A/34/PV.37 General Assembly

The significance of the In- ternational Year of the Child has been demonstrably proved by the high-level participation of Member States in the present debate. The tremendous interest in and concern for children that the celebrations of the Year have generated throughout the world are further proof of its topicality and relevance. For when the Declaration on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1959 [resolution 1386 (XIV)] and when the decision was taken under resolution 31/169 to proclaim 1979as the International Year of the Child, we could hardly know that they would provide a banner occasion for Member States to enter into such profound and wide-ranging self-examination with re- spect to their existing services and legislation as well as to their attitudes and policies towards the child as an in- ternational responsibility. 2. As Nigeria enters its new phase of national life under a civilian administration with democratic institu- tions and national programmes to foster social and economic development in all parts of the country, studies on social welfare and demography regarding children in Nigeria have assumed dimensions of primor- dial importance. As a result, the commitments we entered into during the celebrations of the Year in fulfil- ment of its aims and objectives have involved both short-term and long-term plans. 3. From the theme "The Nigerian child: a community responsibility", which we adopted for the Year, and from the various measures we undertook to generate popular support for its celebration, we were able to observe that the welfare of the child cannot be divorced from the social and economic situation of his family and community. As a consequence, our national plans and policies for children go far beyond 1979. NEW YORK 4. In addition to the institutional innovations and ar- rangements that we have decided to adopt in order ef- fectively to secure and promote the rights of children as a national policy, we have agreed to give the highest priority, within the framework of our five-year national development plans, to a number of programmes for children. These programmes form an integral part of our over-all socio-economic plans for Nigeria. For ex- ample, we accord priority to the creation, expansion and imptovement of all services for children in the health, education and social welfare sectors, as well as to the fostering of family-planning activities. In addi- tion, we are creating an environment for the education of the general public on the rights of the child, with ~, view to ensuring adequate legislative, administrative and budgetary provisions for our national policy for children in Nigeria. 5. Some of the major activities:which we undertook in celebrating the International Year of the Child underline the scope and character of my Government's commitment to the welfare of our children in the cur- rent and following five-year-plan periods. 6. Studies on the situation of children in the areas of health, education and welfare were carried out by our National Educational Research Council. Research bodies were commissioned to carry out some of these studies. 7. A programme entitled "Partners in health" was designed for primary and elementary students, and self- instruction materials in various aspects of health were also prepared for these children. These projects involved universities and teachers. Preventive services in the men- tal health field were provided by the health sectors. 8. New programmes for children were begun, includ- ing the establishment of day-care centres, recreation and holiday centres, road safety programmes and literature and library service. Deprived, migrant and handicapped children also received due attention from both govern- mental and non-governmental bodies. There was em- phasis on better town planning, play facilities, traffic control, toys and consumer protection. 9. Increased budgetary provisions were made for chil- dren in the education, health and social welfare sectors. 10. Since the celebrations created an environment for the education of the public on the rights of the child, a serious effort is therefore now being made to review a large body of our legal statutes insofar as they directly affect the child. We hope that from this will develop more humane laws relating to, child abuse or adoption, and to families and their well-being: 11. The Nigerian children's trust fund, which will be launched at the end of the year, will provide funds on a 12. One most encouraging aspect of the celebrations was that they brought several local non-governmental organizations together. Over 30 Nigerian n~n-govern­ mental organizations actively co-operated with the Na- tional Commission. Among the activities of the non- governmental organizations were the following: studies on the situation of children in the areas of health, education and welfare by the National Educational Research Council; preparation of a training syllabus for day-care assistants by the National C.ouncilof Women's Societies; several programmes on disease, h':lng~r and malnutrition, ignorance and unplanned family hfe by the Enyiogugo UNESCO Current Affairs Society; and a legal study of the cu.rrent status of children, co~mis­ sioned by the Nigerian Chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, in conjunction with the Nigerian Council of vyo~en's ~oc~eti~s, wit~ the aim of ensuring that no child In Nigeria IS subject to any disability or deprivation on t.he grounds of th.e ~Ir­ cumstances of his birth and with a view to publishing popular pamphlets in the three main Nigerian languages. 13. Nigeria also plans to host a number of meetings of non-governmental organizations, including the Interna- tional Conference of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, a conference of the Nigerian Association of University Women on "The African Child" and a conference of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria devoted to "The Nigerian Child in the World of Today". 14. Owing to the progress in literacy, the higher level of social consciousness brought about by the mass com- munication media as well as the improved transporta- tion system and the general well-being of the communi- ty, my Government sees great similarity in the problems of the child in Nigeria and in other African and non- African countries. We find that child delinquency is a symptom of 2. larger social welfare problem. Conse- quently, W( ,,·.,·,~e with the progress report of the Ex- ecutive Director of UNICEF of 15 March 19791 and the note prepared by the Secretary-General in document A/34/452 of 3 October 1979 that a more global view should' be taken in dealing with the various priority issues which affect the child. In this context Nigeria hopes that the various international organizations, par- . ticularly UNICEF, will continue to assist developing countries like Nigeria to share or exchange experience, information and expertise with ot.her countries, thereby provid: \.lg' valuable input into their manpower develop- ment schemes. Nigeria is particularly interested in facilitating human interaction and communication be- tween its children and those of the rest of the world. In pursuit of this desire, Nigeria has over the years been awarding bursaries and scholarships to foreign students, particularly from African and Commonwealth coun- tries. We have also been encouraging, on a regular an- nual basis, the exchange of cultural and school visits between Nigerian children and those of neighbouring African countries. We have also encouraged talent shows for children in all West African countries with the programmes fully financed' by the Nigerian Govern- 16. Traditionally, the Nigerian child is his community's responsibility. In addition to the members of the extend- ed family to which he belongs, other members and groups of his community accept without questioning that it is their duty to make sure that the child grows up in terms of physical, mental, emotional, moral, social and cultural development. Unfortunately, the impact of modern civilization, industrialization and urbanization on our culture has tended adversely to affect these prin- ciples and practices of child rearing. We however hope that, given our present policies, and with the current resurgence of pride in our national institutions, customs and traditions, there will be a happier marriage between what is best in both the new and the old, so as to protect the cultural integrity of our children. 17. The essence of social education is that the child should become a contributing member of the home, the school, the village, the community, the State and the n~­ tion. Consequently, the year 1979 has been celebrated 10 Nigeria as one of discovering the talents and potentials of each child and inculcating in him or her a sense of social responsi.bility. We look upon and invest in our children as an investment not only in themselves but also in the family, the nation and the world at large. 18. Before I conclude, I wish to draw attention to paragraph 12 of General Assembly resolution 3.3/183 L on apartheid, adopted on 24 January 1979, urging " ... Governments and organizations to give special attention, during the International Year of the Child, to the plight 0; .hildren oppressed by the inhuman policy of apartheid." 19. The Special Committee against Apartheid, of which I have the honour to be Chairman, has taken a number of initiatives in response to that provision, in- cludi. ~ the organization of the International Seminar "j] C'uldren under Apartheid, in June 1979 in Paris at UNESCO headquarters. The conch-dons and recom- mendations of the seminar were transmitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and published in document A/34/512. 20. I note with deep regret tha. no reference ~a~ been made to the plight of children under apartheid 10 the report of the Executive Director .of UNICEF 21. Therefore, I wish to draw special attention to the statement which I issued on behalf of the Special Com- mittee against Apartheid on 15 October calling for world-wide observances in solidarity with the children in South Africa. It is only fair and reasonable to expect that this appeal will find some echo, if not place, in the resolution that we shall adopt at the end of our debate. We propose to submit amendments to that effect to the draft resolution.s 22. Our concern is for all the children of the world ir- respective of race, colour or creed. So long as racism deprives millions of children of their rights in South Africa, we cannot afford to gloss over their plight while discussing the improvement of the situation of the children of the world.

