen- ing of the material base of the various institutions which serve the child. 133. In the over-all State plan for the development of the economy and culture for 1979, which was approved at the end of last year by the regular session of the Great People's Khural of the Mongolian People's Republic, there is a provision to increase the allocations for the implementation of the various measures in that field. Mongolian working women now receive six-month par- tially paid vacations for the care of the new-born child and the State is allocating millions of tughriks for addi- tional expenses relating to the clothing of young children. Furthermore, allowances for mothers with many children are being increased. In 1978 87,400 mothers received allowances which amounted to a total of 84.8 million tughriks. During the five years 1976 to 1980 the price of school-books has been lowered by 22 per cent. There have been successful developments in the building of new schools in 47,000 new areas and communities, thus meeting the needs of 60 per cent of children in the rural population. 134. The children's fund of the Mongolian People's Republic is playing an important part in ensuring the material basis of the children's institutions. The con- tributions, voluntarily provided by State and social in- stitutions, and by individuals, have funded the construc- tion of many kindergartens and day-care centres. Out of these funds construction began in 1979 in Ulan Bator on a vast new children's hospital with 420 beds. 135. It can be said today that in Mongolia the educa- tion of the child is regarded literally as the responsibility of all adults and the whole of our society is engaged in this task. The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party the Chairman of the Presidium of the Great People's Khural of the Mongolian People's Republic, Mr. Yum- jaagiyn Tsedenbal said: "No organization, not one individual, should ig- nore the important and noble task of educating and protecting the health of our children." 136. In .connexion with the International Year of the Child, the industrial and agicultural institutions and the 137. On the occasion of the International Year of the Child and the twentieth anniversary of the triumph of the co-operative movement in the various State institu- tions, apart from the continuously functioning day-care centres and kindergartens, III new units have been built to cover the needs of thousands of children of the rural workers, units which are especially important during the height of the agricultural season and spring calving season. Active relaxation is organized for workers and pioneers in work and rest camps, including the teaching of methods of stock-raising, and the growing of flowers, fruit and fish. All of this is intended to improve educational methods and to inculcate in children a Iove of work and of nature. 138. Wr,.iters and composers are devoting some of their work to children and artistic and documentary films are prepared for them. New postage stamps, postcards and albums dedicated to the International Year of the Child are being issued. Sporting and artistic competitions are taking place. 139. Within the framework of the International Year of the Child in our country several important measures have been taken, both at the national and international level. 140. In May of this year in Ulan Bator there was a meeting of the representatives of labour unions under the slogan "The children are our future". It was organized by the Central Committee of the Mongolian labour unions and the delegates exchanged their ex- periences of work devoted to children in the various regions. 141. In April in Ulan Bator a photographic exhibition entitled "The children of the socialist countries" took place. This illustrated the happy life of the children in the socialist countries. There was also an exhibition of children's drawings entitled "The world as children see it" in which children from 11 countries participated. The drawings and pictures of the children were very dif- ferent, but the theme of all was the same: peace. 142. The children's drawings and pictures were also sent to exhibitions in other countries such as the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, India, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico and Arab countries. In competitions in India, Czechoslovakia and Japan, and in the competition "I see the world" in Moscow, the best productions of our children received medals, diplomas and honourable mentions. 143. In an international pioneer camp, "Friendship", a friendly festival, was held which was dedicated to song and sporting activities. 144. To celebrate the International Year of the Child there was a large concert in which 700 children belong- 145. During the year competitions took place throughout the country in which many social and State organizations providing assistance to the children's in- stitutions took part, as well as competitions for the "est day-care centre, kindergartens or boarding-school and for the best children's artistic productions. 146. In this Year the happy life of the children in socialist countries is being made known to all the children of our country as well as the just struggle of the peoples for the rights and well-being of children throughout the world. 147. A new lottery has been instituted and the funds which will be thus collected will serve the needs of the Central Committee of the Children's Fund. 148. This year, on the occasion of the International Day for the Protection of Children, 1 June, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Republic and Chairman of the Presidium of the Great People's Hural, Comrade Yumjaagiyn Tsedenbal, sent a message addressed to all the young people of the country saying: "The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and the Government of the Mongolian People's Republic are doing all that is possible to ensure that the growing generation should have an even better future." 149. At this time a vast campaign is being carried out under the slogan "Let the sun shine for ever". 150. Within the framework of these activities there are meetings of representatives coming from many coun- tries. Clubs for international friendship are active in the schools and festivals for different clubs, the day of the young anti-Fascist hero and the week of friendship bet- ween the peoples of the socialist countries are held. 151. An art festival, teleolympics, quizzes, the broad- cast series entitled "Let the Sun Shine For Ever" and "The Children of Our Planet" and a children's drawing and photographic competition on the theme "Peace and Friendship" were all carried out successfully. 152. Our country also participated in many other in- ternational activities under the Year. These included the international forum which took place in the Hungarian People's Republic on the rights of the child, the meeting in Moscow under the title "The children are the tomor- row of our planet", the international forum in Sofia "The flag of the world", and the world conference for the future of all children, where well-known writers, social leaders and representatives of our pioneers took part. 153. Mongolia also intends to participate in the UNICEF programme for the International Year of the Child coin. I 155. We must note, however, that the success and peaceful future of children will largely depend on the solution of such problems as disarmament and the preservation of peace and security throughout the world, and we believethat the proposals and recommen- dations in the report of the Secretary-General to con- duct in this Year a week of disarmament under the title "Support for Disarmament- For the Sake of All Children" [see A/34/436, annex, para. 33] is very im- portant. It certainly deserves all our attention. 156. The delegation of the Mongolian People's Republic wishes to associate itself with those who have launched an appeal to all the countries of the world to pay more attention to children not only in 1979 but also in future in general. As regards the Government of the Mongolian People's Republic, it willdo everything in its power to secure to our coming generation a peaceful and even a better future than it now enjoys.

