2/SR.12 Summary record of the 12th meeting

This record is subject to correction. Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages. They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record. They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Editing Unit, room E.4108, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Any corrections to the records of the public meetings held during this session will be consolidated in a single corrigendum, to be issued shortly after the end of the session.

GE.09-17372 (E) 050310 180310

Human Rights Council Second session

Summary record of the 12th meeting Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on 25 September 2006, at 1 p.m.

Chairperson: Mr. Godet ........................................................................................................ (Switzerland)

Contents

Implementation of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 entitled “Human Rights Council” (agenda item 2) (continued)

Presentation of reports followed by interactive dialogue on the report by the Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights Presentation of reports followed by interactive dialogue on the report by the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (continued)

United Nations A/HRC/2/SR.12

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The meeting was called to order at 1.55 p.m.

Implementation of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 entitled “Human Rights Council” (agenda item 2) (continued) Presentation of reports followed by interactive dialogue on the report by the Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights (E/CN.4/2006/46 and Add.1) Presentation of reports followed by interactive dialogue on the report by the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (continued) (E/CN.4/2006/67 and Add.1-3) 1. Mr. Mudho (Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights), introducing his report (E/CN.4/2006/46 and Add.1), said that the situation of the heavily indebted poor countries had improved only slightly over the past year and their overall debt was still estimated at US$ 500 billion. Debt-servicing continued to undermine poor countries’ ability to use internal and external resources in order to further the implementation of human rights and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Some progress had been made through the approval of debt-service relief of US$ 56 billion for 28 countries under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The relief operation was expected to reduce those countries’ debt-service payments by US$ 1 billion annually. 2. In addition, the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) endorsed by the Group of Eight in July 2005 provided for the cancellation of 100 per cent of debt which the world’s most indebted poor countries owed the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The total amount of debt relief granted under the MDRI was estimated to be about US$ 50 billion. Although the amount of debt cancelled was modest compared with the US$ 500 billion still owed and the initiative only extended to a limited number of poor countries and three financial institutions, it was an important first step and provided participating countries with some US$ 1.2 billion for MDG-related spending that would otherwise have been paid to multilateral creditors.

3. If debt-relief initiatives were to yield the expected results, it must be ensured that gains from debt relief were not simply offset by a reduction in future official development assistance. According to statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, that principle had not always been respected in the past. Donors should consider broadening the scope of the initiative to include a greater number of developing countries, all multilateral credit institutions, and all bilateral and private creditors. He reminded the Council that, despite all debt relief efforts and calls for increased aid, net resource outflows from developing countries had continued in 2004.

4. States had primary responsibility for their own development, the realization of the human rights of their people and the management of additional policy space created by debt relief. Beneficiary States needed to invest the resources derived from debt relief in a manner conducive to the implementation of human rights and the achievement of MDGs. Good governance, accountability and transparency were also crucial conditions for realizing the benefits accruing from debt relief. Country-owned poverty reduction strategy papers were increasingly seen as a basis for debt relief operations; the integration of a human rights perspective was essential in that context.

5. Civil society and independent national human rights institutions should be actively involved in monitoring budget processes in order to ensure that the resources freed under the HIPC and MDRI initiatives were used in accordance with human rights and MDG priorities.

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6. The report highlighted some of the obstacles and challenges relating to the formulation of draft general guidelines pursuant to resolutions 2004/18 and 2005/19 of the Commission on Human Rights. In order to finalize the proposed guidelines, it would be necessary to: determine the “sustainable” level of external debt of a country; undertake an independent estimation of the resources needed to meet the minimum core obligations of a country under international human rights instruments; and reflect further on operational questions. Given those conceptual and operational challenges, an extended time frame for the formulation of the guidelines would be necessary, in particular to allow proper and meaningful consultations with all stakeholders and to obtain the views of a significant number of Member States on the need and scope of such guidelines, which he had already solicited.

7. Referring to his mission to Mozambique in July 2005, he said that that country had made important strides in achieving economic growth, microeconomic stability and debt sustainability. The HIPC Initiative and debt-rescheduling had enabled the Government to protect social expenditure, but the country remained highly dependent on external assistance and faced important challenges in terms of both poverty reduction and human rights. Despite the high rate of economic growth in recent years, Mozambique remained very low on the Human Development Index. Progress in poverty reduction varied widely from region to region. The mission had revealed that economic growth and macroeconomic stability were necessary, but not in themselves sufficient, conditions for the reduction of poverty and the realization of human rights. Although the efforts made by all stakeholders to implement the country’s poverty reduction strategy were commendable, more specific efforts were needed to integrate human rights into the goals, plans and processes under the Strategy in order to ensure that the opportunities created by debt relief had a sustainable impact on poverty reduction.

8. Mozambique was also an instructive illustration of innovative partnership and cooperation between donors and the Government. General budget support and joint review mechanisms provided ample opportunities to ensure country ownership, transparency and accountability. Human rights principles could provide a strong legal basis for those concepts.

