A/RES/49/212
Page 2
Deeply concerned about the growing number of street children worldwide
and the squalid conditions in which these children are often forced to live,
Profoundly concerned that the killing of and violence against street
children threaten the most fundamental right of all, the right to life,
Alarmed at continuing serious offences of this nature against street
children,
Recognizing the duty and responsibility of Governments to investigate
all cases of offences against street children and to punish offenders,
Recognizing also that legislation per se is not enough to prevent
violations of human rights, including those of street children, and that
Governments should implement their laws and complement legislative measures
with effective action, inter alia, in the fields of law enforcement and in the
administration of justice, and in social, educational and public health
programmes,
Welcoming the efforts made by some Governments to take effective action
to address the question of street children,
Welcoming also the publicity given to and the increased awareness of the
plight of street children, and the achievements of non-governmental
organizations in promoting the rights of those children and in providing
practical assistance to improve their situation, and expressing its
appreciation of their continued efforts,
Welcoming further the valuable work of the United Nations Children’s
Fund and its National Committees in reducing the suffering of street children,
Noting with appreciation the important work carried out in this field by
the United Nations, in particular the Committee on the Rights of the Child,
the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the sale of
children, child prostitution and child pornography and the United Nations
International Drug Control Programme,
Bearing in mind the diverse causes of the emergence and marginalization
of street children, including poverty, rural-to-urban migration, unemployment,
broken families, intolerance, exploitation and war, and that such causes are
often aggravated and their solution made more difficult by serious
socio-economic difficulties,
Recognizing that the prevention and solution of certain aspects of this
problem could be facilitated in the context of economic and social
development,
Bearing in mind that in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
all States are urged, with the support of international cooperation, to
address the acute problem of children in especially difficult circumstances,
and that national and international mechanisms and programmes should be
strengthened for the defence and protection of children, including street
children,
1.
Expresses grave concern at the continued growth in the number of
incidents worldwide and at reports of street children being involved in and
affected by serious crime, drug abuse, violence and prostitution;
2.
Urges Governments to continue actively to seek comprehensive
solutions to tackle the problems of street children and to take measures to
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