VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #9804 3240005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 192359Z NOV 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0000

UNCLAS STATE 119804 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM UNGA SOCI AORC
SUBJECT: INSTRUCTION: JOIN CONSENSUS AND DELIVER EOP ON UN 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION "RIGHTS OF THE CHILD" 
 
REF: A. (1) RAZZOUK-DEPARTMENT EMAIL (11/16/2009 AT 
        9:07PM) 
     ¶B. (2) RAZZOUK-DEPARTMENT EMAIL (11/17/09) AT 7:38PM) 
 
 ¶1.   The Department instructs USDEL to join consensus on the 
resolution entitled "Rights of the Child" based on the text 
of the resolution provided in REFTEL 1 with proposed changes 
to OP 19 in REFTEL 2.  If the resolution that is tabled 
differs from what was provided in REFTEL 1 and REFTEL 2, 
please consult with the Department. 
 
¶2.    USDEL is further instructed to deliver the following 
EOP: 
 
The United States is pleased to have joined consensus on the 
Rights of the Child resolution.  Our decision reflects our 
deep commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of 
children in our own country and around the world. 
 
Among its notable calls, this year,s resolution encourages 
states to protect children from sexual exploitation and human 
trafficking.  The United States has continued to strengthen 
our protections for children in this area and the William 
Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization 
Act of 2008 contains many provisions protecting children from 
severe forms of human trafficking.  The United States has 
also taken the initiative to combat serious child 
exploitation issues such as child pornography and child 
labor. 
 
This resolution recognizes the basic needs of children.  In 
the United States, and extensive network of federal, state, 
and local programs protects children,s rights on varied 
issues such as access to health care, foster care, and 
education.  For example, President Barack Obama signed into 
law the Children,s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization 
Act of 2009, which provides substantial new resources to 
states and territories to strengthen their existing health 
care programs and extend coverage to an estimated 11 million 
children, 4 million who were previously uninsured. 
 
This year,s resolution also highlights the important issues 
of a child,s ability to express their views in matters that 
affect them, either directly or through a representative, and 
their ability to participate in decisions that impact their 
lives.  A number of U.S. states have established offices of 
child advocates or ombudspersons, and others are considering 
establishing such offices.  These child advocates provide an 
important vehicle through which children can express their 
views in crucial matters that affect them such as child 
custody, foster care, and juvenile justice.  This resolution 
also stresses the importance of the equal participation of 
girls.  The rights of girls still require special attention, 
as the majority of children who do not attend primary school 
around the world are girls and girls around the world are 
still subjected to trafficking, exploitation, and sexual 
violence. 
 
This resolution recognizes that the rights of children around 
the world still have not been fully realized.  The United 
States views UNICEF as a key partner in our global efforts to 
protect children and fully supports its initiatives to 
improve children,s health care, education, protection from 
violence and exploitation, and advocacy on behalf of their 
rights.  We particularly appreciate UNICEF,s actions on 
behalf of children in emergency situations, its efforts to 
eradicate polio, and its work toward achieving the Millennium 
Development Goals related to basic universal primary 
education and the elimination of gender disparity in 
education.  As an expression of our support, the United 
States provides a significant amount of voluntary 
contributions to UNICEF each year.  In addition to its work 
with UNICEF, the United States works through UN partners like 
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Relief and 
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to 
further promote the protection of children. 
 
We join consensus on this resolution today with the express 
understanding that it does not imply that States must become 
parties to instruments to which they are not a party or 
implement obligations under human rights instruments to which 
they are not a party and, by joining this resolution, we do 
not recognize any change in the current state of treaty or 
customary international law.  We thank the co-sponsors for 
their flexibility and hope to continue working with them with 
regard to PP2 and OP2.  We understand the resolution 
reaffirmation of prior documents to apply to those who 
affirmed them initially. 
 
We recognize that today marks the 20th anniversary of the 
adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The 
United States has not ratified the Convention, but we are a 
party to its Optional Protocols.  Consistent with the goals 
of the Convention, the United States continues its domestic 
efforts to strengthen already existing protections for 
children and to pursue new and innovative ways of ensuring 
that the rights of children are realized.  In the last 20 
years, around the world, the United States showed our 
commitment to the underlying spirit of the convention through 
domestic programs that address, among other things, health, 
education, and exploitation.  Additionally, around the world, 
the United States works with the countries represented in 
this room to improve the lives of children everywhere.  We 
look expectantly towards the next 20 years with the hope and 
strong belief that by working together, we can build upon the 
extraordinary progress we have already made for the world,s 
children. 
CLINTON