In planning its con- tribntion to the International Year of the Child, Ireland has attached particular importance to the international dimensions of the theme. A key measure of the Year's impact will be its success in relation to the needs of the children of developing countries. We are all aware that the greatest problems facing the international communi- ty today are the problems of absolute poverty, hunger, disease, and perennial under-development which afflict these countries. We are committed to finding solutions for those problems based upon a more rapid economic development of the developing countries. It is important that such economic development should bring about improvements in the daily lives of all sections of the population, especially the most vulnerable. Here children have a special place. It is they who are most vulnerable to the difficulties arising from under- development generally, compounded often by the afflic- tions of natural disaster and war. Increasing public awareness of their special needs would be an important achievement of the International Year of the Child. It could also make a significant contribution towards rein- forcing the commitment of our public opinion to the in- ternational development process. 158. For those reasons we recently began in Ireland a programme of development education as an essential element of our over-all development co-operation pro- gramme. We believe that in this way we will stimulate further awareness of the problems of developing coun- tries and encourage public interest in national and inter- national programmes which assist the developing coun- tries. We consider it particularly important that part of the programme will be directed at young people, mainly through schools and youth groups, but also through the media generally. 159. For those reasons also my Government attaches great value to the work of UNICEF. That organization's experience and expertise give it a continuing role of ma- 160. The Irish National Steering Committee for UNICEF, whose first patron is the President of Ireland, Mr. Hillery, is a voluntary body, with members drawn from all walks of life in Irelan.d. An Executive Board elected by the Committee guides the work, which is mainly fund-raising and publicity. The latter is directed mainly at schools, youth groups and so forth, and this Year has been very successful in making all sections of the population, and not just young people, more con- scious of the needs of children in the poorer countries of the world. 161. Fund-raising is based mainly on three activities: greeting cards, the children's appeal in mid-October and the annual appeal in December. Again, all these have, been very successful this year, and it is hoped that the target of doubling the 1978 figure will be reached, or nearly so. The money raised is spent in Ireland mainly for the purchase of pharmaceutical goods. 162. To say that the children of the world are its future is not simply to state the obvious. Rather, it underlines how vital it is for the future peace and prosperity of mankind that our children grow up caring for others. Weshould resolvethat actions and initiativesof this Year will influence policies in the years to come. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the needs of mothers and children during the formulation of the new interna- tional development strategy for the 1980s, particularly in the areas of nutrition, health and education. In this way we could make significant progress towards realiz- ing the objectives of the Mexico Declaration, which call- ed for the provision of basic services for all children by the year 2000. 163. To some extent, Ireland shares with the develop- ing countries the phenomenon of high birth rates. We have almost a million children under the age of 14 in a population of less than three and a half million. The In- ternational Year of the Child has much significance for us, therefore, nationally. We have recently identified priorities for the development of services for children in Ireland in a Government White Paper entitled "Pro- gramme for National Development 1978-1981". These priorities include physically and mentally handicapped children, deprived children, pre-natal care, reduction in the size of classes in primary schools, remedial teaching and ensuring an adequate supply of teachers and places for the expanding child population. 164. The report of a "Task Force on Child Care Ser- vices", which will make recommendations on legislative and structural reforms in child care, is near completion. The Task Force was set up to make recommendations on the extension and improvement of services for deprived children and children at risk, to prepare a new Children's Bill which would update and modernize the law in relation to children, and to advise on any ad- ministrative reforms necessary to give effect to these recommendations. The Task Force will report before the end of the year and amending legislation will be in- troduced as apriority. Also in the legal field, a bill to 165. During this year, services in respect of children in residential care, children suffering from non-accidental injury, children needing foster-parents and children of itinerants have been reviewed, and new plans im- plemented. A long-term programme to reduce the in- cidence of infant mortality and handicap is being launched. In addition, a new programme of child- and family-centred education was announced by the Irish Health Education Bureau on World Health Day, 7 April 1979, and the Hospitals Council will shortly be publishing a major discussion document on the future development of hospital paediatric services which will be dedicated to the International Year of the Child. With schoolchildren accounting for such a high propor- tion of the population, education is a major priority. Planning continues in order to ensure an adequate sup- ply of teachers and school places for the future and to reduce the teacher-pupil ratio. We are also introducing a new primary .. school curriculum for handicapped children. 166. We have placed a high priority on publicizing the International Year. A special day for the International Year of the Child-27 June 1979-was declared and in- formation on the subject was distributed to all the teachers in the country's primary education system in January. Also in September a commemorative issue of stamps to mark the Year, consisting of drawings by Irish children, was issued. In February 1979 the Irish Arts Council produced a major report on the Arts in Irish Education and dedicated it to the International Year of the Child. 167. In the area of non-governmental activities the National Steering Committee for the International Year of the Child, established for the duration of this special Year with responsibility for the co-ordination and stimulation of activities, is making grants available to organizations that may need help in arranging special activities during the Year. These activities include an in- ternational conference of child care workers in July, a European conference of social workers in August, an in- ternational conference on perinatal care in October, summer camps and events for children, a conference on children in the third world, a conference on the welfare of children in hospital and a number of lectures and conferences on the rights of the child. 168. I have said something of our general approach to the International Year of the Child and the activities forming part of Ireland's national contribution to it. We all desire to build for our children a better and more secure world. The theme of the child and the theme of development are therefore complementary. 169. We hope that international consciousness of the needs and rights of children, particularly the deprived and least advantaged, will be heightened during this Year, and that this consciousness will be sustained in the future so that the plans and actions launched this year will be of lasting effect. 171. Twenty years after the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations, many people, irrespective of their philosophy and their creed, have ever more emphatically asked during the Interna- tional Year of the Child to what extent the appeal to mankind which was spelled out in that Declaration has been realized-namely to givechildren the best it can of- fer. 172. The German Democratic Republic actively sup- ported the United Nations proposal that the year 1979 be proclaimed International Year of the Child. That reflects the love and care which we devote to the youngest of our people, and also our sense of respon- sibility towards all children around the world. 173. We therefore view the International Year of the Child in direct connexion with the great challenge of our time, namely, the preservation and strengthening of peace. Peace in all countries, throughout the world, is the first prerequisite for ensuring children a happy future. For it is only in peace that every woman, man and child can be guaranteed the fundamental human right, the right to life. 174. .In pursuing a policy aimed at peace and security, the German Democratic Republic feels most deeply committed to that goal. My country therefore most resolutely supports all endeavours directed at ending the arms race. In that spirit, the German Democratic Republic is observing the International Year of the Child with the motto "For a happy childhood in a world of peace-for friendship among peoples and interna- tional solidarity". 175. Our socialist State recently commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of its foundation during the Inter- national Year of the Child. Thus, the balance which we are striking this year in relation to the conditions in which the young generation livesand can develop in our country, carries particular significance. Today, any mother or father in our country knows that everything is being done so that children can grow in physical and mental health, that all are guaranteed equitable access to educational and cultural facilities, so that they might fully develop their skill and creativity. 1,6. At the time when the German Democratic Republic still faced great problems of economic reconstruction, the first legal provisions were already being adopted as a foundation for the sound develop- ment of children. The law on the protection of mother and child and the rights of women was enacted one year after the German Democratic Republic was founded. That law was followed by the family code, the youth act and further legal regulations. Those laws became effec- tive immediately by means of the guarantee of the material conditions necessary for translating them into 178. One third of all schools had been destroyed. So it took a good deal of courage, confidence and trust in their own strength for our people to get started along the road to democratic reconstruction in spite of the rampant hunger and disease and all the ruins, both spiritual and material, that had been left to them. 179. Today, after the 30 years which have elapsed since then in which measures to protect mother and child have been an int ;gral part of government policy, with the necessary expenditures safely covered in the na- tional budget, we can point to a proud record which is characterized in particular by the following achievements. We have created a modern, highly ad- vanced educational system that securesa sound basis for the lives of all children. All mothers and children are assured of medical attendance, which is based on scien- tific principles and is of equal quality in urban and rural areas alike. A comprehensive system of social measures guarantees children an economically secure and sheltered existence. Children in our country are educated to champion peace; to respect life, including that of other people; to fight racism, apartheid, neo- colonialism and fascism; to be friendly to other nations; and actively to practise international solidarity. In the German Democratic Republic, the rights of the child proclaimed by the United Nations are not merely transposed into law-they are a complete living reality. 180. According to the family code of the German Democratic Republic, moulding children into healthy, optimistic, capable and universally educated persons is one of the most noble tasks of parents. But at the same time, as the code further states, it is the responsibility of the entire society to assist parents in exercising their rights and duties towards their children. Consequently, the State ensures the organization of child-care facilities and establishes principles and guidelines for a wide spec- trum of child-care provisions. 