5 - 11 July 2001
Issue No.541
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 5 - 11 July 2001 Issue No.541 |
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Promoting the rights of Arab children
Prominent Arab delegates have come together in Cairo to spur regional and national efforts for the well-being of future generations. Dahlia Hammouda attended
Countries of the Arab world have come a long way -- from the mid-1980s when the first social mobilisation efforts sharply reduced child deaths from a few preventable diseases in a handful of countries, to the targeting today of all rights for every child in the region's states.
Mrs Mubarak flanked by Queen Rania of Jordan to her right and Arab League Secretary- General Moussa
photo: Mustafa Attia
Yet, the achievements made, when measured by the yardstick of the stipulations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by almost all the world's countries in 1989 and the set national goals and aspirations of Arab nations, are far from satisfactory.
The challenges still facing childhood in Arab societies and means of arriving at a realistic work plan to benefit Arab children were the concerns of a conference held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. The conference was chaired by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak and attended by Queen Rania of Jordan and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.
The "Arab Conference on the Child's Rights", held from 2 to 4 July, aimed to formulate a unified Arab position on children's rights for Arab countries to take with them to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children to be held in New York from 19 to 21 September.
Addressing the conference, Mrs Mubarak highlighted the importance of drawing up a future Arab vision on children's issues that would guide all collective plans and efforts in this domain. She said the September UN gathering will evaluate the progress of nations during the past decade since the World Summit for Children in 1990 in New York, which was attended by the largest gathering ever of heads of state. Mrs Mubarak said the Arab world has taken big strides forward and its leaders have inspired action on all levels.
Last year, the historic Arab women's conference initiated regular meetings of Arab first ladies, who are working with Arab heads of state to place children's issues on a par with other priorities on national agendas.
There could be no greater evidence of this than the holding of the Arab children's conference under the auspices of the Arab League. Secretary-General Moussa stressed, in his address to the conference, the importance of the league's role in studying children's issues and bringing together concerned parties to prepare for an Arab world worthy of children. "Beginning our work with children is a signal we hope is clear to all, that the Arab League, in its current stage of rebuilding, does not consider itself merely a political entity, but a regional organisation with an agenda that copes with the needs of our times and represents the hope for a different future," Moussa said.
The league's head pledged the organisation will place the setting of policies and direction of potentials related to Arab children, youth and women at the top of its agenda, right next to the Palestinian cause, the Arab Common Market and Arab participation in the dialogue of civilisations. "The problems facing Arab societies will be given equal priority as the economic, political and security issues that preoccupy the Arab world today," Moussa said.
The conference's objective of arriving at a unified Arab stance on children's rights to present to the UN special session will serve an additional vital purpose, Moussa pointed out. It will help effectuate some necessary adjustments to the final document issued by the UN session relating to certain policies, principles and guidelines that might not be in tune with Arab cultural standpoints and regional developmental needs, he said.
Mrs Mubarak called for the issuing of a declaration of principles for advancing Arab childhood and including it as a permanent item on the agenda of the Arab Summit.
Queen Rania, who was elected vice- president of the conference, told the audience that Arab children, who today are living under conditions of increasing violence, armed conflict, occupation, economic blockade, unemployment, illiteracy and poverty, need our attention now more than ever. "We are bearing a huge responsibility," she said. "But the points that unite us are more than those that divide us. We have many strong points -- the most important of which are common Arab values and civilised Islamic heritage, as well as the depth of our sense of family."
Baheya El-Hariri, head of the Lebanese parliamentary education committee and third vice-president of the conference, said the mere fact that the conference was convened is an achievement in itself. She said it was imperative that Arab leaders and representatives avoid slipping into ceremonial meetings and be active and effective in shaping the lives of real people.
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