§ Mr. DawsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Government has tabled an amendment to replace children's rights with human rights in the draft of the EU Constitutional Treaty. [110258]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe Government is keen to ensure that children's rights and interests are effectively protected.
The first draft of the EU Constitutional Treaty issued by the Convention on the Future of Europe's Praesidium contained a reference to children's rights in a section dealing with the Union's broad external objectives. The section contained no reference to human rights more generally.
The Government did not consider it appropriate to single out children's rights alone (important as they are) as distinct from human rights more generally, in this part of the Treaty. It was considered more appropriate to maintain provisions similar to the broader reference to human rights found in Article 11(1) of the Treaty on European Union.
§ Mr. DawsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he intends to take to ensure that the rights of children are recognised in the EU Constitutional Treaty. [110259]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe Government will continue to promote and protect children's rights both domestically and internationally and supports effective initiatives at European level to this end. For instance, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights has specific provisions dealing with children's issues and interests. In the context of the Convention on the Future of Europe the Government is considering, whether, and if so how, the Charter should be incorporated into the Treaties.