181. The comprehensive system of free medical care for all has resulted in, among other blessings, con- siderably lower maternal and infant mortality rates. Whereas in 1946, right after the Second World War, 78 newborn babies out of every 10,000died in the first year of their life, that figure had decreased to just 12 by 1978. Child-bed mortality over the same period dwindled to 1.8 in every 10,000 mothers. 182. A long-term social policy programme, which is a practical expression of our Government's treatment of economic and social policies as an inseparable unit, has enabled the phased introduction of increasingly generous measures in support of mothers and children, young married couples and families with two or more 183. A compulsory prophylactic programme for the evaluation of physical and mental progress is in force across the country under which healthy infants and young children are required to undergo at least 12 medical check-ups in the first year of their life, between four and six in the second year and another one or two in the third year. 184. For that purpose there is in operation a dense net- work of maternity centres, totalling 10,000 stations, plus a sizeable number of branches in rural area. This network is so dense that there is at least one such facility within easy reach of any mother and her child. The stan- dard distance has been set at two kilometres from the dwelling-place. 185. As a result of an extensiveprogramme ofvaccina- tions that is also handled in the aforementioned mater- nity centres, once-feared children's diseases have been either contained or eliminated. No child in the German Democratic Republic has been infected with polio- myelitisin more than 15years; diphtheria and whooping cough have all but ceased to occur; and the number of cases of measles has diminished from year to year ever since vaccination was introduced. 186. An important basis for the social security of families with children and for the realization of the equal rights of women is provided by the State taking care of children while their parents are practising their professions. 187. Today 60.1 per cent of all children to three years of age are being brought up and educated in day-care creches. This is a task that lies completely within the hands of specially trained nurses. The qualifications re- quired for this job can be obtained at technical schools. Their curricula include such subjects as nursing and childcare, nutrition of babies and small children, as well as psychology, infant pedagogics, age-related instruc- tion for playing, and activities promoting the child's development, including instruction in the fine arts. 188. Ninety per cent of all children from the age of three to six years are attending kindergartens. These establishments form an integral part of the socialist educational system, and children are being gradually prepared to meet school requirements. 189. Every child in the German Democratic Republic can attend the lO-grade polytechnical secondary school. After completion of that school, each graduate is free to choose either to enrol for studies or to learn a trade 190. A growing love for children, a growing desire to have children and a rising birth-rate are expressions of the parents' certainty about their social security and about their children's safe and happy future. 191. Since 1974 there has been a permanent upward trend in the total births in the German Democratic Republic. In 1974 about 179,000 babies were born as compared with about 232,000 in 1978. The standards achieved for the lives of our children - which can be il- lustrated here by only a few examples- result from a development where, according to growing economic potentials, ever more exacting goals are being envisaged in order to make the lives of our children still richer, happier and more secure, both today and in the future. 192. How the education of children appropriate to their age is being promoted in the German Democratic Republic, how the treasures of art and culture are being opened to them and how the need of children to be cheerful and joyful is being accommodated, represen- tatives may have seen for themselves at the film-showing last week and at the exhibition of children's books from the German Democratic Republic currently on display here in the United Nations building under the sponsor- ship of the Special Representative for the International Year of the Child, Mrs. Aldaba-Lim. 193. Since we feel committed not only to the children in our country, but in the same measure also to those children for whom life according to the fundamental principles contained in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child remains a dream whose fulfilment is a very distant possibility, we consider active international solidarity a main task of the International Year of the Child. 194. On 1978, for instance, funds were raised by the population of the German Democratic Republic for solidarity purposes, and solidarity consignments ear- marked for specific children's needs in the amount of over 48 million marks were handed over to Asian, African and Latin American States. 195. From January through May 1979, solidarity goods - including teaching aids, notebooks, sketch boards, slide rules, infant food, evaporated milk, blankets, children's wear, children's shoes, medicines and vaccines with a total value of some 30 million marks-were shipped to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Peo- ple's Republic of Kampuchea, the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, socialist Ethiopia and other young na- tional States. 196. The Association of Evangelical Churches of the German Democratic Republic donated 20,000 marks to the Lesotho Fund "Save the Children". 197. The Association for the Blind and Partially Sighted of the German Democratic Republic evolved multilingual brochures for the early education of blind 198. The Women's Organization of the German Democratic Republic, together with Fur Dich, an il- lustrated journal for women, organized a fund-raising campaign under the heading, "Milk for Viet Nam's Children". Within a few weeks' time, more than 500,000 marks were raised. 199. Wounded Nicaraguan children and youth are receiving medical treatment and care in the German Democratic Republic, and children from 45 countries of four continents spent joyous and restful holidays together with our children in summer camps of the Ger- man Democratic Republic. 200. Those examples illustrate that the entire popula- tion of our Republic is in the International Year of the Child particularly active in displaying international solidarity and siding with all forces fighting against racism, apartheid, colonialism, neo-colonialism and fascism and for a life free of oppression and exploita- tion. 201. The International Year of the Child is near its close, but the struggle for the implementation by the United Nations of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child must be continued, since hunger, illiteracy, racism, apartheid, and war still exist and millions of children are still suffering in today's world. 202. United Nations documents today and the con- tributions contained in the report in connexion with the International Year of the Child convey a host of infor- mation regarding the current situation of children in various countries as well as activities which were in- itiated or planned in order further to improve their situation. 203. Despite positive developments, it must not be overlooked that in the world many problems have not yet been solved, be it in the fields of education, medical care and nutrition or in related fields. 204. At the World Conference during the Interna- tional Year of the Child held in Moscow last September, many representatives deeply concerned with the well- being of children in their countries raised their voices and illustrated how adverse social conditions remaining today not only impair the development of children but even manipulate them. And they also pointed 011t what war means for the lives of children, how many children were crippled during times of war and how many even had to give their lives. For, after all, the world has witnessed around 150 armed conflicts since 1945. 205. The International Year of the Child proclaimed by the United Nations and the Moscow World Con- ference, which was held under the motto "For a Peaceful and Happy Future for All Children", were particularly helpful in making peace-loving people in all continents understand more clearly that the struggle for 206. The appeal addressed by the Moscow World Conference to the thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly, to Governments and to Parliaments of all countries the world over and to the public of the world to continue to do everything for 'a peaceful, secure and just future for all children meets with the full approval and support of the Government of the German Demo- cratic Republic. 207. As a socialist State, the German Democratic Republic, in pursuing its domestic and foreign policies, is committed to this appeal launched by the World Con- ference. In the spirit of the Moscow appeal, we shall contribute our share also in the future in order to stand up with joint strength against war and the danger of war, for detente and mutual trust among nations, for banning weapons of mass destruction and for strengthen- ing the policy of peaceful coexistence, since it is only under a clear sky without rockets and bombers that "children can be assured good health, a life without hunger and malnutrition and a happy future, to use the striking formulation of the participants in the World Conference. 208. As it has done in the past 30 years, the German Democratic Republic will also in the future actively work for the following objectives: that ever more children throughout the world will be guaranteed a peaceful and secure future; and that one day every calendar year will be a Year of the Child for all children throughout the world, as it is for the children in the Ger- man Democratic Republic and the other socialist States. 209. In order that these objectives may be achieved as soon as possible, we would welcome the United Nations and other international organizations giving considera- tion, as a matter of priority, to devoting permanent at- tention to the condition of children in the world. 210. Finally, I should like to declare that the German Democratic Republic wants to become a sponsor of the draft resolution on the International Year of the Child [A/34/L.4].

Before calling on the next speaker it is my unpleasant duty to draw your attention to the increasing difficulty which we are encountering because of member's failure to abide by the Assembly's decision on punctuality. 212. May I remind you that the Secretary-General in his report of 13 June 1979 on rationalization of the work of the General Assembly emphasized the impor- tance of punctuality to permit the efficient operation of our proceedings. The General Committee of the thirty- fourth session of the General Assembly fully endorsed this recommendation, and at its 4th plenary meeting on 21 September the General Assembly itself decided that: " . . . in order to expedite the work of the Assembly, all meetings should begin promptly at the scheduled time". [4th meeting, para. 346.] 213. As members are aware, I have made a.special ef- fort to try to ensure that this decision is complied with. "This appeared particularly important to me, given the 214. Despite the increasing magnitude of this problem and the inconvenience caused the speakers by their in- ability to speak at the scheduled time, I must note with deep regret that there has been an increasing slippage in the appearance of the quorum necessary for our meet- ings to start on time. For example, last week alone we lost approximately three hours in late openings and we now have a cumulative total of more than seven hours' lost time. As is readily apparent even at this early stage of our session, we have lost nearly the equivalent of a full da~'s ~ork. If this trend is permitted to continue, it IS not difficult to see that we shall encounter senous dif- ficulties in finishing the work of the thirty-fourth ses- sion by the scheduled closing date. I am sure that you will all agree with me that this should not be permitted to happen. 215. Accordingly, I again appeal most urgently to members to arrange their schedules so that a represen- tative of their delegation will L... seated in the plenary hall by our scheduled opening time. Both the decorum and the efficiency of the Assembly require and deserve your fullest co-operation and support.