9. The prolonged civil war had had serious debilitating effects on human development and capacity. Despite the Government’s commitment to the promotion and protection of all human rights, its capacity to protect those rights and citizens’ capacity to exercise them were limited. Further progress with judicial reform and the establishment of an independent human rights institution were essential in that regard. He had been pleased to learn that the revised “Poverty reduction strategy paper II (2006–2010)” contained improvements and innovations, including: the establishment of human rights as one of the priorities of democratic governance; provisions for human rights training and anti-discrimination activities; the explicit recognition of food, housing and education as social, economic and cultural rights; and the recognition of HIV/AIDS as a significant challenge to the effective enjoyment of all human rights and acknowledgement that the rights of people affected by HIV/AIDS must be protected. The Government’s decision to take priority measures under the revised strategy in order to establish an accessible, transparent and inclusive justice system was also commendable. The implementation of the new cycle of the revised Strategy should be guided by human rights principles. The continued monitoring of public expenditure and the securing of new loans were crucial. He welcomed efforts to strengthen the “poverty observatory” and recommended further strengthening the capacity of NGOs and other stakeholders in monitoring public spending from a human rights stand point.

10. Mr. Qerimaj (Observer for Albania), referring to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography on his mission to Albania (E/CN.4/2006/67/Add.1), said that some of the issues mentioned in that

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document had already been resolved or were currently being addressed. His Government attached great importance to close cooperation and dialogue to facilitate the early implementation of the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations. The report contained a number of inaccuracies, but any comments by his Government should be seen in a wider context of cooperation and dialogue.

11. In response to the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur, on 27 February 2006 Albania and Greece had signed a Bilateral Agreement on the Protection and Assistance of Child Victims of Trafficking, which provided for assistance to, and preventive protection and rehabilitation of, all victims of trafficking. Also following up the recommendations, the Ministry of Justice had established a working group to prepare amendments to the Criminal Code reinforcing the protection of children.

12. Issues relating to gender equality discussed in paragraphs 41 to 44 of the report did not fall within the Special Rapporteur’s mandate, although his Government was keenly aware of the persistent problems in that area.

13. Although the Albanian National Strategy for the Improvement of Living Conditions of the Roma Minority (2003–15) was an effective policy directly linked to the protection of persons vulnerable to trafficking, the report had regrettably remained silent about the outcomes of the Strategy. Under the National Strategy on Combating Trafficking in Persons, the National Strategy for Children and the National Strategy on Social Protection, his Government had taken preventive action by supporting underprivileged families whose children were particularly vulnerable to trafficking and by reintegrating trafficked children.

14. His Government would gladly host further special procedures missions in support of progress in the area of human rights in Albania.

15. Mr. Verros (Observer for Greece) commended the in-depth analysis of the situation contained in the report of the Special Rapporteur on his mission to Greece in November 2005 (E/CN.4/2006/67/Add.3). It showed that the work of special procedure mandate- holders was crucial to the implementation of programmes and actions aimed at strengthening national human rights protection mechanisms.

16. Combating trafficking in children, victim protection and assistance to unaccompanied minors were key priorities for his Government. In recent years, Greece had become a major migrant-receiving country and a series of measures had been taken to tackle the new situation. New legislation had been adopted on human trafficking. The attendant action plan provided for special protection measures for under-age victims of trafficking; the establishment of shelters; free legal aid; public information campaigns; the establishment of appropriate mechanisms for the identification of under-age victims; the issuance of residence permits; the establishment of education and training centres; and the creation of a nationwide database. Programmes and specialized services had been established in order to improve the reception, social integration and health-care access of foreign minors.

17. Under the national action plan, much had been done to improve infrastructures, raise awareness of the problem of trafficking and encourage victims to seek help. Workshops and other events had been organized in cooperation with UNHCR in order to build the capacity of public institutions to address the scourge. A cooperation agreement had been signed with 16 major NGOs in order to enhance the involvement of civil society.

18. Greece engaged actively with neighbouring countries and countries of origin of trafficking, as illustrated by the conclusion by Greece and Albania in 2006 of the Bilateral Agreement on the Protection and Assistance of Child Victims of Trafficking. His Government was encouraged by the Special Rapporteur’s positive evaluation of measures taken thus far; his useful recommendations would be given careful consideration. The

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Greek Parliament was currently debating legislation on domestic violence which provided, inter alia, for heavier sentences for sexual abuse of minors. Draft legislation on the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography had already been approved.

19. Mr. Carlos (Observer for Mozambique), thanking the Independent Expert for his mission to Mozambique and preparation of an important report, said that the Government would continue to work on improving living conditions for its people.

20. Mr. Fathallah (Observer for Iraq), also referring to the report of the Independent Expert, said that although his country was rich in natural and human resources, as a result of equivocal economic policies pursued by the previous regime it currently faced a debt burden of an estimated US$ 150 trillion. The effect of the wars with neighbouring countries aggravated the situation. Despite the debt relief granted by IMF and the World Bank, the commitments deriving from foreign debt had had a severe impact on the welfare of the population, especially low-income segments, with rising oil and commodity prices resulting in an overall cost-of-living increase of approximately 70 per cent. He asked whether the Independent Expert had examined the conditions which IMF and the World Bank imposed on countries in transition and their impact on human rights.

