19 November 1999
Australia's
children on the 10th anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child
On the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which falls tomorrow, Human Rights Commissioner Chris Sidoti says that while there are many achievements to celebrate, in some areas Australia continues to fall well short of the standards set by the Convention.
"The rates of child poverty and youth suicide in Australia are among the highest in the industrialised world," he said. "The number of young homeless people has remained unacceptably high over the past decade and Indigenous children continue to face serious disadvantage in many of the areas covered by the Convention including infant mortality, poverty, housing, health and education".
"The tenth anniversary is a time to reflect on ways in which we can do better for our children," Mr Sidoti said. "It challenges us to realise a vision of a society that truly values children and young people and treats them as full and active participants. It also challenges governments and communities to commit the energy and the resources necessary to achieve this goal."
The denial of justice for many children in the legal system was confirmed in Seen and heard (1997), a report of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Australian Law Reform Commission. This included the mandatory detention of children under laws in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. After two years, the federal Government has yet to respond to the findings of that report.
The Commission's current work in the area of children's rights includes
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a National Inquiry into Rural and Remote School Education, due to report towards the middle of 2000
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Outlink, a project to address the isolation and discrimination experienced by young lesbians and gay men in rural Australia
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reform of mandatory detention laws for children and
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a website encouraging children to participate in decisions affecting them.
The Convention is the most important international human rights agreement relating to children. It establishes universal minimum standards for children's protection and wellbeing and enshrines fundamental rights for all children including freedom from abuse and discrimination. It also gives children the right to express their views.
For further information please call Jackie Randles on (02) 9284 9880 or 0419 258 597.
Last updated 2 December 2001.
