

|
Ambassador
Sichan Siv
United States Representative on the UN Economic and Social Council
Statement in Explanation of Position at the Special Session of the
United Nations General Assembly on Children following Adoption of
the Outcome Document
May 10, 2002 |
|

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 70 (02)
May 15, 2002
Statement in Explanation of Position by Ambassador Sichan Siv, United
States Representative on the United Nations Economic and Social
Council, at the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly
on Children, following Adoption of the Outcome Document, May 10, 2002
Mr. President,
On behalf of the United States
delegation, I would like to thank you for this immensely successful
Special
Session on Children.
We salute the tireless work of
Ambassadors Patricia Durrant of Jamaica, Hanns Schumacher of Germany,
and Iftekhar Chowdhury and Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh. Their
outstanding leadership made possible a strong consensus outcome
document. This will serve as an agenda for action on behalf of
children in the coming years. We express our appreciation to Carol
Bellamy and UNICEF for putting
together this extraordinary event.
The Special Session will mean
greater hope for children around the world. The United States
reaffirms its commitment to work for their well-being everywhere,
recognizing that children are best nurtured in a stable, loving family
environment.
We wish to place an explanation of
position in the official record of this Special Session.
-
Concerning references in the document to UN
conferences and summits and their five year reviews, the United
States does not understand any endorsement of these conferences to
be interpreted as promoting abortion.
-
The United States understands the terms “basic
social services, such as education, nutrition, health care,
including sexual and reproductive health,” “quality health care
services,” “reproductive health care,” “family planning,” or “family
planning services,” “sexual health needs,” “sexual health,” and
“safe motherhood,” in the document to in no way include abortion or
abortion-related services or the use of abortifacients. The United
States does not include the treatment of injuries or illnesses
caused by illegal or legal abortion for example post-abortion care,
among abortion-related services.
-
The United States fully supports the principle of
voluntary choice in family planning and reiterates that in no case
should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning, and that
women who have had recourse to abortion should in all cases have
humane treatment and counseling provided for them. The United States
emphasizes its commitment to programs that address greater male
involvement in pregnancy prevention and voluntary family planning
efforts and the need to stress the practices of abstinence, of
delaying sexual initiation, monogamy, fidelity, and partner
reduction in order to, inter alia, prevent HIV infection.
-
The United States stresses the importance it
attaches to universal access to primary and secondary education,
particularly for girls, as an essential and integral part of women’s
sustainable socio-economic development.
-
The United States reaffirms that “The family is the
natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to
protection by society and the State” (Universal
Declaration on Human Rights); and that “The right of men and
women of marriageable age to marry and to found a family shall be
recognized,” (International
Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, Art. 23, 1-2); and that
“Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and
assistance” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25.2).
It stresses the need to further address the importance of family
stability, the role of fathers, and parent-child communication on
responsible sexual behavior, especially abstinence, and delaying
sexual initiation. With regard to the phrase “various forms of the
family exist,” the United States understands this to include single
parent and extended families. It reaffirms that governments can
support families by promoting policies that help strengthen the
institution of marriage and help parents rear their children in
positive and healthy environments.
-
The United States understands that “children’s
rights” are seen at all times in relation to the rights, duties and
responsibilities of parents, who have the primary responsibility for
their children’s education and well-being. In this regard, the
United States emphasizes the importance it attaches to the
involvement of parents in decisions affecting children and
adolescents in all aspects of sexual and reproductive health and in
all aspects of their lives and education for which they have the
primary responsibility.
Thank you, Mr. President.
|
|
|