The International Year of the Child has been a celebration of the unique value of each child in all the countries of the world. Activities associated with the International Year of the Child have done much to concentrate the attention of the world's people not only on the impor- tance of ch.ldren but also on the international obliga- tion to meet perhaps the most pressing and heart- rending need of the day - to improve the lot of suffering children in so many parts of the world, and most especially in the developing world. It is thus fully ap- propriate that this meeting should focus on the follow- up to the International Year of the Child and that the follow-up should concentrate on methods to improve the situation of children of the world, particularly of some children in developing countries. 24. In his report on the work of the Organization, the Secretary-General states: "In the International Year of the Child, we have been reminded very forcefully of the stark depriva- tions suffered by children in many parts of the world and we have seen that all too often children are also victims of violations of human rights. It is absolutely intolerable that children should be made to suffer in this manner in our day and age." [See A/34/1, sect. VII.] 25. It is absolutely intolerable that children should suffer so in our day and age, but they are suffering in varying degrees in all parts of the world. 26. We in the United States have prided ourselves on caring not only adequately but very well for our children. We provide free education, we have good child labour laws, we have extensive safety regulations to pro- tect them, we have good hospitals and clinics in all cnr. states. Food is plentiful, and we have a high standard of 2 Subsequently circulated as document A/34/L.S. 27. Nevertheless, we recognize that in comparison with the world statistical averages our children fare very well. But we recognize also that if a single child suffe~s anywhere in the world, we must be concerned. That IS why, in addition to appealing to the American public to understand and resolve the problems of our own children, we have also committed ourselves to reaching out to help the most desperate of the world's children. The National Commission initiated this goal with the theme "The world's children- a joy to share, a respon- sibility to care". Through more than 350 non- governmental organizations and 52 states and ter- ritorier, the Commission s~":ared information on the status of refugee children, abandoned children and children in need in developing nations. This effort has been followed up with fund-raising plans to culminate at Thanksgiving. We shall give thanks by giving to children who are without. In addition to giving funds, we are urging Americans to give programmatic and Iegislative support to meet the needs of the world's children. 28. It has been estimated that 55 million children in the world under age 15 must work. Millions of children in our world know virtually no childhood at all. They must take on the role of adults in many cases even before they are old enough to begin school. Poverty is the reason for much of this, but there is also greed, and it is a problem in the developed countries as well as the developing countries. Children are employed in hazar- dous jobs, at hard labour; many must beg and many barely into puberty are forced to become prostitutes. In some places, because child labour is cheap, children work at adult jobs while adults are unemployed. 29. In recent history there have been particularly distressing conditions that have highlighted rather dramatically the deprivation of children. An example of such would be the tragedy of children in southern Africa which we 'have witnessed. We have seen the heart- rending plight of the "boat people" children. We have seen the 9 and 10-year-old children of Northern Ireland and the Middle East brandishing weapons. 30. Millions of children in our world suffer from malnutrition, which hampers their physical and mental development. Many receive little or no education, many are homeless and many are without parents. 31. In some areas where the plight of children is ap- pallingly bad at the best of times, it has become im- measurably worse as children become the innocent vic- tims of warfare. The world community for years has tried to cope with the suffering of refugee children. Especially in Africa and Asia extensive efforts have been made to alleviate the suffering of refugee children, as well as, of course, that of adults. Our own Govern- ment as well as the tnternational community has 32. But even sadder than the tragic plight of refugee children-though a greater sadness than that seems in- conceivable-is that of the child victims of war who have yet to be reached by the relief efforts of the inter- national community. The most recent case involves the children of Kampuchea, who represent 45 per cent of that country's population. Professional relief experts have reported that in that unhappy land very few children under the age of five have survived the famine and associated diseases that have resulted from prolong- ed warfare. The validity of these observations is sup- ported by the virtual absence of young children among Khmer refugees. The few who do survive the famine and fighting in Kampuchea 'will undoubtedly bear perma- nent mental and physical scars as a result of severe malnutrition. Scientific research has proved conclusive- ly that malnutrition in early childhood is closely related to later developmental disabilities. One recent survey of a Khmer refugee group along the Thai-Khmer border in- dicated that 96 per cent of the surviving children in that group were suffering from malnutrition. A generation of Khmer may already have been lost, and thousands of older children are likely to perish unless urgent actions are undertaken by the international community. 33. An international effort to provide relief to Kam- puchean civilians is under way. UNICEF has been designated by the Secretary-General as the lead agency for the United Nations system in this effort. Together with the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF deserves our particular appreciationfor its in- itiative and perseverance in attempting, under the most difficult conditions, to alleviate the suffering of Kam- puchean children and mothers as well as others in need. 34. It is the fervent hope of my Government that as a fitting contribution to the International Year of the Child, all Member nations willjoin in support of this ef- fort to save the children of Kampuchea and also join in urging all involved parties, particularly the parties in the area, to support and co..operate in relief efforts. 35. We trust that this session of the General Assembly will receive a comprehensive report on the status of children in Kampuchea and on the progress of efforts to assist them. 36. Confronted with the appalling situation of so many of the children of the world, we must reject despair and attack the problems with resolution. Governments must do more for the welfare and protec- tion of the children in their jurisdiction and, to the ex- tent that they are able, they must help other Govern- ments cope with their problems. UNICEF and other agencies of the United Nations system must continue and expand the work they have been doing. My Govern- ment hopes, for instance, that the ILO will continue to study and to seek ways to resolve the complex problem of child labour and that other United Nations agencies and Governments will co-operate in this vital effort. 37. The International Year of the Child has done great service in increasing our awareness of the problems of children and there have been many small successes in meeting tho 'e needs. All those associated with its con- 38. Special credit to the success of the Year of the Child must go to UNICEF and the International Year of the Child secretariat for their excellent work in involv- ing all the countries of the world in the Year. My special admiration goes to Mrs. Estefania Aldaba-Lim, the Special Representative for the Year of the Child, of the Executive Director of UNICEF, for her skill in stirring the imagination and participation of so many countries. We also want to express special appreciation to Canon Joseph Moerman, whose early vision for the Interna- tional Year of the Child and whose tireless efforts have assured the success of the year. Canon Moerman's spirit has infused the Year with vitality and selfless commit- ment. 39. The Government and the people of the United States were among those who responded enthusiastically to these efforts. In his message to the Secretary-General, President Carter said: "Working through UNICEF and other United Na- tions agencies and through the leaders of other na- tions, I think wecan enhance the opportunity for bt't- ter clothing, housing, food, medical care, education and the protection against suffering on the past of children of all nations. "So I am very eager to be a part of it. It is a sober- ing prospect to know that perhaps once in a lifetime we have an opportunity to focus attention on such a neglected group in the world's population." [See A/34/188, p.ll2.] 40. The President appointed a National Commission for the International Year of the Child and did me the honour of asking me to serve as its Chairperson. Throughout this Year, the Commission, which is com- posed of 24 outstanding people from across the country, and 30 honorary commissioners, has initiated and con- ducted a dialogue for the purpose of increasing public awareness of the special needs of children in such areas as health, nutrition, education, justice, recreation and the arts. 41. In addition, we dealt with equal opportunity, the impact of the media on children and the needs of chil- dren around the world. 42. Because of this effort many people learned for the first time that many among the one third of our popula- tion who are children are inadequately provided for in these areas. Many were shocked to learn that 17 million children in the United States do not have an adequate standard of living. Many of these children receive inade- quate nutrition, medical care and educational oppor- tunities. Many, and not necessarily the poor, are denied the warmth and security of a loving home. In some of our large cities juvenile crime and juvenile exploitation are serious problems. 44. The Commission set itself the following goals: to stimulate a national dialogue on issues facing children, both at home and abroad, and. thus create a broad- based support group concerned and knowledgeable about children and their problems; to form lasting coali- tions of concerned citizens at the local, state and na- tional levels to serve as continuing advocates for children's needs, both at home and abroad long after 1979; to motivate people from all walks of life-private as well as public organizations, parents as well as children, individuals as well as groups, government agencies as well as charitable institutions, organized labour as well as corporations - and at all levels from the local to the national to evaluate the needs of children in their communities and take concrete steps towards meeting these needs; to provide a celebratory opportuni- ty for children, families and communities to come together in a joyful spirit; to persuade legislative bodies to take legislative actions and Governmental agencies to review and refine regulations and policies that affect the well-being of children and their families; to discover the concerns, feelings and aspirations for children from all parts of our country, including those of children themselves; and to reach out beyond our own country for information exchange and co-operation in confront- ing common problems. 45. In each of these areas we have received a very positive response from the American people. We have begun to see progress in all areas. We look for this momentum to be sustained through existing organiza- tions and governmental channels. In the light of this we are presenting to our President not a final report but a "challenge report"-a challenge to our country to con- tinue the work begun on behalf of children here and around the world. 46. The International Year of the Child will soon be behind us and the matter at hand is the follow-up to the Year. The United States Government supports a vigor- ous follow-up to the accomplishments of this Year. We hope that the General Assembly will make a strong statement on the continuing need to focus on children's welfare as a major element of Government policies in all countries. We believe' the International Year of the Child has demonstrated that its focus on children can serve as an organizing principle to mobilize Government action as well as community support and participation for development activities benefiting the country as a whole. We hope that UNICEF at its next Executive Board session will recommend steps to be taken to con- tinue the momentum that has been created. We agree with the recommendation of UNICEF that we should continue to place emphasis on providing basic services to the poorest children in the low-income countries. 47. UNICEF has performed admirably as the lead agency for the International Year of the Child. My Government looks forward to continued co-operation 48. Let me reiterate our concern about the intolerable situation for many of the children of the world and par- ticularly about the desperate and immediate need to save the children of Kampuchea. The Governments of the world, together with international organizations, have the ability vastly to improve this situation. My Government has supported and will support efforts towards this end. We urge other Governments to con- tinue to support and co-operate with these efforts so that children everywhere can have the love and care that they need and which the world requires to advance the common humanity of us all.

