UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

HC Deb 01 June 1998 vol 313 cc147-8W

Sir Alastair Goodlad

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made about proposed changes to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. [43128]

Mr. Tony Lloyd

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by UNGA in 1989 and has achieved near universal ratification. The UK ratified in 1991. States Parties recognise and undertake to uphold the full range of human rights—and, political, economic, social and cultural—in respect of children.

We have no plans to propose changes to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, nor have we received representations to do so. We are, however, participating actively in UN Working Group discussions on draft Optional Protocols to the convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography. We support efforts to bring these discussions to a successful conclusion.