Vol. 487 No. 5
28 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, he has taken to raise the concerns of Amnesty International among others regarding the torture, murder and degrading treatment of children in Central and South America. [4282/98]
Children are amongst the most vulnerable members of society and their rights need special protection. The near universal ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child demonstrates international acceptance of the need to give special emphasis to children's rights. But despite the commitments entered into by almost all countries, the lives of millions of children around the world, including in Latin America, are ruined by human rights violations ranging from simple neglect to acts of extreme violence. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, governments have a responsibility to provide a framework of laws and administrative measures to protect children's rights.
Political instability in parts of Latin America, although greatly diminished in recent years, has left a legacy of continuing and unresolved problems, including human rights violations, poverty, deprivation and crime. There are compelling reports that in some cases, death squads have murdered and tortured street children. There is a need to put an end to the impunity often enjoyed by human rights violators and to establish effective mechanisms for independent investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the violations of the human rights of children. There is a widespread international view, which Ireland shares, that all responsible for such harrowing crimes against children should be brought to justice, no matter where these crimes occur.
The forthcoming session of the UN Commission on Human Rights will have before it an agenda item on the rights of the child. I can assure the Deputy that the concerns he has referred to will be raised by Ireland at the session.
