The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]
[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ]
Dear Casi List,
The UN Commission for Human Rights is now in session in Geneva. As you can imagine, it has been
dominated by the situation in Iraq this year. The oral statement to the Human Rights Commission
given by Dominicans for Justice and Peace on the conditions endured by the Iraqi people can be
found at the bottom of this message.
"Dominicans for Justice and Peace," is an NGO founded by the Catholic Order, The Dominicans, and
has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United
Nations. This enables it to make oral and written statements to the Commission. Since 1998 it has
raised consciousness of the plight of the Iraqi people every year at both the UN Human Rights
Commissions and Sub-Commissions. Crucial to our witness is that there are Dominicans, men and
women, in Iraq and that our statements come from the direct experience of our members.
Our website, with an archive of our statements, can be found at: http://un.op.org/
The Dominican Order has a long history of activity in human rights. In the 16th Century, Fray
Francisco de Vitoria and the Salamanca School in Spain established the theoretical foundations of
the modern problematic of human rights. In the same century, Fray Bartolome de las Casas and Fray
Montesinos championed the rights of indigenous people in Latin America. In 1958 Dominique Pire, a
Belgian Dominican, won the Nobel Peace Prize for Peace for his work with refugees.
Keep up the good work ! There's still an awful lot to do !
In peace,
John O'Connor op
UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Fifty-ninth Session
Palais des Nations, Geneva
March 17-April 25, 2003
Item 13: Rights of the Child
Presented by Philippe LeBlanc OP
at the UN Commission, on April 14, 2003
Dominicans for Justice and Peace, Caritas Internationalis, Commission of Churches on International
Affairs of the World Council of Churches, Dominican Leadership Conference, Canadian Council of
Churches, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, International Presentation Association: Sisters of the
Presentation, Congregations of Saint Joseph, Maryknoll Sisters Inc. and the World Alliance of
Reformed Churches, in conjunction with Franciscans International and KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical
Justice Initiatives, wish to bring to the attention of the UN Commission on Human Rights the impact
of international sanctions and war on children and women. We are also extremely concerned about the
harmful and long-lasting consequences, especially on children and women, of the use of cluster
bombs and depleted uranium.
Our stance on these issues is a humanitarian, ethical and moral one and it stems from our grave
concern about the devastation brought upon by sanctions and armed conflict on the lives of
thousands of children and women worldwide and about the gross and ongoing violations of their
fundamental rights and freedoms. We raise in particular the specter of the physical, and long-term
emotional, psychological and moral impact on children and women of the bombings Iraq, following on
12 years of sanctions.
Human rights violations
In war situations and under a sanctions system, the rights of children are often violated if not
neglected. Yet, article 38 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child binds states to commit
themselves to respect and to ensure respect for rules of humanitarian law applicable to children.
It also declares that State Parties "shall take all feasible measures to ensure protection and
care of children who are affected by an armed conflict". Further, article 3 of the Convention
declares that "in all actions concerning children, ... the best interest of the child shall be a
primary consideration." Notwithstanding such obligations, these articles of the Convention are
systematically violated on a daily basis during wars and conflicts.
In a statement made on March 21, 2003, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Children and Armed conflict, Olara A. Otunnu stressed that "the children of Iraq are innocent, and
all parties must make their protection "an absolute priority". Looking beyond the conflict, Mr.
Otunnu said, "we must now begin to put in place plans to ensure that the well-being, rehabilitation
and development of the children of Iraq will constitute a central aspect of any programs for
post-conflict recovery and reconstruction."
Impact on children
Because of sanctions, a whole generation of children born after the 1991 war in Iraq have been
deprived of the right to adequate food and to clean water which would allow them to develop
normally. Now, the war in Iraq adds to this by seriously affecting and disadvantaging another
generation of children. The economic sanctions have a devastating effect which another war
intensifies not only for the survival of children, but also on their moral, social and
psychological development, in violation of article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Most of the child victims of the sanctions were not even born at the time of the 1991. These
children did not die as a result of combat. Because of the length of time that the sanctions have
been in place, they constitute a humanitarian problem which imperils the future of a people, a
situation rendered even more alarming by the war.
In the meeting convened by the World Council of Churches in Berlin on 5th February 2003, the
European church leaders together with representatives of the Conference of European Churches, the
National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and the Middle East Council of Churches noted
"the plight of Iraqi children and the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis over
the past 12 years of sanctions regime weighs heavily in our hearts."
Use of depleted uranium
In addition to the effects of sanctions, there is the effect of environmental pollution in Iraq, in
particular, of depleted uranium, which is chemically and radiologically toxic. Epidemiological
studies show that the increased incidence of congenital abnormalities and defects, cancers in all
age groups are directly related to exposure to depleted uranium, either by ingestion, inhalation or
skin contact. The use of depleted uranium in the present conflict can only add to spreading
illnesses, environmental pollution and degradation of the land.
In a statement shortly before the beginning of the war against Iraq, the Secretary General of
Caritas Internationalis declared "that the world is on the brink of a major humanitarian
catastrophe". Caritas Internationalis is one of the world's largest humanitarian networks. It is a
confederation 154 Catholic organization relief, development and social service organizations
working in 198 countries and territories. The Secretary General of the organization further stated
that "the victims will again be in the first instance, the most vulnerable, especially the children
of Iraq. The people of Iraq are already in sorrowful state. Between 14 and 16 million people (two
thirds of the population)) are entirely dependent on food rations. As previously explained by
Caritas Internationalis, the economic embargo imposed by the UN Security Council twelve years ago
is largely responsible for this situation" We mourn the unjust deaths of hundreds of thousands of
Iraqi children whose lives were lost for no fault of their own.
Reports from the Red Cross and other organizations are being released about the number of children
killed and those seriously seriously injuredin the war, even in homes, in hospitals and on the
streets. The full story is bound to be told of the devastation in the country following 12 years of
sanctions and the war. When the full truth is made known about the destruction of the lives of
children and women, the international community will need to render justification for these acts
and recognize their responsibility for the massive rebuilding of a devastated society.
Recommendations
Dominicans for Justice and Peace, Caritas Internationalis, Commission of Churches on International
Affairs of the World Council of Churches, Dominican Leadership Conference, Canadian Council of
Churches, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, International Presentation Association of the Sisters of
the Presentation, Congregationsof Saint Joseph, Maryknoll Sisters Inc. and the World Alliance of
Reformed Churches, in conjunction with Franciscans International and KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical
Justice Initiatives,
. strongly recommend that the international community through the United Nations seek ways and
means to establish peace and to bring an end to the sanctions against the people of Iraq;
. strongly urge the UN Commission on Human Rights to take seriously its Charter obligation to
monitor the implementation and respect for international human rights law and to denounce the
ongoing violations of the most fundamental human rights of women and children in conflicts and wars
and to ensure the application of the guiding principle of the UN Convention on the rights of the
child that "in all actions concerning children, the best interest of the child shall be a primary
consideration;
. strongly recommend that the international community through the United Nations continue their
search for peaceful and just solutions in all situations of conflict rather than resorting to war
which can only bring untold horror and irreversible harm to the most vulnerable;
. strongly urge the international community through the United Nations to take with utmost
seriousness its responsibilities for the monumental and long-term challenge of the recovery and
reconstruction of Iraq, devastated both by long-term sanctions and by the ravages of war.
_______________________________________________
Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss
To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk
All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk