[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 STATEMENT BY KYLE ANDERSON ON THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE 
                                 CHILD

                                 ______


                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 29, 1996

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my colleagues I would 
like to have printed in the Record this statement by Kyle Anderson, a 
high school student from Rutland, Vermont, who was speaking at my 
recent town meeting on issues facing young people.

       My topic is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 
     and its applicability to us as citizens of the United States 
     and for our children in this country.
       The world that we live in today is one of waste, want and 
     needless suffering. But in November of 1989, a dramatic step 
     was taken to treat this. On November 20, 1989, the General 
     Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the 
     Rights of the Child, a treaty that focuses on the protection, 
     survival, development and well-being of children.
       Among the many rights which the Convention gives to 
     children are the following: the right to health care 
     services; the right to education; the right to protection 
     against discrimination on the basis or race, sex, religion, 
     etc.; the right to protection against abuse, neglect or 
     injury; the right to a name and nationality; the right to 
     express the child's views in matters affecting the child; the 
     right to have the child's interests be a primary 
     consideration in all proceedings concerning the child; the 
     right to be protected from economic exploitation, or 
     hazardous work; the right to be protected against torture, or 
     other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment; and the right 
     to freedom of thought in conscience, religion and expression.
       As an international goal it is certainly important; and 
     immediately after it was drafted, over 100 nations signed it, 
     and then ratified it, obligating themselves to nurture the 
     children of their respective territories. The U.S. wasn't 
     among the original signers, but signed the document on the 
     16th of February, 1995. But without ratification, the 
     Convention lies dormant. The United States didn't, and still 
     hasn't, fully recognized the importance of the document, or 
     its applicability to us.
       Let me show you what I mean. (set up overhead: Cents of the 
     Absurd) Can everybody read that? . . . All right, it says the 
     1995 State of the World Children Report from UNICEF says that 
     we need to kindle a sense of absurdity at the idea that the 
     world cannot afford to meet the needs of all the world's 
     children for adequate nutrition, basic health care, primary 
     education and clean water. The following figures are offered 
     as kindling: it shows that all we really need to provide 
     basic care in nutrition, primary education, safe water and 
     sanitation, and family planning, for all the children, would 
     be $34 billion. Now, if you look at what is spent, they give 
     a few statistics, like $85 billion/yr. is spent on wine, $160 
     billion on beer, $400 billion on cigarettes, $250 billion on 
     advertising, and $800 billion on the military--that's 
     worldwide.
       For the U.S., (next overhead: Winners & Losers--Federal 
     Spending) here we see a drastic decrease in spending on 
     housing, health care services, employment and training, mass 
     transit, Farmer's Home Administration, child nutrition, 
     especially, and education. All of these things have 
     decreased, between 1980-1990, and military spending has 
     increased 46%.
       The fortunate and unfortunate kids of our age have 
     recognized the need for greater action in the sector of 
     children's well-being. Some of the things that youth has been 
     doing are as follows:
       Nov. 20, 1992, in Washington, D.C.--The National Committee 
     on the Rights of the Child: Speaking Truth to Power;
       May 4, 1992, at the Statehouse in Montpelier, VT--Rights of 
     the Child Day;
       Feb. 10-14, 1993, in New York City and Vermont--New York 
     City and Vermont Student Homes Day;
       Nov. 22, 1993, in Clarendon, VT--Youth in Action 
     Conference: Children First;
       June 13-19, 1993, in Vienna, Austria--Children's World 
     Conference on Human Rights; and
       April 29, 1995, in Montpelier, VT--Empowering Youth to 
     Action.
       In closing, I would like to reemphasize the importance of 
     child development. This Convention is a great reminder of our 
     obligation, and a helper in those situations where our 
     priorities are trodden upon, in such areas as: the home, 
     during war, or just all alone on the streets. The Convention 
     will help, and will decrease the suffering. Thank you.
       Congressman Sanders: Michael, thank you very much. I have 
     some familiarity with that issue, because I introduced the 
     Resolution in the House, trying to win support of the UN 
     Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Senator Leahy did 
     the same in the Senate, so Vermont has a strong interest in 
     this issue. In your judgment, why has the Congress not 
     ratified the Treaty?
       Answer: Well, I really don't know. I thought . . . when 
     Bill Clinton came in, I thought that . . . he's an advocate 
     for this thing, and I was wondering why it hadn't gotten 
     ratified yet, but he needs the help of the Congress . . .
       Congressman Sanders: Well, I think in fact, Clinton did 
     sign it but the problem is, it doesn't go into effect until 
     it is ratified, and the Senate has not ratified it. Are you 
     familiar with some of the arguments that the opponents of the 
     Treaty are making?
       Answer: No.
       Congressman Sanders: Okay. A lot of the arguments center 
     around the fact that they think it would take away from the 
     rights of American citizens, which is incorrect, and that the 
     UN would have too much power over what goes on in the United 
     States--those are some of the arguments that are being used. 
     I think you've raised a very important issue, and I think 
     that the chart, which shows the spending priorities, in our 
     nation and in our world, is very important. And what you're 
     suggesting, is that if we changed our priorities just a 
     little bit, we could wipe our hunger among children, we could 
     end the disgrace of having, in our own country, the highest 
     rate of childhood poverty in the entire industrialized world. 
     Okay, thank you very much for your presentation.

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