PM Transcripts

FOR MEDIA 25 JANUARY 1990
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child will open
for signature in New York on Australia Day. The Australian Acting
Permanent Representative to the United Nations will be present at
the signature ceremony to demonstrate our commitment to it. We
look forward to early signature as part of our continuing efforts
to promote and extend universal standards for the observation of
human rights.
In accordance with the normal procedures for signing international
legal instruments, we have consulted widely with interested groups
and we are currently consulting States and Territories on their
views. The Convention aims to protect and promote the human rights of
children throughout the world. The Convention represents a major
advance in setting international standards for the welfare of a
particularly vulnerable group in society. For example, the
Convention sets out the principle that both parents have joint
primary responsibility for bringing up their children and that the
Government should support them in this task, and endorses the
child's rights to protection from abuse and neglect, from harmful
or hazardous work, from drug abuse and from sexual exploitation.
Australia has taken a leading role in developing the Convention in
the United Nations system. We welcomed its adoption by the UN
General Assembly late last year, and we hope for its early entry
into force.
I would like to commend the efforts of the Australian Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Commission in working towards the adoption by
the UN General Assembly of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. The Federal Human Rights Commissioner, Brian Burdekin,
acted as a special adviser to the Australian delegation and made a
significant contribution to the drafting group on the Convention.
The Commission has also implemented an extensive program of
consultation and information in Australia about the Convention.
I also pay tribute to the late Robert Nestdale, the former National
Director of UNICEF, who worked tirelessly to realise the adoption
of the Convention on the rights of the Child. It is very sad that,
although he lived to see it adopted unanimously by all the
countries of the UN General Assembly, he died before Australia
could sign it.