I should like to begin my statement by expressing our gratitude to UNICEF and especially to the secretariat of the International Year of the Child and other international and national organiza- tions, for their hard work, ana also our congratulations on the success of that Year. 50. General Assembly resolution 31/169, which pro- claimed 1979 the International Ycar of the Child, set out two general objectives: first, to enhance the awareness of decision-makers and the public of the special needs of children and, secondly, to promote sus- tained activities at the national and international.levels for the benefit of children. The Secretary-General's note on the International Year of the Child in document A/341452 indicates that more than 160 countries have established commissions which have assumed a central role in promoting various activities of the Year accord- ing to the needs and conditions of each country. This is a good indication that the first objective of the Year is being achieved. In this connexion my delegation would like to pay high tribute to the promotional work carried out by UNICEF and the secretariat of the International Year of the Child. 51. As is implied in the second objective of the Inter- national Year of the Child, its spirit and activities do not end at the end of this year; rather, the International Year of the Child is meant to be a spring-board to promote comprehensive national and international ac- tivities benefiting children. At the national level, coun- tries are expected to translate the heightened recogni- tion of the importance of the welfare of children into concrete longer-term national measures and policies. These may include, for example, a regular review of the situation of children; services extended to them in such areas as health, nutrition, education, and measures taken to protect physically and mentally handicapped children, as well as children of refugees, displaced per- sons, and migrant workers. Specific policies and measures should be elaborated as a part of the over-all social and economic development plan of each country, taking into account the specific and unique conditions of each country. Judging from the responses to the In- ternational Year of the Child of many developed and developing countries which are reported in document A/34/188, I believe that a high priority in the national plans of many countries will be placed on programmes related to children, and that they will be implemented with across-the-board public support. 52. At the international level, my delegation expects that UNICEF, as the lead agency in promoting the im- 53. At the second regular session of 1979 of the Economic and Social Council, resolution 1979/53 on UNICEF was adopted by consensus in recognition of the need for external financial assistance in order to remedy the plight of children in developing countries. This resolution appeals to all Governments to increase their contributions to UNICEF to achieve the revenue target of $290 million for 1981. My delegation had the honour to sponsor the resolution, and my Government intends to contribute to UNICEF according to its abili- ty. In 1979my Government's contributions to UNICEF willamount to $4.5 million, with an additional $200,000 to be contributed to the secretariat of the International Year of the Child. Further, I am pleased to be able to report that, with the UNICEF Association playing a leading role, many private organizations in Japan, in- cluding women's and religious organizations, have been carrying out large-scale fund-raising activities. It is ex- pected that the contributions to UNICEF from private organizations will substantially exceed the $1.4 million contributed last year. 54. At the bilateral level, priority in our assistance programmes is assigned to projects for the development of human resources in developing countries. Our own experience in the modernization process reveals beyond any doubt that the investment in human resources is the most significant and rewardlng one. In fact, we believe that the development of human resources is the very foundation of nation-building. 55. Permit me to take this opportunity to touch briefly upon International Year of the Child activities in my country. 56. The National Commission for the Promotion of Activities for the International Year of the Child was established by a cabinet decision in June 1978,making it possible to organize concerted efforts by both Govern- ment and non-governmental organizations. The Na- tional Commission outlined three basic areas of activity: first, the promotion of the recognition of children's needs; secondly the expansion and increased effec- tiveness of exisdng institutions, policies, and pro- grammes related to the welfare of children, including provisions for the handicapped, maternal and child- care, and non-formal education; and thirdly, the pro- motion of international co-operation related to the welfare of children. 58. A number of Japan's special International Year of the Child programmes were scheduled in August, during the summer holidays to ensure the active participation of children themselves. Among these activities was an exhibition called "Children of the world and Japan" which engaged the assistance of Japanese children from the early planning stage. Another programme involved dispatching junior high school students as special overseas correspondents to 11 Asian countries. I believe these activities made a deep and lasting impression on the children who participated in them, and those children have gained an increased awareness of the needs and plight of children all over the world, as wellas in Japan. In this connexion, I would like to thank the Special Representative for the International Year of the Child, Mrs. Aldaba-Lim, for arousing in my country great interest in and consciousness of the needs of children. 59. The International Year of the Child has also played a significant role domestically by advancing and reinforcing, among others, the measures in Japan related to mentally and physically handicapped children, as well as promoting mother-and-child health programmes and medical services. 60. In conclusion, I am happy to reiterate my Govern- ment's support of the International Year of the Child, as well as of the future activities of UNICEF. Again, I would emphasize that the International Year of the Child is a first step, not the last. We have already seen evidence of the long-lasting effects and efforts to im- prove the economic and social conditions of children in both developed and developing countries, according to the second objective of the International Year of the Child. 61. As we say in Japan, "children are the treasure of a nation". Thus, I hope that all the national and interna- tional efforts undertaken during the International Year of the Child, as well as future efforts, will bear rich fruits in the development of human resources in all countries for a long time to come.

The General As- sembly, by designating 1979as the International Year of the Child, gave expression to the world community's recognition of the importance of children in our life, present and future. The enthusiasm with which the Year has been observed all over the world reflects the univer- sal realization that children are our most precious asset requiring the care of a loving and understanding family, material conditions for a healthy physical and intellec- tual growth and moral guidance for their spiritual enrichment. 63. In view of what can realistically be expected to be achieved during the short span of one year, the Interna- tional Year of the Child can be described as a success. Coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of the adop- tion by the United Nations of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, it has generated and enhanced awareness of the central place that children occupy in 64. Pakistan is one of the 170countries and territories participating in the International Year of the Child. Our faith, Islam, which enjoins the giving of special atten- tion to the needs of children and to their proper care and development, is the main motivating force behind Pakistan's deep involvement in the observance of this Year. In his message, inaugurating the International Year of the Child in Pakistan, President General f"Rohammad Zia-ul-Haq stated: "We, as a nation of Moslems, are deeply commit- ted to the care and welfare of our children. The Holy Prophet-peace be upon him-underlined the proper upbringing of children through the following saying: 'The best thing in the world that a father gives to his child is proper education and socialization'. Proper child care, rearing and development have been in- variably emphasized by Islamic injunctions and a Hadith of the Holy Prophet-peace be upon him." 65. President General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq himself became the Patron-in-Chief of the national committee constituted for the International Year of the Child. The membership of the national committee is broadly based, drawn from different government departments and non-governmental organizations. The Social Welfare Division of the Federal Ministry of Health, Social Welfare and Population was designated to co-ordinate and. guide the International Year of the Child pro- gramme, and an International Year of the Child secretariat was established in that Division. The ac- tivities undertaken in Pakistan during the course of this Year covered a wide variety of areas touching upon dif- ferent aspects of the child's life, such as health, mother care, nutrition, education, training, welfare and recrea- tion. We also launched special publicity and fund- raising campaigns, including organization of meetings, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, issues of stamps and productions of films. 66. Thanks to such activities in various countries and campaigns launched by intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations, concern for children and their special needs has markedly increased. It is true that in concept the requirements of each child are the same. However, there is no denying the fact that the re- quirements of children in affluent countries differ from those in poor countries in degree, as well as in their nature. While in the case of the former it is mainly the emotional, psychological and spiritual problems that predominate, in the latter the problem is more often than not one of simple survival. 67. The concern generated by the International Year of the Child is more in the nature of a diagnosis of prob- lems than their actual treatment. There is therefore an urgent need to keep up the momentum generated by this important event. A sustained and concerted effort is re- 68. We in Pakistan view the International Year of the Child as a continuing activity which will not cease on 31 December 1979. It is intended that the existing National Committee will be converted into a National Commis- sion for Child Welfare. In addition, a national plan of action for the welfare and development of the child has been formulated for the next decade. To be im- plemented by Government agencies as well as communi- ty and voluntary health and social welfare agencies, the plan covers all the important aspects of a child's life. Attention has also been paid to the special needs and problems of handicapped children. A study is being undertaken of the existing national laws relating to children in order to secure the rights of children and to protect them from neglect, cruelty and exploitation. The ultimate aim is for every child to be healthy, well nourished, sheltered and living in a family that offers love, affection and security. The child is to be equipped .with basic ethical values that are best derived from sound religious beliefs. The basic ingredients of the plan are: the inculcation of a positive attitude towards work, national development and civic participation; schooling for the maximum number of children; and the impart- ing of such functional knowledge and skills as would enable them to earn a living for the family. It is hoped that with the implementation of this pian the children of Pakistan will be set on a path of continuing learning and be able to realize their full potential. 69. In the observance of the International Year of the Child, emphasis has rightly been placed on action at the national level. As is evident from the Directory of Na- tional Action! individual countries are making the greatest efforts to realize the objectives of the Year. It is at the same time clear that, notwithstanding all their in- tentions and determination, the developing countries have problems of such severity and magnitude that they cannot possibly overcome those problems by them- selves. In order to bring about the necessary im- provements in the conditions of children, the developing countries require substantial external financial as- sistance. It is the earnest hope of my Government that the Governments and organizations which are in a posi- tion to do so will increase their assistance to pro- grammes benefiting children. We expect that the newly introduced system of Zakat in Pakistan, which will fund various social programmes, will become a focal-point of services for children. 70. The situation of children is affected and shaped by the environment in which they grow. Children living under conditions of foreign occupation, racial discrimination, grinding poverty or as refugees cannot hope that their personalities and capabilities will fully flower. Improvement of their lot is intimately connected with the questions of world peace and security, human rights and the establishment of a new international economic order. 71. How best to consolidate and build upon the ex- perience gained during the International Year of the Child is now the question of prime importance. Sustain- 72. Pakistan has joined in sponsoring draft resolution A/34/L.4, which reflects many of the concerns of my delegation on the subject of childrenrBy adopting this draft resolution the General Assembly would be affirm- ing its abiding interest in the welfare of the children of the world beyond the closure of the International Year of the Child.

