OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
Rights of the child
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1999/80
The Commission on Human Rights,
Bearing in mind the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Reaffirming its resolution 1998/76 of 22 April 1998 and General Assembly resolutions 53/128, 53/127,
53/117, 53/111, 53/116 and 53/122, of 9 December 1998, as well as all previous resolutions on this subject,
Reaffirming the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the World Summit for Children in 1990
(A/45/625, annex) and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on
Human Rights in June 1993 (A/CONF.157/23), which, inter alia, states that national and international
mechanisms and programmes for the safeguard and protection of children, in particular those in especially
difficult circumstances, should be strengthened, including through effective measures to combat exploitation and
abuse of children, female infanticide, harmful child labour, sale of children and organs, child prostitution and
child pornography, as well as other forms of sexual abuse, and which reaffirms that all human rights and
fundamental freedoms are universal,
Profoundly concerned that the situation of children in many parts of the world remains critical as a
result of poverty, inadequate social and economic conditions aggravated by the current international financial
crisis in an increasingly globalized world economy, pandemics, natural disasters, armed conflicts, displacement,
exploitation, illiteracy, hunger, intolerance, disability and inadequate legal protection, and convinced that urgent
and effective national and international action is called for,
Alarmed by the reality of daily violations of children’s rights, including the right to life, to physical
security and to freedom from arbitrary detention, torture and any form of exploitation, as laid out in relevant
international instruments,
Calling for the further mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all policies and programmes relating to
children,
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