The proclamation of this year as the International Year of the Child reflects the universal concern reg&~'ding the condition of children all over the world and the need for concerted national and international action to improve their welfare. My delegation believes that it is both fitting and necessary for this Assembly to make an assessment of the activities undertaken at the national and interna- tionallevels in pursuance of the objectives of this Year and to consider what measures should be adopted so as to maintain this momentum. We consider that the main purpose of this action-oriented debate is to formulate future policies, programmes and actions which Govern- ments should implement on behalf of their children dur- ing the period from 1980 to 1990. 217. The International Year of the Child coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This is therefore the occasion to rededicate ourselves to heightening our awareness of the needs of children as individuals who should have the special protection required for their optimum develop- ment. The launching of the International Year of the Child has generated a growing awareness of the need to have a national policy for children as an integral part of the over-all economic and social development. 218. During the International Year of the Child major emphasis is placed on increasing both international and national support and assistance for services for children in developing countries. This should be accomplished by encouraging and promoting voluntary participation and financial support by Governments and the public in respect of child-oriented programmes. In order to ac- complish that objective, the developing countries have reviewed their programmes so as to promote the well- being of their children. Furthermore, they have mobilized support at the grass-roots level and have undertaken local action programmes in terms of achievable goals to benefit their children, as indicated in 220. The main task of stimulating interest in the objec- tives of the International Year of the Child resides primarily with individual Governments. However, the agencies and organizations of the United Nations system must have a supporting role to play in this area. The Inter-Agency Advisory Group, which has been given the responsibility of ensuring the effective co- ordination and stimulation of these activities! is essen- tial for promoting the maximum impact of me United Nations system's contribution to this Year. My delega- tion believes that each agency in its own way must develop action programmes, coupled with various publicity and information endeavours, to spread wide the message of the International Year of the Child. Fur- thermore, my delegation considers the important role that UNICEF plays in advancing this Year in developing countries and within the United Nations system to be of vital significance. 221. On the recommendation of the United Nations, the Government of Indonesia has established a National Committee for the International Year of the Child. That Committee has the following aim and purpose: first, to provide a programme of protection for the interests of children, to create a sense of awareness of the specific needs of children; and, secondly, to develop an understanding of the fact that the child-welfare pro- gramme forms an integral part of the development plan in the socio-economic field to be carried out at both the national and international levels on a short-term and long-term basis. Those objectives, may I add, are a reflection of the provisions contained in the preamble of Indonesia's 1945 Constitution and are included in our current third five-year development plan. Our target is to concentrate on all the children living in rural and ur- ban areas, from birth to the age of 18, especially those belonging to the lower income levels. 222. The Committee's programme guidelines have been implemented in a comprehensive, integrated and 223. The Indonesian National Committee has im- plemented programmes during 1979 to promote the Year throughout the country. We are instilling awareness in the community of the principles, purpose and significance of the International Year of the Child through various media and in traditional performances, such as puppet shows and Indonesian traditional plays. In addition, w~ are also holding exhibitions on all child- related activities including child handicrafts. Further- more, we are publishing children's poems and composi- tions, including the achievements of the neglected and the" handicapped. Finally, we are holding workshops and discussions on various topics so as to instill love and guidance of children, to solve problems faced in child development, create new laws and regulations and modify existing outdated ones. 224. Indonesia has designed projects in order to pro- mote and sustain the objectives of the International Year of the Child in the areas of legislation, health, nutrition, education, culture and recreation. These ac- tivities are described in document E/ICEF/663. 225. The proclamation of the International Year of the Child in 1979 should serve to strengthen the deter- mination of the Indonesian people to fulfil their momentous task and to accomplish concrete activities in improving and enhancing the welfare of the Indonesian children. We are all very aware that our endeavours to- day will benefit the coming generation and consequently the Indonesian nation as a whole, thereby contributing also to the welfare of all nations in the world. We strongly believe that if we want to guarantee a brighter tomorrow for our nation we must begin by giving greater attention to the welfare of our children now.

We are coming to the end of the International Year of the Child. Therefore, we can state that the ef- forts that have been made to attain the objectives set out by the General Assembly in resolution 31/169 in pro- claiming 1979 as the International Year of the Child, have been successful. The Year has stimulated the in- terest of the international community in the special needs and problems of children, an interest which has been shown by the many activities undertaken in all countries. Governments have recognized the need to formulate a detailed policy on children which may become an integral part of their economic and social development plans. It is to be hoped that this process which has begun will set the basis for the legislative, ad- ministrative and financial changes which are necessary for complete success. 227. In view of this we consider that it is extremely im- portant that the new international development strategy should include objectives related to services for children and to the means of attaining those objectives. 228. We should point out here that the national com- missions have played an important role. They have 229. In some countries the activities of the commission were aimed at intensifying and improving activities already under way, but in others this was the first time that efforts had been made in this regard. For that reason it would be advisable for national commissions to become standing bodies, centres and channels of in- formation and action. This would lend continuity to the work which is still new and which in the future may be in danger of stagnating or coming to a halt. 230. While developing countries have become more aware of well-known problems in the area of basic ser- vices, such as nutrition, sanitation, education and social well-being, and of how to solve those problems, it is also a fact that these countries have expressed concern about the problems of children who are victims of abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, delinquency and violence. 231. Among matters of priority interest for most countries, the report of the Executive Director of UNICEF [A/34/452 and Add.i] includes the rigpt" of the child. In 1979 we also celebrate the twenti, ,- niversary of the United Nations Declaration on dle Rights of the Child, a fact which emphasizes this point. In that connexion the delegation of Peru attaches great importance to the speedy conclusion of a convention on the rights of the child. Unfortunately, this task has not yet been completed by the Human Rights Commission at its thirty-fifth session. The universal application of the future convention will be an effective guarantee of the promotion of and respect for the rights of all children in the world. 232. Within the framework of the International Year of the Child, Peru is developing a broad plan of ac- tivities for children. Those activities are being co- ordinated by a national commission which was set up in 1978 and which is chaired by the First Lady of the coun- try, Mrs. Rosa Pedraglio de Morales Bermudez. 233. The general plan of action of that commission en- compasses activities which provide for the over-all development of children. In the first place, provisions have been made for preparing a "Diagnosis of the Situation of the Child in Peru" with a view to obtaining a full picture of children's standard of living, the pro- gress made in this field and the most urgent tasks ahead. 234. This year action will be taken to improve nutri- tional standards for children in order to reduce con- siderably the existing nutritional deficit and to improve the operational capacity of nutritional care services for children. 235. Through activities relating to the organization of events on the problems of children and cultural ac- tivities and the implementation of the plan to provide information on the problems of minors, we are also try- ing to motivate people and community institutions to lJarticipate in solving the whole range of children's prob- lems. 236. The national comrmssion, through the Prime Minister's Office, has also channelled a series of recom- 237. In December 1978, with the co-operation of UNICEF. the Second National Congress for the Protec- tion of Children was held in Lima. This Congress pointed out the following objectives and goals in its con- clusions and a programme of action: first, the adoption of supplementary legislation to improve existing laws relating to the mother, the family and the child; second- ly, the allocation of sufficient resources on a priority basis to development plans for food production, especially milk production, as milk is a basic food, and for tackling the most urgent health problems, including socio-medical care and mother and child education, especially in rural areas; thirdly, the establishment of a standing committee on action for children to operate in compliance with the goals established by the Congress. 238. My delegation wishes to express agreement with the proposal that UNICEF, because of its vast ex- perience, should continue to serve as the lead agency of the United Nations system in the general area of children's programmes, in co-ordination with the Director-General for Development and International Economic Co-operation. '239. With regard to UNICEF's co-operation policies, my delegation believes that in addition to the present ad- visory and consultative services which this agency lends directly or helps to finance, we could explore the possibility of expanding the scope of its activities to in- clude exchanges of experience on policies and program- mes for children among the developing countries and between the developed and developing countries. We should have exchange of information on matters relating to child welfare, to promote the compilation and dissemination of research papers on children and to stimulate research on problems in areas in which action has been hampered because of lack of knowledge and so on. 240. We consider that these new forms of co- operation for UNICEF, especially with developing countries, would contribute to the attainment of the ob- jectives of the International Year of the Child.

I should like to touch briefly on the situation of children in Sweden and par- ticularly upon some of the questions with which our Commission for the International Year of the Child has been dealing. However, I intend to focus on the respon- sibility of the international community for meeting the urgent needs of the poor children of the third world, and on the important role UNICEF plays in this respect. 242. The Swedish Government established the Swedish National Commission for the Intemational Year of the Child with the purpose of preparing, co- ordinating and supporting various activities during this special Year. Most of the activities undertaken fall within the framework of the regular social welfare pro- grammes in Sweden. As has been the case with regard to the work of Commissions for the International Year of the Child in other countries, the Swedish Commission took as its main task that of drawing public attention to 244. Great importance has been attached to involving the children themselves in the efforts to improve their environment, as wen as to see tv it that their right to take an active part in this work is respected and applied in practice. 245. In order to aid handicapped children, the Association of the Handicapped has received special grants from the Swedish Government to be used for the dissemination of information about disabled children. The immigrant organizations have also received special financial support from the Swedish Government for ac- tivities and information relating to immigrant children. 246. Anothet main objective of the activities under- taken in Sweden for the International Year of the Child has been to raise the awareness of the public with regard to the conditions under which the poor children of the developing countries exist and to encourage involve- ment in the need to improve the living conditions for these children. The Swedish International Development Authority, the Swedish UNICEF Committee and the Save the Children Fund are among the agencies respon- sible for this information. 247. During the International Year of the Child, many conferences. and symposia have been arranged and many studies have been undertaken dealing with violenceto children. One result of this that I should like to bring to your attention is that corporal punishment of children has been forbidden by law in Sweden since 1 July of this year. 248. The Swedish Commission for the International Year of the Child carries out its activities in Sweden at all levels: centrally, regionally and locally. The intention has been to have each authority, municipality, associa- tion and organization arrange its activities and under- takings in order of priority, in order to single out those activities that are, or would be, of particular concern to children. This approach was chosen with the intention of perpetuating the International Year of the Child, that is, of not allowing the activities undertaken during the Year to stop on 31 December 1979,but to continue, and to give such activities long-term effects. 249. Let me now turn to the global importance of the International Year of the Child. There are 1.5 billion children in the world today. Children comprise more than one third of the world's population. Three fourths of all children livein the developing countries. The main responsibility for their welfare naturally falls upon the developing countries themselves in carrying out policies and programmes for the benefit of children. But the in- dustrialized countries must carry their share of this responsibility bysupporting developing countries in their efforts to improve the conditions of children. One ex- ample of how the industrialized countries can show such 250. u we have already done on many occasions in the p' my Government would like to stress the impor- tance at attaches to the international development ~trateg~ and th.e central role this strategy should play. It IS our firm belief that the strategy should include goals andobje J,;es of direct benefit to children. In preparing the internatlonal development strategy, the preparatory committee, t~ ~ulfil t~is task of including goals and ob- jectives benefitingchildren, should draw upon the wide experience and knowledge of UNICEF. 251. In this connexion, I should like to add a few words about UNICEF and the development assistance being rendered to the children of the third world. The International Year of the Child has raised the question of whether UNICEF should change its present assistance policies. We do not think so. On the contrary, it is my Government's conviction that UNICEF should continue to function as the children's advocate within the United Nations system. Furthermore, my Govern- ment sees no reason whatsoever for UNICEF to change its development co-operation policies as a result of the International Year of the Child. The work of UNICEF should, as we see it, continue to be concentrated upon the needs of the most disadvantaged children in the least developed countries. 252. For UNICEF the effects of the International Year of the Child will, in all-likelihood, involve an in- creasing number of requests from developing countries for UNICEF assistance. In order to enable UNICEF to fulfil this task of supporting the efforts of these coun- tries in meetin$ the urgent needs of their children, we-the industrialized countries-must assist UNICEF with the necessary resources. 253. Sweden is one of the main contributors to l!NICEF. We. hav~ great confidence in this organiza- tion; we trust Its Wide expenence and welcome its effi- cient work. It is our intention to continue our support for UNICEF. But weurge other industrialized countries to show their confidence in UNICEF by substantially in- creasing their contributions. UNICEF will need more resources for its important work with children and their welfare. 254. Finally, I should like to touch upon the issue of the human rights of children. The International Year of th~ Child has given renewed attention to the rights of children throughout the world. However it seems that very little attention has so far been dra~n to the sad fact that grave violations of the most fundamental human rig~ Ii of children exist in many countries. I have already me- -oned violence to children in the form of corporal pu.asbment. 255. The report Children recently published by Amnesty International- throws light on abominable

Allow me, first of all, to express my country's satisfaction at being able to take part in the General Assembly's deliberations on the International Year of the Child. This is an excellent opportunity to hail the en- tire world for the efforts exerted with a view to achiev- ing the objectives set by the General Assembly when it decided to celebrate this Year and honour children in all countries, whatever their level of wealth and develop- ment. The whole world has become aware that this sub- ject, with its noble objectives, could polarize the efforts of the peoples to achieve collective, co-ordinated action. The world has always been guided by a natural feeling of compassion for children and the duty to care for them, but that feeling became more intense and urgent from the moment the world realized that children are the victims of a true drama both in developed societies, where we see a loosening of family ties which has led to a feeling of loss and unhappiness in the child, and in other societies, which, though instinctively giving priori- ty to the needs of the child over those of the adult, do not have the means to protect the child from hunger, ig- norance and disease. 257. One of the greatest advantages of the Interna- tional Year of the Child is that the people of the world have become aware of the problems of childhood and have exerted efforts to find solutions to all the aspects of those problems. It has been recognized that there are many areas of common interest and that the needs of children are universal; the demarcation line between the concerns of industrialized countries and those of developing countries is not clearly visible, contrary to what was believed in the past. On the one hand, there are sentimental considerations resulting from a disap- pearance of former values, and, on the other, there are considerations resulting from a lack of means. It is undeniable that the status of the child cannot change within the short period of one year. However, we can- not but stress the efforts being made by the audio-visual and printed information media to establish a favourable atmosphere and increase the awareness of the peoples by organizing polls in the media, making appeals on radio and television. 258. My delegation welcomes the efforts made by various bodies of the United Nations and by the specialized agencies, especially UNICEF, which has ful- ly assumed its role as the organization responsible for mobilizing all the initiatives to ensure the success of the International Year of the Child. We wish to praise non- governmental organizations too for their efforts, thanks to which 135 countries, mobilizing the possibilities in both the public and the private sectors, have established national committees with the task of drawing up the necessary plans on the basis of international, regional and national co-operation. It is not practicable to give an objective answer to the question of the extent to which national committees, despite their enthusiasm, have been able to carry out the plans they have drawn 259. It must be pointed out that more than half of Morocco's population is under the age of 18, and more than one fifth of our children are under the age of six. Hence, we can only enthusiastically welcome the Inter- national Year of the Child. As a free country, Morocco subordinates the dynamics of its development to the principles of Islam; it has not experienced and will not experience the contagion of dislocation and dissolution, so long as its citizens abide by the precepts of the Koran and Islamic tradition. Morocco's deep-rooted customs are based on Islamic moral prescriptions, Islam, which cares for all the weak in the community, does not neglect this small nucleus: the family. In the family, the child is given a place and rights which could form the basis for a document on the rights of the child-one of the goals of the international community. 260. Thus, Morocco welcomed the proclamation of the International Year of the Child. In April 1978a Na- tional Committee was set up under the auspices of His Majesty King Hassan II. Its Chairman is Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Amina. It embraces all Ministries concerned with social and educational ac- tivities; as well as national organizations concerned with the protection of the child and the aiding of the han- dicapped. To facilitate their mission, four subsidiary bodies dealing, respectively, with information, docu- mentation, publications and legislation were formed. There is also a committee for planning and coordination and an action committee entrusted with the task of en- suring that efforts to protect the child are pursued after the International Year of the Child. 