We are assembled' here to discuss the issue of the child. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. They are the source of our hopes. In Burma the children are by tradition the focus of the attention of every unit of society. There have been, traditionally, good relationships between parents and children and between adults and young people. Children in Burma enjoy as many benefits as a develop- ing country can afford to provide for them. The rights and privileges of children are explicitly stipulated in the Constitution, which states that "children born of citizens shall enjoy equal rights" and that "the State shall cultivate and promote the all-round physical, in- tellectual and moral development of youth". 74. In Burma, primary education is free and has been made compulsory since we regained independence over 30 years ago. The introduction of mass education in the rural areas has eradicated illiteracy to such an extent that UNESCO has conferred upon Burma an award for its achievements. As a matter of fact, education is open to all. 75. Free medication and the promotion of maternity and paediatric health facilities have decreased the child mortality rate. Along with measures for immunization and vaccination, programmes are being intensified to eradicate epidemic diseases. Smallpox, which was one of the major causes of child mortality, has been com- pletely eradicated from the land. Nutrition surveys on children and experiments and testing of the nutritional feeding of poor children have been extensively carried out. Health education courses are held, with special em- phasis on the diet of infants and children. Voluntary day-care training coursesare conducted, with special em- phasis on the establishment of voluntary day-care cen- tres. At the moment, there are 280 voluntary day-care centres which look after 16,000 children, in addition to the day-care services provided by the Department of Social Welfare. It has been foreseen in the programme that 480 new community-supported day-care centres capable of caring for approximately 23,000 children will be set up under the sponsorship of the local authorities in states and divisions of the country. Increased budgetary provisions have now been allotted to the Department of Social Welfare for subsidizing voluntary day-care teachers, and for the construction of building for community-supported day-care centres. In the third four-year plan for economic and social development, the Ministry of Social Welfare has envisaged extending the servicesof residential nurseries, day-care centres and pre-primary schools. 77. In this year, which marks the twentieth anniver- sary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, it is only natural that measures should be taken to enhance the awareness in the world community of the impor- tance o( the social aspect of development, particularly in programmes designed to meet the special needs of children. Having committed themselves to the fulfil- ment of the objectives of the International Year, the na- tional Governments, especially those of the developing countries, have been making efforts to integrate services for children into national development plans. 78. It is gratifying to note that in the global efforts for the improvement of the well-beingof children a total of 170countries have established national commissions for the International Year of the Child, as well as work committees at provincial and local levels. . . 79. In the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, a national commission was formed under the chairman- ship of the Minister for Social Welfare and for Labour. With a view to providing a broad basis for advocacy through its diversity of membership, the Commission was composed of representatives from ministries and departments which were directly related to the welfare of and services for children and of organizations which could support the promotion of services for children. 80. Burma recognized the vital links between over-all economic and social development plans and pro- grammes benefiting children. Accordingly, the Com- mission laid down the following programmes and launched International Year of the Child movements. The programmes are to cultivate and promote the physical, intellectual and moral development of children; to give priority in 1979, the International Year of the Child, to activities in which children under the age of 12 years normally can participate; to extend special care and attention to handicapped children, in- cluding the blind, the deaf and the dumb; to give special care and attention to orphans, abandoned children, children whose parents are suffering from infectious diseases, and destitute children; to extend day-care cen- tres, and pre-primary schools at factories, at work-sites, in armed forces units and in wards and villages; to pro- mote self-help voluntary social work related to child welfare; to educate and encourage healthy child-rearing practices; to hold exhibitions and competitions on children's literature, paintings, music, culture, sports and physical education for the physical, intellectual and moral development of children; to promote children's motion pictures, playgrounds and play-sheds and sports equipment; to carry out activities to bring literacy within the reach of each and every child; to promote child health, both in its preventive and curative aspects, and nutrition; to promote maternity and child health services; and to carry out Lanzi Youth and Red Cross activities related to children. 81. In order to implement the programmes as exten- sively as possible throughout the country, commissions 82. Since 1 January 1979, the day that Burma declared the International Year of the Child, a considerable number of activities have been undertaken to enhance the awareness of the decision-makers, as well as that of the general public regarding the special needs of children. Pamphlets on the rights of the child were distributed; seminars and conferences were held on the importance of the promotion of the physical, intellec- tual and moral development of children; lectures and radio talks were given on the all-round development of the child; features articles on aspects of child develop- ment, as well as selected children's songs, nursery rhymes and stories were compiled and published. Special events were organized, such as baby shows, dances and puppet shows. 83. This is a brief account of what my country has undertaken to further the all-round development of the child; and of the programmes adopted and activities carried out by the national commission in implemen- tation of the objectives of the International Year of the Child. 84. In the opinion of my delegation, activities generated by the Year, 1979, have set an unprecedented record. In other words, the International Year of the Child has underlined the universality of the basic needs of children, such as food, health care and education. These needs are evidently urgent in the developing coun- tries, where millions of children are victims of hunger, disease and illiteracy. We have noted that, in keeping with the objectives of the International Year of the Child, the world community, the developing countries, in particular, have set aspirational goals for their children. My delegation believes that action-that is, national and international action-taken during the year .will have significant impact beyond 1979. Never- theless, in order to achieve sustained, long-term benefits for children we should maintain the momentum of the activities initiated during the year. In Burma we are satisfied with the successful outcome of the activities launched by the National Commission in co-operation with the international organizations and various other countries in observance of the International Year of the Child. With the National Commission as the co-or- dinating body playing an ever-increasing role in the ef- forts to integrate child welfare services carried out by related departments and organizations, Burma is well prepared to ensure an adequate follow-up to the Inter- national Year of the Child. 8S. Mr. KLESTIL (Austria): The last decades of the twentieth century have been characterized by a steadily gr(1wing discussion of the present and future economic situation in the world, a discussion that pervades all in- ternational forums as well as the academic world and has reached by now the highest echelons of political decision-making. The discussion has made the world community aware of the magnitude and urgency of the problems, and it has clearly established the necessity for a creative and responsible reaction to the challenges we face in order that we may reduce the imbalance and to further the construction of a more harmonious world. 86. Why are we embarking on this collective exercise if it is not to create a safer future and a better life for our 87. The International Year of the Child marks, in our view, a milestone in our common endeavour. Even now, when we have reached the second half of the Year, it has become evident that the response of the international community to this initiative of the United Nations was overwhelming. The Directory of National Action, which has been compiled by the Secretariat, demon- strates the enthusiasm with which the Year has been received around the globe and the wide-ranging spec- trum of activities and programmes which have been ex- ecuted on its behalf. 88. Austria has fully associated itself with the Interna- tional Year of the Child right from its inception at the thirty-first session of the General Assembly and it was a sponsor of resolution 31/169 with which this idea was institutionalized. In our view the main objectives of the International Year of the Child were twofold: first, to initiate a review of the situation of the child on the na- tional level and to embark on an analysis of the pos- sibilities for further advancement in the legal, social and economic fields and, secondly, to raise awareness of the problems which the children of the developing world face and to activate the consciousness or the need for long-term programmes and effective international co- operation for their benefit. 89. These two aspects have characterized the Austrian activities on behalf of the International Year of the Child which have been carried out on the level of the federal and the provincial governments as well as with the enthusiastic co-operation of private and political organizations and the media. As detailed information about the Austrian activities has been regularly for- warded to the secretariat of the International Year of the Child, I should like to mention just a few special programmes here which may also serve to characterize in general the policy of the Austrian Government in the matters before us. 90. In the major framework of concepts of domestic policy and its execution in Austria, family and children issues have highest priority. The Council of Family Policies, under the auspices of the Federal Chancellery, continuously deals with matters of family policies and the welfare of children. In co-operation with other perti- nent organizations, it provides expert opinion in economic, social, legal and cultural issues which con- cern the status of the family and the situation of children. It defines areas for improvements and initiates actions and activities on the national level. 91. On the occasion of the International Year of the Child it published the Report of the Federal Govern- ment on the Situation of the Family in Austria, which 93. As the legal and social situation of children in Austria is very far advanced and has recently been fur- ther improved by amendments concerning the situation of the illegitimate child, the custody law and the maintenance obligation in case of the break-up of a family, we have during the International Year of the Child put special emphasis on social aspects of the day- to-day life of children. We have carried out, for in- stance, a special programme for the protection of children against traffic accidents. In co-operation with the Austrian Radio and Television a programme about the education of children in the family under the general topic, "Love, not punishment", has been executed. Also deserving of mention are the numerous activities of the provincial governments and city administrations which concentrated on spare-time habits as well as the health situation of the Austrian children and aimed at engaging children in educational and creative activities and sports events during their spare time. 94. With regard to the second great objective of the international Year of the Child, Austria has aimed at going beyond the fund-raising activities and effecting a change of consciousness and an increased awareness, especially among the Austrian schoolchildren, of the problems of children in the developing world. 95. One hundred and fifteen schools have participated in a special programme entitled "Development educa- tion", which was designed not only to make the Austrian children aware of the economic, nutritional and social problems of the third world but at the same time to enhance their understanding of the cultural heritage of countries outside our own region and the importance of cultural and intellectual exchange and co- operation. In this context several art and essay competi- tions have also been organized. As a proof of our com- mitment to this cause, all the aforementioned activities will be continued beyond the Jnternatlonal Year of the Child, in order to be truly beneficial and of a far- reaching impact. 96. I cannot conclude my remarks without a special word of thanks and appreciation to the Secretary- General's Special Representative for the Year of the Child as well as her secretariat, which has proved itself as a real task force for the advocacy of the child. 97. That there has been a deepening consciousness of the needs of children and of the special protection re- quired for their optimal development is to a large extent due to the commitment and the untiring devotion of Mrs. Aldaba-Lim and her staff to this cause. In this connexion I also wish to commend UNICEF for its work for the benefit of children in general and to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to, as well as our continuing support of, its future programmes. "(0) To provide a framework for advocacy on behalf of children and for enhancing the awareness of the special needs of children on the part of deci- sion-makers and the public; "(b) To promote recognition of the fact that pro- grammes for children should be an integral part of economic and social development plans with a view to achieving, in both the long term and the short term, sustained activities for the benefit of children at the national and international levels". 99. We are gratified to state that these objectives have been met, as is clearly shown by the eagerness with which Governments as well as ('1vernmental and non- governmental organizations have participated in action for children. We should now strive not to lose the momentum derived from the International Year of the Child but to move to concrete and.effective national and international action. 100. The poet Jean Paul once said: "Abolish the many tears of children; too much rain harms the flowers". To abolish the tears of children wherever they are shed, to create for them a world of peace and justice, of hope and equal chances has to be the guideline of our com- mon endeavour.

