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UNICEF stresses children's rights on Declaration's 50th anniversary

Thursday, 10 December 1998: With activities highlighting the importance of children's and women's rights, UNICEF joined the United Nations family today in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the landmark document which led to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said it was significant that activists for women's and children's rights are among the recipients of the 1998 United Nations Prizes in the Field of Human Rights, awarded today by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. She praised in particular the achievement of Ms. Angelina Acheng Atyam, one of the recipients. The Ugandan nurse-midwife is the vocal leader of a movement of Ugandan parents whose children, including Atyam's own daughter Charlotte, have been abducted by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army.

"It is fitting that this prize is being awarded today, 50 years after the world recognized the importance of universal human rights and nearly ten years after children's rights were enshrined in the CRC," Ms. Bellamy said. "It is a tremendous achievement that the mother of an abducted child can bring her plight and that of thousands of others to the world's attention."

The international community should match the courage of Ms. Atyam, Ms. Bellamy said, and demand the immediate release of the thousands of children abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army.

Ms. Bellamy also congratulated the other Human Rights Prize recipients: former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Sri Lankan activist Sunila Abeyesekera, who has performed numerous women's rights functions within the UN system, Ana Sabatova of the Czech Republic, who has a 30-year record of human rights activities in her country and Brazilian activist Jose Gregori, a leader in the planning and implementing of human rights policies in Brazil.

In addition, the UNICEF chief welcomed the UN Human Rights Defender prize which is being awarded today in recognition of thousands of courageous individuals -- among them many UN staff -- who have struggled to promote and protect the fundamental rights of others, and have either died in the line of duty or suffered imprisonment for their beliefs.

Other UNICEF-related activities today included the opening of a new exhibit, "Child Rights: A New Era for Children", in the General Assembly building and a wide-ranging special event on asylum organized and hosted by UNICEF Special Representative for the Performing Arts Vanessa Redgrave.

"For The Worldwide Right of Asylum" will be introduced by Ms. Bellamy, who will be joined by Marta Santos-Pais of UNICEF, and will feature contributions from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, poet-activist Daniel Berrigan and performers Tim Robbins, Akiko Ono and Katherina Wolpe.

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