261. We have the honour to remind the General Assembly of the objectives that have been achieved by the Moroccan National Committee. 262. The International Year of the Child was preceded by an intense local and nation-wide information cam- paign in all fields; all the audio-visual and printed media at our disposal were used to inform the country of the needs of children in regard to nutrition, health, educa- tion and social integration. In addition to the efforts made to give a special character this year to the Feast of the Child, which coincides with the birthday of His Royal Highness Sidi Mohammed, the heir to the throne, we minted special coins and issued special stamps com- memorating the International Year of the Child. 263. This year the efforts aimed at the social rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents and orphans, the disabled and the handicapped-in other words, efforts to help all children in need of public humanitarian assistance-have been stepped up to achieve their in- tegration into society in the best possible conditions. 264. Among the preventive measures taken or con- solidated during the International Year of the Child, I would mention the particular attention given to children and the vaccination campaign to immunize them against infectious diseases, as well as lectures and films arrang- ed by local doctors and a mobile medical team, which toured the country to improve the bases of both rural 265. As an example of the participation of children in the achievement of the Year's objectives, I would men- tion the fact that everything was done to launch cam- paigns for cleanliness in the schools with the participa- tion of the students, all children and all the organiza- tions concerned with the protection of children. The na- tional campaign carried out by voluntary workers in the women's advancement movement in 1979 was dedicated to the theme of making known the needs of children. A magazine was published and studies and research were carried out by specialists in questions concerning children. 266. On the k>'~islative level, laws are being pro- mulgated and institutions are being created aimed, inter alia, at the protection of children. 267. In the area of international co-operation, excur- sions to friendly and fraternal countries, especially those with Moroccan communities, have been organized for Moroccan children, so that they may gain a better acquaintance with and understanding of those coun- tries. Moroccan families have played host to Moroccan children living abroad, to enable those children to become acquainted with their compatriots. Arab and in- ternational camps have been established in Morocco. Workshops staffed by volunteers have been set up to do work for the benefit of poor, retarded and handicapped children. Donations have been accepted to aid Palestinian children. 268. Moroccan children living abroad receive Arab and Islamic education. When they return home, the relevant committee supervises their reintegration in their Moroccan community. 269. Moroccan children have participated in all inter- national meetingsherd in connexion with the Interna- tional Year of the Child, such as the Arab Scouts Festival, which took place in Morocco, and a Festival devoted to "The Child in the Year 2000", held in Geneva. They also participated in a rally held in Sofia in commemoration of the International Year of the Child. 270. His Majesty King Hassan II sent the following message to the International Society for the Child: . "My dear children, "Through your meeting you are forging a new link in the chain of international solidarity and human brotherhood. You are the solid foundations of the edifice. Our country takes the opportunity of the proclamation by the United Nations of 1979 as the International Year of the Child to express once again its interest in Moroccan children. They may be assured that they will be protected by the community, which spares no effort in providing them every op- portunity to acquire knowledge and to ensure their well-being. " 271. The delegation of Morocco notes with pride and satisfaction the world-wide results achieved by the Inter-

The United Nations proclamation of 1979 as the International Year of the Child was an important in- itiative which opened new possibilities of carrying out joint activities for children and making it possible to work to improve the living conditions, development and training of new generations. 273. Undoubtedly it was of transcendent importance that the General Assembly includedin the agenda of this session the item "International Year of the Child: plans and action to improve the situation of children in the werld, particularly in the developing countries". 274. The fact that the International Year of the Child falls on the twentieth anniversary of the triumph of our revolution is a pleasant coincidence for our country. President Castro, when inaugurating the Palace of Pioneers last July stated: "We are commemorating the International Year of the Child this year, like all other countries in the world, but for us, for our socialist revolution, every year is the year of the child; every month, every hour, every minute, is the month, the hour and the minute of the child." 275. However, 20 years ago in our country, children were suffering from hunger, humiliation and poverty. They lacked schools and medical assistance. How many young minds were lost through ignorance and death, how many children were compelled to work 'i~Lrd to feed themselves and their families, we shall '" know. 276. This gloomy state of affairs ca: ... (Q an end, thanks to the heroic and selfless struggle of the Cuban people. 277.' Allow me now to refer to some of the fundamen- tal aspects of childhood in our country. 278. As a result of the triumph of the Cuban Revolu- tion in 1959, we began a period of profound and radical change in the economic and social structures which we had inherited from the past. The Agrarian Reform Law and the nationalization of foreign corporations, mainly United States ones, were the first and fundamental steps in this direction. 279. Since 1960, health services have been available to the whole population of the country, since health is something to which the people are entitled.. The free provision of health services and their extension to all parts of the country and the creation of the rural medical service bear this out. 280. In 1978, 98.2 per cent of all births took place in hospitals. This year, the infant mortality rate was 22.3 per thousand live births. This is an enormous achieve- ment if we bear in mind the fact that, according to 28l . This progress is directly linked to correct prenatal hospital treatment, the continuing implementation of plans for mother and child care, which in our country is a task carried out by the community through its mass organizations, and a marked increase in medical and para-medical personnel. Currently, there is a doctor for every 662 inhabitants, a stomatologist for each 2,960 in- habitants and a nurse or auxiliary nurse for each 363 in- habitants. 282. We can also point to the final elimination or gradual reduction of diseases which led to the death of tens of thousands of children in our country. We have achieved the eradication of malaria and poliomyelitis, and there are now no deaths caused by diphtheria. Mor- tality through gastroenteritis has been cut by 10 times, and we have eliminated tetanus in new-born children. Mortality from whooping cough has been reduced to 0.2 per 100,000inhabitants. 283. Our country can currently offer a life expectancy of73.5 years for women and 70.2 for men. Despite these results, the development of the health service in Cuba is not slowing down, and we are planning to set new and higher targets in the provision of facilities and health personnel, particularly at the level of primary treat- ment, and with special emphasis on the promotion of good health. 284. In the field of education there have also been great strides. In 1959, there were a million illiterates, 600,000 children who did not attend school and 10,000 unemployed teachers. 285. A literacy campaign, which was carried out in 1961, eliminated illiteracy in Cuba. In that year, thousands of young students and teachers went to the most distant parts of the country to teach their brothers in the countryside to read and write. 286. This ensured not only entitlement, but also full and free access to all levels of education, including higher education. The rate for school enrolment for children between six and 12 years of age is now 100 per cent. We are working for a minimum enrolment in nine grades, and a.re trying to bring about a 12-grade system. 287. Currently, one Cuban in three is enrolled in a regular course within the national educational system. In the period between 1970and 1978, 1,124primary and secondary schools were built and the value of the gross production in school building amounted to 1,236 million pesos. 288. More than 548,000children and young people are attending boarding schools, where they receive free food, medical treatment, education and educational materials, clothing and lodging. Moreover, more than 337,000 children and young people attend semi- boarding schools, particularly in primary schools, where they also receive free education, educational materials and part of their food. 290. The Cuban national educational system is not limited solely to children of school age. Since 1960, our Government assumed responsibility for creating pre- school institutions. As a first stage, the Federation of Cuban Women-an organization consisting of more than 2 million members-carried out this important task, and currently 92,000 children are enjoying the use of creches which benefit 82,200 mothers. 291. An example of the high priority which the Government attaches to pre-school children was the creation in 1971 of the Institute for Childhood, which is entrusted with comprehensive attention to and educa- tion of children up to five years of age, to ensure ap- propriate physical, intellectual, aesthetic and moral development for children from the earliest age. 292. The five-year period 1981-1985 provides for the construction of 400 new creches with an enrolment of 196,000 children of pre-school age. This means an in- crease in facilities for approximately 100,000 children over the next five years. These services will benefit a total of 178,000mothers. 293. In parallel to the changes in the socio-economic structure of the country and measures and programmes initiated in 1959, the Cuban Government enshrined in law the rights which the people already enjoyed in prac- tice. 294. In the courseof 20 years we have been able to im- plement a full legal programme which, among other things, guarantees to all citizens the right to free health and education, and which establishes the equality of children born both within and out of wedlock, and the prohibition of the employment of minors. 295. These and other rights are embodied in in- struments such as the Constitution of the Republic, the Family Code, the Code for Children and Young People and the Maternity Law. 296. In considering this item, I would like to recall briefly some of the aspects which were dealt with at the Special Meeting on Children in Latin America and the Caribbean which was convened by UNICEF in Mexico City from 16 to 18 May 1979. 