As we reflect on the in- ternational Year of the Child, the mood I express, on behalf of Canada, is one of challenge as well as con- gratulations. 102. We are indebted to Canon Joseph Moerman of Belgium for originating the idea, to Mrs. Aldaba-Lim, Special Representative for the International Year of the Child, and to UNICEF, which continues to distinguish itself in the cause of children's rights. We are grateful for the sharp focus that has been put on the lives of children all over the world during their special year. We pay a tribute to the countless organizations which spon- sored activities and events that can never be adequately recorded. We appreciate the work of so many adults in so many fields who made the year a success. And most of all, we thank the children and young people of every land who inspired us with their own involvement in ways that were often ingenious. 103. It is clear that the world community has renewed the United Nations concern for the present condition and the future of our children. Let us celebrate that achievement. But our celebration ought to be brief. For what the International Year of the Child has under- scored is the shocking amount of exploitation and discrimination against children that exists in different ways throughout the world. And if we are now impelled to work harder to advance the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, we must more urgently get at the roots of the problems that afflict children. The special Year ought to have given us more profound insights into the essential fact that children do not live in isolation. Children live in families, families live in communities, and these communities make up our world. To express our love and affection for children is hollow unless we are now resolved to implement programmes of action 105. So popular was this approach that the Commis- sion was inundated with 4,000 applications; unfor- tunately, onlySOO projects could be funded. These em- braced ethnic and cultural events, sports and physical fitness, family enrichment and medical-nutritional pro- grammes. Frequently recurring themes were poverty, isolation and rural deprivation, handicapped children, family life education, day care and day nurseries, get- ting children off the streets, bridging gaps between young and old. 106. Let me give just a few examples of this kalei- doscope of activities. In Montreal a group concerned with the lack of recreation for retarded children match- ed 25 normal children with 25 retarded children in a recreational setting that demonstrated the often untap- ped potential of the mentally handicapped. The Indian Regional Council in LesserSlave Lake, Alberta, is in the process of establishing a community organization to deal with first-time native juvenile offenders rather than sending them to court. In New Waterford, Nova Scotia, a group, appropriately named "Joy", was set up in which older people taught nutrition to slow-learning children. 107. Responding to the enthusiasm generated by these special projects, the Government has compiled a list of more than 2rp) ongoing programmes of benefit to children. These programmes cover a wide range of health, nutrition and day-care activities as wellas educa- tional films. The International Year of the Child has heightened our awareness of the need for a higher priority for help to disadvantaged children. Although Canadians are blessed with a high standard of living, with universal health care and a broad range of welfare and social services, we i.one the less have children who are poor, badly nourished, abused, diseased, under- educated, unsupervised and uncared for. These are the innocent victims of a changing society in which family life is subjected to economic and social stress that is somtimes too much to cope with. 108. Having identified the principal areas of concern in the well-beingof children, the Canadian Commission has drawn up a national agenda dealing with twelve areas: economic issues, the family, health and welfare, life skills and education, play and recreation, children 109. To meet the special needs of children today who are growing up in a world of confused moral values re- quires more than programmes to alleviate specific prob- lems. The International Year of the Child has taught us that the good of family life ought to have a central place in the formulaton of public policy. Families are affected by powerful economic and social forces over which they have little control- unemployment, inflation, increased housing costs. If we truly want to advance the rights of children, we must examine more critically the reasons for the increasing breakdown of family life as shown in the high divorce statistics, child abuse, teen-age suicide and pregnancy rates. All of this needs to be probed, especially in relation to our growing knowledge of character and personality formation in the critical learn- ing years of childhood, between the ages of three and five. 110. When we also look at how children are exploited by television violence, pornography merchants and drug peddlers, it ought to fill adults with shame. By the time the average child graduates from high school, he or she will have witnessed 18,000 fictionalized violent deaths on TV. Violence has now become an accepted form of entertainment, thus giving the child a distorted view of proper moral and ethical behaviour. How is it that a society priding itself on civilized social values allows itself to be victimized by the pornography merchants, who do not even hesitate to use children in their nefarious business? Degradation of the human person is objectionable in whatever form it takes, but degrada- tion of the person of the child is especially intolerable. 111. The drug culture also exploits young people. The size and youthfulness of the drug-using population is known to be growing, with children increasingly ex- posed to a greater variety and availability of dangerous drugs. Readily available alcohol is another well-known trap awaiting children. 112. It is not easy growing up in the modern world and, as the father of five children, I salute young people for meeting head-on and, in most cases, triumphing over the obstacles we have placed in their path. It is a tribute to the resilienceof today's young generation that they cope as wellas they do in a culture that is only now beginning to realize that tee'anology alone is not the answer to a more human existence. 113. We need more programmes to mitigate the harm done to those children who are dispirited, angry and withdrawn. But we need even more the full attention of society on ways to help'children grow into the mature, responsible and caring adults that we seek. This means nurturing their environment while they are young and surrounding them with a community of values which opens their minds and hearts to the needs of their fellow humans throughout the world. 114. As a measure of this opening to the needs of others, I am happy to inform this distinguished au- dience that one of the outstanding projects of the Inter- national Year of the Child in Canada is about to take . 115. Surely, the International Year of the Child will have no global benefits unless it rivets our attention on the 350 million children in developing countries who do not have access to even the minimum of health services, nutrition and education. These children-and their children-cannot achieve the rights we proclaim for them unless the conditions of absolute poverty are wiped out. Compassion for a suffering child is empty unless accompanied by a determination to establish con- ditions of economic and social justice for him to grow up in. 116. To guarantee a child freedom from hunger means guaranteeing at least one of his parents a job and a de- cent wage. To guarantee a child fresh air and clean water requires a degree of international co-operation not yet attained. A child's right to affection and security is mocked by those who perpetuate violence, those who enslave him in child labour, those who commit vast sums of money to elitist development when human needs are so great. 117. Recognizing that we cannot banish overnight all the evils that invade childhood, let us at least end the In- ternational Year of the Child resolute in our commit- ment to respond to the physical, spiritual, emotional and cultural needs of children in every region of the world. Let us renew our determination to give special at- .cntion to refugee children, whose terrible sufferings cry out to all humanity. 118. As we make decisions in our own countries and in this international body, let us respond favourably to these questions: "What do children need for their op- timal development?" "What do parents require to help them meet these needs?" "What public policies are needed to enhance family life?". 119. It is in this spirit of continuing and universal con- cern for the needs of children that Canada commends the draft resolution now before this body. The children of every race, every region, every religion, eve. y culture, deserve the unanimous passage of this draft resolution because it reaffirms the continuing rights of all our children. To build on the enthusiasm generated by this special Year is the challenge we face.

