Women's Forum

VIOLATION AGAINST CHILDREN

Sadiya Abdel Rahim
Published in The Sudanese Human Rights Quarterly Issue No. 4, December 1996

On February the 20th, 1959, the United Nations General Assembly issued the Declaration on the Rights of the Child that urged all parties concerned to provide legal protection for the child before or after birth. The Declaration asked for the full recognition of the children right to enjoy human rights and freedoms o become effective members of society.

The most important aspect of the Declaration is that it grants equal rights to all children without discrimination based on gender, color, ethnic origin, social descent and status, language, religion, or political affiliation. The Declaration also seeks to provide children by legislation and other means all appropriate chances that facilitate their mental, moral, social, and physical development in the best ways possible.

The Declaration also grants all children free and obligatory education at least at the elementary level. It aims at uplifting the cultural and academic status of children by providing them with education chances and means of developing their talents and hobbies that in turn help them to bear social and academic responsibilities.

The Declaration asserts the crucial needs to protect all children from all forms of abusive cruel and degrading treatment as well as forbidding the exploitation of children in all its forms. It calls for absolute ban on the exploitation of children below the legal age through jobs and professions that are likely to cause negative effect on their mental, moral or educational progress.

On December 14th, 1974, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a declaration for the protection of women and children during armed conflicts. The declaration bans and condemns attacks of civilians and raiding them during armed conflicts. The declaration considers the use of biochemical armament during military operations as a most vile act that violates the Geneva Protocol of 1925 and the Geneva Agreement of 1949, in addition to the principles of international humanitarian law. The declaration prohibits all forms of oppression, and the cruel and degrading treatment of women and children, including arrest, torture, capital punishment, group punishment, and destruction of property.

In 1989, the United Nations adopted a Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that consisted of 42 articles. This became the international standard to measure States compliance with international law and the protection of children. The rights granted by Convention are divided into three parts. The first part stipulated the rights of the child to life, care, and belonging. Other parts dealt with the right of children to growth and participation.

On October 6th, 1986, the League of Arab States issued a Covenant on the Rights of Arab Children to assure the provision of full protection, development, and care for each child since birth to the age of fifteen. The Covenant consisted of 48 articles that stipulated children rights with respect to familial care, social insurance, health care, free obligatory education at preschool and elementary level. The Covenant called for the establishment of an Arab organization for children to coordinate Arab efforts in childhood development and care.

It also called for the establishment of an Arab Fund to develop child-care systems and enhance Arab collaboration to standardize basic statistical methodologies to facilitate comparative research. It equally called for the privatization of industries that are related to childhood development as well as establishing an Arab institution for arts and journalism of children.

The African Charter for Peoples and Human Rights granted children all rights as applied to adults. Despite these numerous legislation and conventions reality reveals savage violations were committed against children. There are approximately 80 million homeless children worldwide that live in streets. Street children as those of Brazil, Sudan, and Rwanda are subjected to beatings and even murders. Due to malnutrition, poverty, epidemics and ignorance, about 35,000 children died daily.

Continued in Quarterly. We will publish entire article soon.