297. In the report which was presented by the UNICEF secretariat it is stated that in Latin America 107 million people-40 per cent of the popula- tion-come within the category of poor people, and that 52 million people, 19 per cent of the population, belong to the category of indigents. 298. To these alarming figures we should add that a million children die everyyear, that 3 million minors are compelled to work, that 60 per cent of the child popula- tion eat no meat and drink no milk, and that in 1980, 38 million children will have no schools. 299. More than 800 million children from nearly 100 countries are living in rural under-developed areas with a high rate of infantile mortality, illiteracy and 300. These daunting figures show, moreover, that one of every five children born in developing countries dies before the age of five, that 10 million children are con- demned to die of hunger, and that more than 100 million are suffering from physical and mental deficien- ciescaused by malnutrition and undernourishment. 301. How can we remain indifferent to that situation in the knowledge that the world is investing $300 billion annually on arms and military expenditure? With that sum we could build 600,000 schools with a capacity for 400 million children, or 60 million comfortable homes for 300 million people, or 30,000 hospitals with' 18 million beds. 302. It is necessary for the countries which produce weapons to halt the production of armaments and to pool their efforts to resolve the crushing problems which we are facing as a result of the current social in- justice and inequalities. 303. Any profound and valid analysis of the tragic situation facing developing countries would not hold together if we omitted a study of its economic and social roots. The countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America would find it extraordinarily difficult at present to reduce the enormous gap which separates them from the so-calleddeveloped countries. 304. We must bear in mind the neo-colonialist deter- mination to prevent the developing countries from exer- cising their full sovereignty over their natural resources. 305. Hence it is necessary for developing countries to fight for their economic and political independence, to exercise full and permanent sovereignty over their resources and economic activities, and to promote a thorough restructuring through the just internal distribution of their resources with international co- operation from all countries, particularly those which have accumulated greater wealth. 306. In this debate on the International Year of the Child, to promote the protection and the rights of all children around the world, we cannot fail to think also of the lot of the most oppressed: the victims of the regimes of exploitation, repression, foreign aggression, racial discrimination and its most brutal manifestation, apartheid. 307. It is certainly impossible for the international community to forget the consequences of the wars of aggression unleashed against peoples which have fought and are fighting for their independence and sovereignty. These acts of aggression by imperialist, colonialist and neo-colonialist Powers have taken a dramatic toll, leav- ing millions of orphans. 308. Children born in the Republic of South Africa are condemned to being lesser beings. That is the only State in the world where racism is part of the Constitu- tion and where 84 per cent of the population is subject to a regime of ghettos which recalls the tragic scenes enacted during nazism. 310. Similarly, it is necessary to denounce the terrible situation of children under dictatorial and Fascist regimes in Latin America and the need for the children of Puerto Rico to have the right to live in a free and in- dependent country. 311. We are gratified to see countries which have cast off the yoke of colonialism carrying out profound economic and social changes and creating the basis that willpermit them to offer better livingconditions to their children. Such a country is Nicaragua which inherited a total of40,000 orphans from the tyrannical neo-colonial system, with a rate of illiteracy from 50 to 60 per cent of the child population, and between 500,000 and 700,000 starving children. 312. The problem of under-development is not only a problem for those who have to bear it. It is not solely a problem for those countries which are victims of under- development. It is a problem which affects the whole in- ternational community. 313. It is well known that our countries have been forced into under-development precisely as a result of the pillaging by countries which took part in the col- onization and neo-colonization of our economies and hence have a per capita income on average 14 times greater than that of the under-developed countries. 314. Given the historical and moral obligations of countries which benefited from our wealth, it is up to them now to be the first to help us. 315. Although Cuba is a poor country and has been for more than 20 years involved in a tenacious struggle against under-development, it has for some years been offering international assistance to countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. May I reiterate the will- ingness of my country to make the greatest possible con- tribution through our doctors, our teachers, our nurses, our experts and qualified workers. 316. The International Year of the Child is for all children, including those living in developed countries. 317. In those prosperous societies there are also prob- lems, although they are of a different kind. There are not only problems resulting from the existenceof terrible poverty in the midst of opulent abundance, but there are also problems which have their origin in the harmful economic and social environment which creates social conditions leading to drug addiction, corruption and crime. 318. We attribute importance to the initiative to work out a convention on the rights of the child to supple- ment the Declaration of 1959, which contains the basic principles relating to special protection. However, may I state that it is even more important than drawing up a legal text for countries to take measures to implement it at the national level. 319. We can only talk of the success of the Interna- tional Year of the Child if from now on we take effec- 320. These measures can only be effective if there is an atmosphere of harmony and solidarity among nations and, as our national hero, Jose Marti, stated, if the minds of all human beings are freed from all kinds of selfishness and put at the serviceof children, the hope of the world.

The United Nations reaffirmed its awareness of universal responsibilities when it established the In- ternational Year of the Child and drew the attention of mankind to those who should benefit the most from the greatest efforts of the international community and of each and everyone of its States. 322. That commitment by the United Nations is the first and principal one of its Charter, which begins with the determination "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war" - in other words, to protect the children of today and tomorrow. 323. In this debate of the General Assembly, it was comforting to hear so many countries referring to their plans and achievements for children and young people. In Ecuador, the National Executive Committee of the International Year of the Child is presided over by the First Lady, Mrs. Martha Bucaram de Rold6s, who also chairs the national children's organization. 324. Representatives of the Ministers of Health, Education and Labour, the Minister of Social Welfare, and various public and private welfare organizations are members of the Committee, which also has provincial sub-committees. 325. In the formulation of policies which are part of the national development plan, the Ecuadorian Institute of the Child was set up; it will co-ordinate the public and private activities with international co-operation. The goals of the Committee in terms of its short-term plans are concentrated in the areas of health, education, social welfare, recreation, social communication and legislation. In these areas we hope that it will be possible to deal on a national and rational level with questions such as physical rehabilitation, employment risks, epidemics and levels of nutrition in rural areas. In education there are broad programmes for high enrol- ment in our free and compulsory primary educational system and in the free and optional secondary system. More than 2 million children in our population of 8.3 million are benefiting from primary and secondary education. 326. In social welfare we are considering mobilizing young people and creating community homes for children in marginal urban areas. We are studying the best ways of rationalizing recreation through electronic audio-visual means as well as promoting the historical and cultural values and children's competitions. We have progressed in the participation of the child in the community and in the establishment of libraries and 328. I have the great honour to transmit the message addressed to this Assembly on this occasion by the First Lady of Ecuador, which is as follows: "In my capacity as President of the National Children's Association, a role fulfilled in Ecuador by the wife of the Constitutional President of the Republic, and aware that the United Nations General Assembly will be convening a special session, with the moral authority which it exercises in the interna- tional community to guide and promote activities to commemorate the International Year of the Child, I join in applauding this noble and constructive under- taking. At the same time, as a woman, a mother and a citizen fully committed to the search for new horizons and a better future for the people of Ecuador, I would refer to the work to be carried out by the Government to eliminate poverty, ignorance and disease. The first to benefit will be the children of today, who tomorrow will be building the future of the country. Finally, through this lofty and distinguished world gathering and with the love which springs forth spontaneously for children, I would ask the United Nations to urge the r .ivern- ments and peoples of the world to take real steps so that the children of the world can live and grow up with health, shelter and education and have oppor- tunities to enjoy the goods of man, as provided for in resolution 31/169 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Yours sincerely, Martha Bucaram de R6ldos, President of the National Children's Association of Ecuador." 