As the International Year of the Child is coming to an end, my delegation believes that there is a need for the inter- national community, through this Assembly, to renew and reaffirm its determination to meet the needs of children and to find solutions to the problems facing the children of the world, and particularly those in the 121. Many countries and Governments have com- memorated this Year by initiating and promoting various programmes and projects intended to benefit their children. We in Tanzania have joined in these ef- forts because we endorse fully the goals and objectives of the International Year of the Child. Several activities were initiated during this Year. For example, the University of Dar es Salaam us conducting studies on the legal rights of the child and its mother and on the op- 1 timum child care in Tanzania through nursery schools and day-care centres. In the health sector, my Govern- ment expects that by the end of 1980 it will be able to provide maternal services to more than 80 per cent of children under five. Over 90 per cent of children who have attained school age now receive primary school education. 122. The Government of Tanzania has decided that the initiatives undertaken during 1979 should be im- plemented on a continuous basis. It has also been decid- ed that some of these activities such as the establishment of more nursery schools and day-care centres and the expansion of primary school facilities would form part and parcel of our national development programmes. In order to ensure that the interests of children receive con- tinuous attention, my Government has decided that 31 December of each year will be commemorated as Na- tional Children's Day. 123. We do recognize, however, that the Governments of most developing countries, particularly the least developed among them like mine, have limited ca ~ilities to implement programmes which could en- SUI ' ~ their children receive nutritive food, good clothing, adequate health care, education and a good environment in which to grow. There is a great need for action at the international level to give support to ef- forts being made by these developing countries. My delegation would, therefore, wish to renew the appeal made by t•..e General Assembly - in its resolution 33/83 that the Int -mational Year of the Child " ... should provide an impetus to be followed by a rising level of resources for services benefiting children, through the United Nations Children's Fund and other channels, in order to enable develop- ing countries to extend, strengthen and implement their programmes for children". 124. It is our hope that the developed countries will respond favourably to these appeals both by increasing their bilateral assistance to developing countries and by raising their pledges of contribution to UNICEF at the forthcoming Pledging Conference. 125. The special problem of the children of the developing countries cannot be separated from the over- all problems afflicting their parents who live in condi-. tions of squalor and poverty. Thus, the relentless "lrug- gle in the developing countries to combat the triple evils of disease, hunger and ignorance is an integral part of the struggle for the betterment of the lot of the children. That is why I stress that the needs and interests of 126. I have just referred to the limited capacity of most developing countries to implement programmes for the benefit of children. That capacity will not im- prove significantly under the present international economic system which creates unfavourable external conditions for the development efforts of the develop- ing countries. The condition of the children in the developing countries would thus be greatly improved by the elimination of these injustices through the establish- ment of the New International Economic Order. The In- ternational Year of the Child should serve as a reminder to us all that the delay in the implementation of the goals and objectives of the New International Economic Order only serves to perpetuate the misery of millions of children who already live in abject poverty. We there- fore call upon developed countries to demonstrate greater political will in order that progress in this direc- tion may be achieved for the benefit of the children of the world..- 127. In our efforts to improve the well-being of the children of the world, we must also recognize the plight of those children who live in parts of the worlu which are still under colonial domination and those who con- tinue to suffer under policies of apartheid and racial discrimination. All those forms of injustice have been condemned by the United Nations. The international community must strengthen its efforts to eliminate those injustices in order to ensure that children in those parts of the world live in freedom and racial harmony. 128. In his address to this Assembly, His Holiness Pope John Paul II reminded us of the dangers of the arms race which could lead to the extermination of children and mankind as a whole. He stated in this regard: "In this perspective we must ask ourselves whether there will continue to accumulate over the heads of this new generation of children the threat of common extermination for which the means are in the hands of the modern States, especially the major world Powers. Are the children to receive the arms race from us as a necessary inheritance? How are we to ex- plain this unbridled race?" [See J7th meeting, para. 46.J 129. My delegation wishes to renew the call for general and complete disarmament under international supervi- sion and control so that our children can live in a more hospitable world, free from the dangers of war and ex- termination. 130. Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to pay a special tribute to the excellent role played by the secretariat of the International Year of the Child under the leadership of the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mrs. Estefania Aldaba-Lim. 131. My delegation wishes to appeal to the interna- tional community to take measures in order to ensure that the awareness created by the International Year of

We attach par- ticular importance to the International Year of the Child, for child care necessarily means care for a hap- pier future for the world. It is evident that we are now dealing not only with humanitarian problems in the nar- row sense of the word, but also with problems which, in the final analysis, are of great political significance. 133. The provision of necessary conditions for a hap- prer life and normal development for all children is feasible only through an effective solution of all major political, economic and social problems facing the world today. Therefore, the action designed to solve the problems of children is, at the same time, a constituent element of the struggle for general progress, for a world of peace, friendship, equality and social justice. 134. We were very glad to learn from the report of the Executive Director of UNICEF that the response to the appeal launched within the framework of the Interna- tional Year of the Child has surpassed even the most op- timistic expectations. The action undertaken has penetrated into all the pores of the contemporary world and is developing at the local, national, regional and broader international levels. Although the Year is still under way, the results achieved have already fully justified this undertaking. The Year has made it possible to identify more precisely the character, seriousness and scope of the problems of children all over the world; it has pointed to the ways to solve these problems; it h.as set in motion considerable forces for that purpose; it has created conditions for the provision of considerable material resources for action; and it has given the action a long-term character at all levels and in all parts of the globe. 135. Special praise for all these results should go to UNICEF and the secretariat of the International Year of the Child. We thank them whole-heartedly for their efforts in carrying out these lofty tasks. 136. The massive response within the framework of the Year reflects a high degree of awareness of the need for better child care. Nevertheless, it also points to the gravity and urgency of the problems of children as one of the important issues in the world, the solution of which can no longer be delayed. I have in mind here, in particular, the grave situation and position of children in the developing countries. Hundreds of millions of children in those countries are deprived of the most fun- damental necessities of life, such as basic food, safe water, health care and the like. Therefore, tens of millions of children in the developing countries are doomed to die in infancy. Of the 15.5 million children dying in the world every year before the age of five, the developing countries account for 15 million. Thus, for a majority of developing countries child care still means the creation of basic conditions for mere survival. 137. The problems of these children cannot be solved solely by means of humanitarian assistance, no matter how abundant, although we are of course far from 138. As far as the care of children in my country is concerned, I wish to point out that this care is a compo- nent and an indispensable factor of our over-all development. It is built into our socio-political system, based on self-management. Aware of the importance of this question and inspired by President Tito's words that "children are our greatest wealth", we established in Yugoslavia from the outset comprehensive and well- organized care of children and mothers, which is in ac- cordance with our material capacity and is aimed at en- suring to all children both in urban and rural areas, from birth to maturity, a healthy development, social security, appropriate upbringing and education and, generally speaking, as nearly equal conditions for start in life as possible. 139. As a result of such a policy, we have at present in Yugoslavia a well-established system of pre-school and school institutions for the upbringing and education of children of all ages, as well as an adequately developed network of paediatric and school dispensaries, maternity dlspensades and advisory centres for taking care of the health of the mother and child. Necessary legislative measures have also been enacted in order to make these institutions accessible to the broadest strata of the population. In this connexion, and for purposes of il- lustration, I should like to mention that schooling is free of charge in Yugoslavia at all levels, from the elemen- tary to the university level. Pre-school and school children enjoy free medical care. All women are entitled to free medical care in childbirth. Employed women are entitled to a minimum of 180 days of maternity leave and shorter working hours after the lapse of maternity leave until the child is eight months old, and longer if the child's or the mother's condition requires special care. Employed parents with lower income are entitled to child allowance, and so on. 140. The International Year of the Child has provided us with a strong incentive for a comprehensive reviewof the present state of child care in our country, focusing our attention on the elimination of all short-comings in this field and further activating all social factors in con- nexion with child care. At the same time, the Year also 141. Preparations for the International Year of the Child began in Yugoslavia as early as 1976, that is, im- mediately after the adoption of the General Assembly resolution proclaiming 1979as the International Year of the Child. All socio-political organizations have been engaged in this action from the beginning, namely, the League of Communists, the Socialist Alliance of Work- ing People of Yugoslavia, the League of Socialist Youth ' of Yugoslavia, the trade unions, the organization of women as well as self-managing bodies in all fields of public activity, Activities concerning the International Year of the Child have been reviewed at all levels-in local communities, organizations of associated labour, communes, provinces, republics and at the level of the Federation. One of the results of these preparations was the establishment of the Yugoslav Commission for the International Year of the Child, at the end of 1978,and the adoption of the action programme of that Commis- sion. At the same time, corresponding commissions ·were established in the republics and autonomous prov- inces, cities, communes and local communities. Each of of those commissions has its own concrete programme of work. In addition to them, all other social entities have elaborated their own specific programmes of work. One of the tasks of each of these entities, during the International Year of the Child, is to incorporate elements of child care into their mid-term programmes of work as wellas into the long-term global programme of work up to the year 2000. 142. As the International Year of the Child is still.in progress, the contents of pr~grammes c<?nce~n~ngchild care are being constantly enriched and diversified. May I, at this juncture, refer very brie~y ~o the programme of work of the Yugoslav Commission for the Year, which, among other things, contains the following: the initiation and constant following up of actions aimed at further developing legislative measures concerned with the mother and child; the improvement of material and organizational conditions of education and children's health care' exchange of experience and promotion of co-operatio~ o~ a bilateral, regional an~ multilaterel level, with special emphasis on co-o~eratlon w,lth. non- aligned and other developing countries and, within the limits of our possibilities, lending of assistance to those countries for the needs of children; fostering among the children, through teaching and other activities, a feeling of solidarity and friendship towards other peoples; organization of joint action by Yugoslav children and children of non-aligned and other developing countries; help for children of Yugoslav workers abroad and co- operation with the children of members of our national minorities in other countries, through the organization of nursery schools and .additional courses for n~t~onal school subjects; dispatch of school-books and additional courses in the mother tongue; organization of mutual visits by groups of these children and children living in Yugoslavia. 143. Over 100 various actions and manifestations at the. federal and republic level have been or will be 144. In the field of cultural manifestations we have: "Festival of Poetic Creativity in Children", in Ohrid; "International Children's Festival", in Sibenik; "Hap- piness of Europe", ;., Belgrade; International Competi- tion for New Children's Songs. 145. In the field of scientific meetings with discussions of child problems we have: "Health, Security and Care of Children"; "The Child and the Environment"; "The Further Development of Social Care of Children"; "Creative Work of the Children's Press"; "Traffic Training and Technical Education of Children and Youth"; "Care of Children in the Yugoslav Self- Management Socialist Society"; "Upbringing and.Care of Pre-School Children in the Yugoslav Society"; "Problems of Handicapped Children"; "Social Care of Children from the Aspect of Regional Planning and Housing"; "The Role and the Responsibility of the Country of Emigration for the Education of the Migrant Workers' Children". 146. As far as various other actions are concerned, I should point out that we have had a "Week of Solidari- ty of the Children of Yugoslavia with the Children of Namibia" and "Solidarity Action of the Children of Yugoslavia for the Construction of a Centre of Friend- ship and Solidarity with the Children of Montenegro". 147. In the publicity field there has been the publica- tion of several issues of the "Bulletin of the Yugoslav Commission for the International Year of the Child"; publication of the books "Tito to the Children of Yugoslavia" and "Social Care of Children"; and the is- suing of a commemorative postage stamp for the Inter- national Year of the Child, etc. 148. As I have already mentioned, these are only a few of the many concrete activities undertaken in Yugoslavia in connexion with the International Year of the Child. Experience and knowledge acquired through these activities will be used in the best possible way for the elaboration and adoption by all social organizations in Yugoslavia of long-term action programmes on child care in the follow-up period. 149. I should like to make some observations about the work and activities of the relevant bodies of the United Nations after the end of the International Year of the Child. First and foremost, we believe that UNICEF should remain the lead agency of the United Nations system of organizations for programmes that benefit children. This function should be maintained in co-ordination with the Director-General for Develop- ment and International Economic Co-operation, as well as other appropriate bodies in the United Nations system. They should continue to focus their attention on solving the problems of children in the developing coun- tries. 150. At the same time, due priority should be given to the care of children who are in a vulnerable position. Examples of this are children under the colonial yoke, African children living under the regime of apartheid and racism in southern Africa, children in the care of 151. In conclusion I give an assurance that we shall in the future, as in the past, exert .utmost efforts for the well-being and happy future of children, not only in Yugoslavia but throughout the world. There is no more noble effort than the one being made for the well-being and happiness of children. It would be difficult to find a better indicator of our readiness to eliminate the existing inequalities which hamper the building of a peaceful world than our determination to work for the genera- tions who will be the architects of c,:'r future. V\'e should enable them to start life with more happiness, more knowledge, ,fIL better understanding of the world in which they live and a great deal of optimism to enable them to march through life with greater confidence. In this way we will contribute to the formation of a genera- tion who will be the protagonists of the ideas of freedom, co-operation and friendship am.ong nations.

