Mr. Chairman,

Since the 27th Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the issue of children was held in May 2002, thanks to the continuous joint efforts of the international community, national governments and society, steady progress has been made in the promoting and protecting the rights of the child in the world. National governments, the UN Secretary General, the UNICEF and the Commission on the Rights of the Child have all done a lot of work. We appreciate this and hope that the UN and other international organizations will make further efforts to promote the development of the cause.

However, we must be well aware that in many parts of the world, thousands and thousands of children are losing their lives as a result of war and armed conflicts or various diseases every year. Thousands and thousands of children are suffering from malnutrition, living in abject poverty, working as child labor, having no access to education, or enduring sexual abuses and exploitation. Poverty, hunger, diseases, disasters, use of child labor, drugs, sexual abuses and exploitation, war and conflicts are impairing their life and health, and violating their rights. Protecting the rights of the child worldwide therefore remains an arduous task. The international community should take the best interests of the child as the primary principle, strengthen cooperation, and take effective measures to eliminate step by step the root causes of the above problems. The developed countries have the responsibility and obligation to provide the developing countries with such assistance as financial resources and expertise so as to create a favorable environment for the healthy growth of children the world over. That will be a genuine action for promoting human rights.

Mr. Chairman,

China's child population accounts for one fifth of that of the world. The Chinese people have a long tradition of respecting the aged and cherishing the minor. The Chinese Government has always attached importance to promoting and protecting the interests of the child. China ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child as early as 1991. In April and August 2002, China ratified the Convention on the Prohibition of and Immediate Action for Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor and the Optional Protocol on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and is now considering the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child concerning Children in Armed Conflicts. In 1995, the Commission on the Rights of the Child considered the first report submitted by the Chinese Government on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and gave full recognition to China's work in this regard.  In May 2003 the Chinese government submitted to the Commission the second report which gave a full account of its efforts in implementing the Convention in the past 8 years.

In order to implement the provisions of the Convention, China has adopted a series of legislative and administrative measures for the protecting the rights of the child. China has basically put in place a system of domestic legislations and regulations for the purpose, which includes, among others, the Constitution, the Civil Law, the Adoption Law, the Law on the Protection of Minors, and the Law on Compulsory Education. It has also set up a relatively comprehensive national institutional framework for the work on children with the Working Committee on Women and Children under the State Council as the leading agency and working in partnership with relevant governmental organs. The Guideline for the Development of China's Children for the 1990s formulated by the Chinese Government in 1992 was China's first national action plan for the promoting and protecting the rights of the child. By 2001, the objectives in the Guideline had been attained by and large. In May 2001, the Chinese Government issued the Guideline for Children's Development from 2001 to 2010, which sets forth, on the basis of achievement of all the objectives in the former Guideline, the development goals and specific measures for the first decade of the 21st century in such areas of children and health, children and education, children and legal protection, as well as children and environment. The implementation of the latter Guideline is proceeding well and will give further impetus to the healthy and comprehensive growth of children in China.

Mr. Chairman,

China has scored remarkable achievements in promoting and protecting the rights of the child, which is a contribution to the world. However, as a populous developing country, China is faced with many problems and challenges. For instance, millions of children still live in poverty, and a gap exists between different regions and between rural and urban areas in terms of living conditions and conditions for development and protection. The Chinese Government will continue its effort in further promoting the healthy growth and the sustainable development of children. It is also willing to strengthen international cooperation and exchanges, and work with the international community to a better future for children.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.