329. We consider that the children concerned must be incorporated into the new international economic order and the new international development strategy so that this year may also be a stage during which we can work for lasting achievements, and my country was one of the sp~nsors of draft resolution A/34/L.4, which will pro- vide for the implementation of these goals and which we 331. Bangladesh, along with other States Members of the United Nations, has observed 1979 as the Interna- tional Year of the Child in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 31/169 of 21 December 1976. The United Nations issued this call to highlight the fact that children are the future citizens of the world and that the future of the world is dependent on their work and creativity. This can be achieved only through the proper growth and development of the mental and physical faculties of today's children. 332. During the course of this year, Bangladesh has in- itiated specific practical measures, both short-term and long-term, for the benefit of children throughout the country. • 333. In order to implement its programme my Govern- ment has established a National Council for Children's Affairs, composed of persons who have had long ex- perience in the field of co-ordinating child welfare. This National Council for Children's Affairs has functioned throughout 1979 as the National Committee for the In- ternational Year of the Child. On the basis of the reports of the Sub-Committee of the International Year of the Child, 1979, and also taking into consideration the circumstances prevailing in the country regarding children, that Committee has taken up some long-term plans. Some of these plans will be a continuation of the existing ones, but they will differ in dimension, intensity and coverage. Some of the programmes recommended win be comparatively new, but due emphasis and impor- tance will be given to them by allocating the maximum resources available. 334. In Bangladesh we have a long-term action pro- gramme, and we hope that we shall be able to imple- ment those programmes with the help of the resources generated by the national Government as well as through aid received from various international organizations. The following are some of the projects in the long-term action programme. 335. First, we are introducing universal compulsory free primary education and taking effective steps to en- sure the attendance of all school-going children and the elimination of drop-outs till such time as the children have learnt at least one pre-vocational skill. 336. Secondly, we are promoting and encouraging cultural, literary, artistic and sports activity through the Children's Academy - Shishu Academy, as we call it - which has been established with a view to co- ordinating such activity at all levels of the administra- tion, so that there can be a general uplift in this direc- tion throughout the country. This Academy has also started to sponsor cultural exchange programmes and visits of Bangladeshi childrens groups to neighbouring 337. Thirdly, we are improving and strengthening the medical programme and health facilities for children all over Bangladesh. Efforts in this direction include setting up of more village welfare clinics for children in rural areas, the establishment of a Crippled Children's Hospital at Dacca and the strengthening of immuniza- tion and nutrition programmes so that the next genera- tion can develop into healthy citizens. 338. Fourthly, we are updating legislation on children. A two-pronged approach is being studied in this con- text: first, to promote community awareness of the need for understanding and effective implementation of all existing child legislation; and, secondly, to create public opinion in favour of new and progressive legislation where necessary. 339. In 1979 in Bangladesh, in addition to the above long-term programmes, an important short-term measure was also adopted to promote recreational facilities for children by establishing entertainment cen- tres for children of the country in various areas under the auspices of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation. 340. Any statement with regard to the children of the world would, however, be incomplete without reference to the commendable work being done by DNICEF. The "country approach" of UNICEF programmes as outlined in the latest report of the Executive Board s has permitted them to tailor programmes of co-operation to the needs of a particular area. They have been specially helpful in promoting the idea that policies and program- mes affecting children should be taken into account in the national development effort. UNICEF has ably assisted various countries, including Bangladesh, to co- ordinate their services for children in order to achieve maximum output. 341. We should like however to put on record that there is further scope for enhancement of UNICEF co- operation and its activities. To achieve this, however, will require the co-operation of the international com- munity. 342. The Executive Director of UNICEF was quite correct when in 1978 he expressed the view that UNICEF must respond appropriately to the greater aspirations resulting from the International Year of the Child. We must assist UNICEF in this regard. 343. We in Bangladesh have been paying particular at- tention to the amelioration of the existing conditions of children. After all, they compose almost 40 per cent of our population. We believe that UNICEF should give priority attention to developing countries like Bangladesh and other members of the least developed countries. Special effort is required in this connexion to help in the evolution of programmes for children in these areas. 344. The report of the Executive Board of UNICEF is correct in so far as it recommends that there be con- 345. Before concluding, our delegation would like to express its full support for the draft resolution brought to the attention of the Assembly in document A/34/L.4, dated 15 October 1919, and we should like to be in- cluded as one of the sponsors of this draft resolution. 346. The burden is on us today to care for the future. We must not fail, as tomorrow and the possible success of our next generation depends on the co-operation we achieve today.

I shall now calIon those representatives wishing to' exercise the right of reply. Before doing so, I would remind them of our decision on the length of such statements.

At the. previous meeting the Chinese representative made an ambiguous and unclear statement designed to slander Viet Nam. 349. First of all, the Viet Nam ~elegaticn would like to emphasize once again that Viet Nam has assisted Kam- puchea to restore its genuine independence and sovereignty and that that assistance has been the con- stant internationalist du~y which has made us stand together against the common enemy for national salva- tion. 350. Secondly, who are the culprits responsible for the atrocities in Kampuchea in the past four years and for the instability of the situation in South-East Asia? They are the current Chinese leaders in Peking, who are am- bitiously carrying out their hegemonistic and expan- sionist policy in South-East Asia. They have used the hands of others to create the border war against Viet Nam, causing untold deaths and suffering to thousands of Vietnamesechildren and pregnant mothers. 351. As a result of the reactionary foreign policy and the internal genocidal regime, those "tools" of the Chinese expansionistswere toppled, tried and sentenced to death in absentia for their crimes resulting in the death of 3 million Kampucheans, most of them children and helpless women. Those crimes have been widely published in the Western press. 352. Were the massacres not enough for the Chinese expansionists? Why is the current leadership in Peking stiD trying to revive their dead political corpses by always showing hostility to Viet Nam? Do they wish 353. The Chiri~e expansionis~s are responsible for those who illegally leave the countries in South-East Asia. Let 'them not try to change black into white. , . 354. On 17February 1979the Chinese launched more than half a million troops to invade my country: Those who have come to the six border'provincesof Viet Nam have witnessed the Chinese war crimes committed there-extreme war crimes, unprecedented in the history of mankind. There Vietnamese children were chopped into pieces,their skulls broken and thrown into fire or the water. 355. I do not want to horrify this Assembly during a discussion of the International Year of the Child by revealing the crimes that the Chinese have committed against my country.' I wish only to ask the Chinese representative, How long will the Chinese leadership in Peking keep on lying to public opinion about their crimes? I take this opportunity to repeat that any lies with which the Chinese try to cover up those'facts will fail.

I am sorry to have to ask tobe allowed to speak at this late hour in exercise of the right of reply to the statement of the representative of Viet Nam. 357. As everyone knows, the Vietnamese expan- sionists have been conducting a war of aggression and genocidein Kampuchea for almost 10months now. This is the most cruel and barbarous war that has ever oc- curred in the world, becauseduring those 10months the Vietnamese aggressors have already massacred more than 500,000 of my compatriots, without making any distinction between men, women, children and old peo- ple. They have also caused 500,000 more of my com- patriots to die of hunger, and they are currently killing hundreds of millions of others. Everybody knows this. 358. The criminal purpose of the authorities of Hanoi is to break the resistance of the Kampuchean people, who are heroically struggling to defend their in- dependence, sovereignty and the territorial integrity of their country against Vietnameseaggression. The Hanoi authorities have as their criminal aim the annexation of Kampuchea, the extermination of the Kampuchean people and their replacement with Vietnamesecolonists. They have already settled more than 250,000 Viet- namese colonists in Kampuchea. 359. At this moment the Hanoi authorities are launch- ing their armed forces of aggression of 200,000 men in campaignsto massacre the people of Kampuchea, which has forced tens of thousands of my compatriots to fle~ to Thailand. Everybody is aware of this also. 360. This war of aggressionby VietNam is also a great threat to international peace and security, in particular to that of South-East Asia. 361. All those are irrefutable facts, and it is not the hypocritical denials of the Vietnamese authorities that

The Chinese delegation deems it necessary briefly to reply to the slander and attack on China made by the representative of Viet Nam. 363. The Vietnamese representative's performance to- day can be summed up in one sentence: the thief cries, "Stop, thief!" 364. As is known by all, the armed aggression of Viet Nam against Democratic Kampuchea caused the death and misery of countless Kampuchean people and children. It is this policy of genocide perpetrated by Viet " 365. But all the slander and attack on China by the Vietnamese representative cannot cover up one fact; that is that the Vietnamese authorities who are the ag- gressors against Democratic Kampuchea are the butch- ers who have massacred the people and children of Democratic Kampuchea. They are the source and root- cause of the sufferings of countless refugees and children. 366. Our advice to the Vietnamese authorities is to stop trying to cover up the facts with lies.