As I come to this rostrum of the General Assembly to discuss the matters raised by the Interna- tional Year of the Child, permit me to point out that, while a certain period of time was allocated to the pur- pose of emphasizing this problem, this should not lead us to the mistaken notion that once this period has elapsed the problem will then be relegated to a secon- dary, short-term or voguish status. 153. Perhaps this is particularly true for all matters relating to children at this time. 154. After everything that has been said by previous speakers, it would be pointless forme to deal with mat- ters that others have' already gone into in depth. 155. Each form of culture, each region and each coun- try has responded to the problems that are raised by children. However, we believe that it might be useful to have an exchange of views about our experience in this area. Therefore, we should like to give a brief account of Uruguay's experiences. 156. Two hundred years ago the Spanish Administra- tion established a body to deal with the protection of minors during the administration of justice. Following the thinking of Jovellanos, Spain extended the benefits of schooling to poorer children, as is shown by the rules approved by the town council of Montevideo in 1809 in which it was stated, and I quote: "The schoolmaster shall accept in school any poor child without demanding from his parents any type of stipend. He should give him the same type of teaching as he gives rich children. He should give him ink, paper and pen." 157. General Artigas, the founder of our nation, devoted a good deal of his activities to the development 158. Assistance to abandoned children was another matter which was attended to during the old viceroyship of Rio de la Plata. Shelter and protection were given to abandoned children in Uruguay also after the with- drawal of the Spanish. The initiative for this was taken by Padre Larrafiaga in 1818, with the establishment of the Casa Cuna, which was re-establihed in 1859. In 1821 that same priest did a great deal for education by found- ing the Lancastrian School, which was very progressive for its time. 159. A little more than a century ago, traditional Uruguayan education underwent a truly revolutionary reform. Jose Pedro Varela, assisted by the Government of Colonel Lorenzo Latorre, changed the basis of children's education between 1876 and 1879 by intro- ducing the principle that education should be secular, free and compulsory. Education subsequently became free of charge at all levels, including even the university level, and compulsory schooling covered primary to high school education, as is now provided for by law. 160. The basic principle of lay education, which guarantees, among other things, political objectivity in school-rooms and university lecture halls, went into a brief eclipse until it was re-established, as from 1973,by a return to straight education and teaching and by the elimination of any sort of tendentious indoctrination, by training people for work and for the responsible use of their freedom. 161. The nineteenth century came to a close with the creation of the first kindergarten in 1892, in accordance with the ideals of Varela. 162. In this century, there has been steady progress with regard to children. In 1909 the first National In- stitute of Deaf Mutes was established; in 1912, The Educational Camp for Boys; in 1926, the Gynecology and Midwifery Society of Uruguay; in 1928, the Inter- national Institute for the Protection of Children. 163. All these activities in which both the State and many private organizations took part and which worked directly or indirectly for children, created a suitable climate for the consolidation of those efforts. This culminated in 1934 in the adoption of the Children's Code, which is a broad, detailed and specializedlegal in- strument covering all legal matters pertaining to the mother, the family and children. 164. As is often the case, that Code represented in many respects a modernization of the Civil Code which had been promulgated in 1868. 166. The basis of the system covering children and the family from 1934onwards is laid down in the-Constitu- tion of the Republic, which provides that: "The family is the basis of our society. The State shall safeguard its moral and material stability, for the better training of children within our society. "The care and education of children until they reach their full physical, intellectual and social capacity, is the duty and right of parents. Those who may have numerous offspring in their charge have the right to compensating assistance provided they need it for them. "The law shall provide the necessary measures for the protection of infants and children against parents or guardians who neglect them physically, intellec- tually or morally, as wellas against their exploitation and abuse. "Parents shall have the same obligations towards children born out of wedlock as towards those born in marriage. "Concerning maternity, whatever may be the con- dition or class of woman, she has the right to the pro- tection of society and to assistance in the case of need. "The law shall provide that juvenile delinquency be submitted to a special system in which women shall be given participation. "Family welfare, its foundation, preservation, en- joyment, and transmission, shall be the purpose of special protective legislation. "The work of women and of minors under 18 years of age shall be especially regulated and limited." 167. The Constitution also states: "Freedom of instruction is guaranteed. "A law shall regulate intervention by the State for the sole purpose of maintaining hygiene, morality, security and public order. "Every parent or guardian has the right to select the teachers or institutions he prefers for the instruc- tion of his children or wards. "Private institutions of learning ... as well as cultural institutions, shall be exempted from national and municipal taxes as a subvention for their ser- vices. "Primary education is obligatory as is high school for agricultural and industrial purposes. The State shall foster scientific research and technical educa- tion. 168. Our system gives to parents essential responsibili- ty for organizing the family, educating and bringing up their children. The State assists them in these rights and duties according to the parents' needs and possibilities. In case of the abandonment of the child, the child shall be given an environment similar to that which is lacking. In other words, following traditions and ideas that are deeply rooted in practically all sectors of Uruguayan society, we believe that the child should form its per- sonality within a family context, as the primordia! "cell" of society, which the State should not replace, except in exceptional circumstances. We shall therefore support the suggestions proposed by Chile to draft resolution t\/34/L.4, which accord with the philosophy on which our institutions are based, and which has been confirmed by the wealth of our acquired experience. 169. State assistance, at the present tme, is the com- bined concern of various ministries, namely: Education and Culture, Public Health, Labour and Social Securi- ty, Transport and Public Works, the Interior, and even National Defence which, in certain circumstances, puts its organization, means and experience at the service of organizations of social value. 170. These activities are undertaken in order to pro- mote the education and physical preparation of the mother, in order to assist her during her pregnancy, her paid maternity leave and while she is feeding the child and during childbirth. There are also various health measures to protect the child from infectious and con- tagious diseases-such as the triple vaccination against tuberculosis, whooping cough and tetanus, vaccines against smallpox and poliomyelitis, and so in Uruguay today we are free from that type of scourge. 171. Today, at state and private levels we have child- care centres, medical attendance and medical examina- tions in State hospital centres, and mobile clinics which make examinations in schools. The Pereira Rossell Hospital is dedicated to maternity and child care and the care of premature babies, although there are incubators in hospitals in other regions. There is a system of family assistance to cover special expenses entailed in child- rearing, especially education. There are summer camps for schoolchildren organized by special units of the Armed Forces. Trips are organized for children by dif- ferent means of transport-bus or train-with guides and teachers, so that they may become familiar with the historical sites and centres of cultural and touristic in- terest in our country. 172. The child receives special attention according to whether it lives in an urban or a rural environment. In 1974 the fund for physical education and cultural ser- vices of the State was established which, in accordance with the agreement reached at the governmental me~ting at the Swiss Colony last year, gave funds to the National 173. Montevideo is the seat of the Pan-American In- stitute of the Child, which is a subsidiary body of the Organization of American States. 174. In respect of assistance to children and to the family, the goals multiply as scientific and technological progress is made. In this connexion, I must refer to the work in our country of the Latin-American Centre for Perinatal Studies and Human Development. In view of the fact that diet in Uruguay is rich in proteins-the lack of which is one of the major causes of a break-down of infant health in the world-sickness owing to their defi- ciency does not occur often in our country. However, a discovery made by the late Dr. Bertullo and pursued with international financial help has enabled us to elaborate a fish-based food-stuff' containing the nee- essary elements to combat all these deficiencies and which we believe could benefit children throughout the world. 175. Some statistics will provide an indication of the effectiveness of our system. Uruguay has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in Latin America for children between the ages of one and four. The average supply of calories is about 130 per cent the average need. The daily consumption of proteins is more than 90 grams per person and of calories, 3,000. Statistics do not reveal nutritional anemia. 176. In Uruguay there are approximately 850 in- habitants for each doctor; life expectancy is approx- imately 70 years, and the number of literate persons is in excess of 97 per cent. In 1970 the rate of illiteracy was 1.4 per cent. 177. All these results have to be viewed within the con- text of a country that does not have any hydrocarbons or fossil fuels and whose economy is supported' by its agricultural and livestock production, including fish, which it exports as a raw material. The achievements made with regard to the treatment of the child and the promotion of the family reveal the equitable distribu- tion of wealth brought about by the various State agen- cies without, however, ignoring the achievements and contributions that have been made in this field by the private sector. This shows a high level of social solidari- ty in this sector too. 178. This is the result of an historical and age-old development that has been under way since the birth of our nation. Without claiming to have produced a perfect SOciety - which is something that does not exist unless in the imagination of those who espouse totalita-. 179. This dilemma is also our responsibility, our com- mitment. It is the commitment of the United Nations. 