Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Geneva (Agenzia Fides) – On the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Catholic Child Bureau (ICCB or BICE) has launched a world appeal, from the UN headquarters in Geneva, in favor of children. The international Catholic organization, founded in 1948, present in 66 countries on four continents and with projects in 26 countries, actively participated in the Convention in the 1980s and followed its application in Geneva, as well, working closely with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The organization says that “the translation of the provisions contained in the Convention into domestic laws and into implemented policies have allowed real progress,” however, “unfortunately, subscribed engagements are still very far from being respected worldwide.” The appeal mentions the extremely difficult situations of many children: “Child soldiers, children working in hazardous and dangerous conditions, children abused, raped, objects of all forms of violence, children obliged to flee incessantly away with or without their family due to wars, famines...All these children have something in common: they have been uprooted. Physical uprooting, sometimes brutal, from their country or the place they were supposed to grow up; but also psychosocial uprooting.”
Those who sign the appeal asks those countries which have not yet ratified the Convention, to do so and to respect the commitments in the document, in strict collaboration with the Children's Rights Commission and with the UN's human rights organizations, along with other institutions and NGOs specialized in this area, to guarantee rights for children, taking into account their most profound needs, such as the right to life and to integral development, along with spiritual development within their cultural or religious context.
Pope Benedict XVI, in a message sent on this occasion and signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, pointed out the urgent need to fully apply the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 20 years after its ratification, this application is more urgent than ever, “in light of the new challenges” the Pope said, highlighting “respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of children” and “acknowledgment of the fundamental educational mission of the family,” as well as the “need for a stable social environment that favors the physical, cultural, and moral development of every child.” The Pontiff also encouraged Catholic organizations and NGOs to “continue their generous work for the correct establishment of the Convention and in building a future of hope, security, and happiness for the children of our world.” (AP) (Agenzia Fides 5/6/2009)
