Un General Assembly Issues

UN General Assembly in 2013

United States views on international law [1] in relation to UN General Assembly: On December 18, 2013, the United States joined consensus in adopting the annual UN General Assembly resolution on the rights of the child. U.N. Doc. A/RES/68/147. The U.S. explanation of its position on the resolution follows.

Some Aspects of UN General Assembly

The United States is very pleased to join consensus on the Rights of the Child resolution today, which focuses on children head of households. We welcomed working with the sponsors and other partners throughout the lengthy negotiation process. While we support the resolution's theme and goals in regard to protecting the rights of children, including those heading households due to unfortunate circumstances, there were some areas of the resolution that would have benefited from more precision and nuance. For example, while we understand the importance of family unity and working to avoid situations where children are left as heads of households or in contact with only one parent, there are several factors to consider when families are separated by national borders, including immigration restrictions. We also appreciate the critical role of governments in supporting and protecting children, but at the same time are mindful of the primary role of families, and of respecting an appropriate balance in that regard.

Developments

Today's young people are maturing earlier, both physiologically and socially, and too many adolescents, either because of country policies or the attitudes of health providers, lack access to sexual and reproductive health services. Many lack access to comprehensive sexuality education which helps young people, including those 18 years and younger, build the skills they will need to successfully negotiate relationships, and can help promote gender equality and human rights. We believe in the affirmative goals set forth in The Program of Action that was adopted by 179 governments at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, and reaffirmed in many international documents since then, which recognize that for women and young people to realize their full potential, they must be able to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. We must do much more to make available comprehensive reproductive health services as well as accurate information and education on sexuality for not only women and men, but also girls and boys as they age and as their needs evolve. We must foster equal partnerships and sharing of responsibilities by all family members in all areas of family life, including in sexual and reproductive life, and promote frank discourse in relation to sexual health and reproduction. New thinking and renewed vigor in our approach and partnerships can bring us closer to attaining ICPD goals for the current and future generations of young people.

Details

This resolution calls upon States to ensure that life imprisonment without the possibility of release is not imposed on individuals under the age of 18. This requirement is not an obligation that customary international law imposes on States; rather, it reflects treaty obligations that the United States has not undertaken. The United States would also like to note that we join consensus on this resolution today with the express understanding that it does not imply that States must become parties to instruments to which they are not a party or implement obligations under human rights instruments to which they are not parties. Furthermore, to the extent that it is implied in this resolution, the United States does not recognize creation of any new rights which we have not previously recognized, the expansion of the content or coverage of existing rights, or any other change in the current state of treaty or customary international law. In particular, the United States would like to recall its previous positions on economic, social, and cultural rights. Further we understand the resolution's reaffirmation of prior documents to apply to those who affirmed them initially.

More

While we recognize the ambition to create a comprehensive resolution on all children's issues, we would urge the main sponsors to aim for a more streamlined text next year. We look forward to working with the co-sponsors and other delegations on this important resolution. Thank you.

Resources

Notes

1. Un General Assembly in the Digest of United States Practice in International Law