180. Mr. SiOSTRONEK (Czechoslovakia) (inter- pretation from Russian): "Mankind owes the child the best it has to give." This is stated in the preamble to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1959, on the twentieth anniversary of which the United Nations has decided to declare 1979 the International Year of the Child. We in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in- deed welcomed the proclamation of this International Year of the Child. Today it seems to us that we have an opportunity to take stock of how, on a world-wide scale, we have been implementing the 10 principles con- tained in the Declaration, which, even as it was being drawn up, were already guaranteed in our socialist society. 181. During the last decade we have not only endeav- oured to improve further our care for children and young people, but we have also frequently lent a helping hand to other people in the world, where necessary, guided in doing so by our socialist desire to improve the fate of this young generation. We are deeply convinced that it is possible to guarantee a hapny future for the young generation only in conditions of lasting peace. 182. However, it is unfortunate that the arms race has at the present time attained immense proportions. Sim- ply in order to servethe interests of the military-industrial complex in the capitalist countries, there is even in peace time a tremendous unproductive waste of resources and materials and of the intellectual capacities of millions of people. This is senseless and pointless waste which un- doubtedly leads to unemployment, inflation, hunger and disease, to which hundreds of millions of innocent people, primarily children, fall victim. This is precisely one more weighty argument in favour of the initiative which the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic has put for- ward at this time of the International Year of the Child for consideration by the General Assembly of the United Nations and which is aimed at strengthening in- ternational co-operation and achieving the goals of disarmament [see A/34/141]. 183. In our socialist society concern for children and young people is indeed the fundamental moral content of our socialist structure. We are genuinely convinced that the comprehensive care and attention with which we surround our children at the same time represents an invaluable contribution to the future of our socialist society, our State and our further development. After all, the present generation of young people which we are now bringing up will live, apply their knowledge and develop their creative abilities in the third millennium of 184. The material and spiritual values which the Czechoslovak socialist society devotes to the har- monious development of the child are tremendous. The social guarantees offered people, the care given to . families and children, our entire social policy, because of its very high level, means that Czechoslovakia oc- cupies a leading place in the world. The family, which leaves its imprint on the first concepts and habits of the young person, means that in socialist society he has no need to be worried about his existence nor need he fear the unknown, which has been such a burden on the shoulders of previous generations in our country and which has now fallen so brutally on the shoulders of numerous adults and children in the capitalist world. 185. Czechoslovak educational policy, which is an in- divisible part of the whole system of upbringing, makes possible all-round development of the abilities of the young person from his very earliest childhood. In the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic at the present time all young people are guaranteed equal. conditions for receiving completely free secondary and higher educa- tion, and they also have an opportunity fully to par- ticipate in all fields of social activity. 186. In the past 25 years alone in our Republic approx- imately 4,000 kindergartens have been built, with places for 410,000 children. In primary education over the same period 29,000 new school buildings were erected. 187. We have achieved tremendous successin develop- ing our system of higher education institutions. Throughout the period of building socialism in our country, we have created a tremendous material and technological basis for our higher education institu- tions. ]88. In comparison with the academic year 1936/1937, when in bourgeois Czechoslovakia only 27,000 students were studying in higher educational institutions, in the academic year 1978/1979 the number of such students has reached 184,000, of which 4,700 are places occupied by foreign students primarily from the developing coun- tries. 189. We have scored notable successes also in the field of social welfare, free health care and medical services, and as a result such diseases as infantile paralysis, diphtheria, whooping cough and a number of others, which were previously deadly to children, have now vanished from our daily life. 190. In the past year alone our socialist society and State gave, in various forms, to families and children a total sum of 18 billion Czechoslovak korunas. It goes 191. In Czechoslovakia we pay particular attention to those children suffering from a number of physical disabilities, those whose hearing and vision are impaired or the lame. We are trying in so far as possible to give them full access to the worlds of knowledge, thus pro- viding them an opportunity to become fully fledged and active participants in the labour and life of society. The positive results we have achieved in working with young people requiring additional care from society have cogently demonstrated the depth and the reality of one of the fundamental purposes of socialist humanism, that is, to be equally concerned about all children and all young people. 192. The environment in which a child lives, thinks, feels and develops has a tremendous influence on him. The high cultural level in the environment which our socialist society has created for children has not only an effect on the child in and of itself and on his full development but also a very positive influence which is considerably magnified through the purposeful, organ- ized activities carried out by a number of institutions and organizations that work with children and young people. In this connexion it should be emphasized that a most important part is played in bringing up young peo- ple in Czechoslovakia by the Socialist Alliance of Youth and the closely connected Pioneer organization, whose thirtieth anniversary we are celebrating in this Interna- tional Year of the Child. The activities and purposes of these two youth organizations in our country are fully consonant with the demand laid down in principle 7 of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child [resolution 1386 (XIV)] which says: "The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance". 193. All this can be proved by factual examples and by the signal success that we have achieved along these lines. For example, in this year alone, 373 new books for children and young people have been published. In ad- dition to youth theatres, all the other theatres in our country include in their repertoires, particularly this year, plays about children and young people. To this one might also add the numerous exhibitions which have been arranged for children and young people, special daily programmes broadcast over Czechoslovak radio and television, a number of recreational and in- structional children's films, and primarily the constant- ly high level of artistic creativity which is devoted to children and young people. However, at the same time our socialist culture fully appreciates that the moulding of a child's character requires more than simply exerting an influence on his artistic and creative abilities, however desirable or constructive this may be. The Fifteenth Congress of the Czechoslovak Communist Party proposed that a comprehensive approach be taken to the development of children and their artistic abilities. It particularly emphasized the tremendous im- portance of activities which are essentially connected with the working person, and primarily the young work- ing person. For that reason, we are trying to involve i children and young people as much as possible in active ~ cultural and artistic activities. In this way we are pro- 194. In the context of the International Year of the Child, Czechoslovakia has organized a number of im- portant activities of an international nature and intends to implement them further. In this connexion we wish particularly to mention the meeting of experts under the European Social Development Programme, which dealt with the subject "Efficiency Criteria in Child Welfare Policies", and also the seminar of experts from develop- ing countries which dealt with the problem of young people. For the Preparatory Committee on the United Nations Decade for Women, material was prepared dealing with the subject of assistance for children suf- fering from various physical disabilities, orphans and single children. In connexion with the International Year of the Child, the Czechoslovak Publishing House has issued two special publications for children in developing countries. Furthermore, exhibitions of children's books have been arranged and also exhibitions of toys and a festival of children's choirs, a festival of puppet theatres and so on. 195. We sincerely wish from the bottom of our hearts that the International Year of the Child should be not only an event which marks enhanced interest and par- ticular concern for children and young people, but also that in a rich social, cultural and public activity, it should become a genuine, creative workshop, a genuine source of valuable knowledge and experience which we so sorely need in our constant ongoing work in this area. If we are to develop daily and to improve certain spheres of our activities to keep up with the times, as the saying gOlS, there can be no doubt that this rule is even more applicable to our attitudes to children and young people and their problems. 196. Therefore, my delegation fully supports the pro- posal of the Polish People's Republic to adopt a con- vention on the rights of children. 197. The implementation in practice of all the paragraphs and principles contained in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the application of its fun- damental principles in the present year, for us signifies at the same time the need to make a significant and positive contribution on behalf of our socialist society to the world range of actions and initiatives which are being carried out in relation to the International Year of the Child, particularly since this would be backed by the resolute will of our country to promote the deepening of peace throughout the world. For the Czechoslovak people concern for children and young people is in- dissolubly connected with efforts to bring about a durable and indestructible peace on earth. 198. What could be a better gift for the children of the world than their not having to experience the horrors of war, and the fact that they can take for granted every- thing which peace brings them? For millions of children on earth, however, this is only a dream. This fact, therefore, makes it even more timely that the peace- loving forces throughout the world should make an ef- fort to bequeath to our children a world that is more beautiful and happy, a world marked by a durable and guaranteed peace, a world on which, in the words of the Pioneer song, the sun will always shine.