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35th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly: 51st Session - Part 2
The General Assembly decided to invite the International Criminal Police Organization-Interpol to participate in its activities as an observer, by adopting, without a vote, a resolution introduced by Sweden this afternoon.
Speaking after action, the President of Interpol, Bjorn Eriksson, said that the granting of observer status to the organization would extend the platform of cooperation between the United Nations and Interpol and further improve their years of collaboration.
Also this afternoon, the Assembly continued consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the goals of the 1990 World Summit for Children.
The representative of Brazil, noting that the Summit had inspired an unprecedented movement in favour of children throughout the world, said that "one could argue that progress would have been achieved anyway, but the establishment of time-bound and measurable goals by the Summit certainly had a major impact in mobilizing commitment and resources".
Poverty, the representative of Jamaica pointed out, was the basic cause of problems affecting Jamaica's children, one-third of which, under the age of four, were living in extreme poverty. The Government had declared the eradication of poverty its highest priority. Consequently, any programme related to the well-being of children would have to focus on deprived, under- serviced geographical areas and low income groups.
The representative of Nicaragua said that the war in her country had affected as many as 190,000 children -- some had been displaced, some injured, others killed. Nicaragua had committed to the goals of the Summit during very difficult domestic times, she noted.
Cuba had already attained, or surpassed, most of the goals set by the Summit, that country's representative said. That was particularly significant because the period after the Summit had coincided with the most difficult years in the economic history of Cuba, due to the sudden break of economic relations with eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and the tightening of the United States blockade.
Increased rates of immunization of children under four, declining infant mortality rates and a decline in teenage pregnancies had been positive achievements in the United States, that country's representative said. Recent trends pointing to changes in society itself were far less positive, as was the fact that AIDS had become the third leading cause of death among American women between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four.
Child labour and child exploitation were major areas for continuing concern, said the representative of Canada, adding that his Government had deployed its development assistance in the following three areas: affordable access to primary education; improving the status, role and economic security of women; and support for good governance. It had also introduced new legislation, making participation in child sex tours a crime for Canadians.
Also making statements were the representatives of Egypt, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, India, China, Ukraine, Uruguay, Philippines, Argentina, Norway, Venezuela and Tunisia.
For further details please see official record:
A/51/PV.35
For further details please see source:
MEETINGS COVERAGE
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