21. Mr. Gala López (Cuba), speaking with reference to the report of the Independent Expert, said that his Government attached particular importance to the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on human rights. Concrete measures must be taken at the international level to find lasting, equitable solutions to the foreign debt burden on developing countries and to reverse the social deterioration resulting from neo-liberal structural adjustment programmes. Experience had shown that poverty and inequality had increased in developing countries following the implementation of those programmes, and that those countries had accumulated unsustainable levels of external debt.

22. When preparing the proposed draft guidelines, the Independent Expert might wish to draw on relevant work carried out by United Nations bodies and international conferences. He enquired whether the concept of shared responsibility of developed and developing countries and national and international financial institutions would be included in the draft guidelines.

23. Ms. Leyemanne (Sri Lanka), referring to the report by the Special Rapporteur, said that her country had a national child protection authority with a special police unit responsible for investigations of sexual abuse and exploitation of children. At the “treaty event” held on the sidelines of the 2006 World Summit of the General Assembly, Sri Lanka had ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and also the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in an effort to strengthen the country’s legal framework for the promotion of children’s rights and combating transnational organized crime.

24. In November 2005, three police officers belonging to the National Child Protection Authority had been abducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during an investigation relating to a foreign paedophile and had been illegally held for one year. Their detention had impeded the investigation and effective dispensation of justice, which illustrated how investigations into child sexual abuse and exploitation could be hampered by a non-State entity.

25. Responding to the Special Rapporteur’s concern over the high incidence of violence against women, she said that currently reported information on gender-based violence revealed low figures, which might be due to cultural barriers to reporting. Steps had been taken towards establishing women and child desks, to be staffed by trained women police officers, in the hope of improving reporting rates and follow-up.

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26. Ms. De Bellis (Uruguay) said that the prosecution of persons trafficking children for the purpose of sexual exploitation must go hand in hand with measures to curb demand for sexual services involving minors. She agreed with the Special Rapporteur that the demand factor warranted additional attention. The growing, indiscriminate use of the Internet for the dissemination of child pornography clearly increased the incidence of such conduct and must be tackled. Despite the lack of reliable data, it was easy to imagine how the existence of child pornography sites could encourage users to proceed to action, thus increasing demand for child sexual services. The issue should be addressed through multilateral action. Education programmes aimed at combating the phenomenon were of paramount importance. Her delegation looked to the Special Rapporteur for guidance on preventive measures, including the role of social educators and victim rehabilitation centres. It would welcome additional information on those aspects in the next report.

27. Mr. Garcia (Philippines) welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s focus on the demand factor in the commercial sexual exploitation of children and enquired which prevention and awareness-raising measures he had found to be effective in reducing such demand. He asked whether efforts by Governments to criminalize and raise awareness of sex tourism had resulted in a reduction in cases of child exploitation.

28. Turning to the report by the Independent Expert, he said that although there was agreement that debt-servicing should not undermine the realization of human rights, the opposite was unfortunately true in many developing countries. Debt-ridden countries often sacrificed budget allocations for education, health care and social services in the name of fiscal responsibility and continued access to international capital markets. Endorsing the proposal by the Independent Expert to link debt relief with the achievement of MDGs, he asked what the Independent Expert thought of debt-for-equity schemes whereby part of a country’s external debt would be invested in national projects promoting social, economic and cultural rights, including the right to development.

29. Ms. Pohjankukka (Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, enquired about the Special Rapporteur’s views on mechanisms and methods required to strengthen international cooperation and improve operational follow-up in the area of the protection of children’s rights. It would be useful to know how the complementarity of existing human rights mechanisms could be ensured.

30. Protection of, and assistance to, child victims and consideration of their special needs were crucial in countering the commercial sexual exploitation of children. It would thus be useful to learn of any activities planned by the Special Rapporteur that would improve such protection and assistance. Her delegation would welcome additional information about concrete plans for activities to be undertaken in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur in relation to trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

31. Mr. Logar (Observer for Slovenia) said he wished to know what action might effectively reduce demand for the sexual exploitation of children. It would be useful to obtain concrete examples of the prosecution of offenders in the 30 countries that had already adopted legislation on sexual activities of their citizens involving minors abroad, and information on the difficulties encountered in such cases.

32. Mr. Rahman (Bangladesh), commending the Independent Expert for his efforts in developing the draft general guidelines, said he deplored the lack of cooperation on the part of States and other stakeholders and the resulting need for more time to prepare those guidelines. The integration of human rights perspectives in economic policies and debt- servicing was an attractive and noble undertaking, as external debt burdens hampered the realization of fundamental social, economic and cultural rights in many developing countries. The resources freed by debt relief would no doubt enhance countries’ capacity to

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achieve the MDGs and meet their core obligations under the international human rights instruments.

33. Referring to the Independent Expert’s mission to Mozambique, he asked whether the benefits derived from foreign debt relief had produced any tangible results. If not, it would be useful to know what obstacles were hampering progress. Did the Independent Expert believe that debt relief alone might not be a solution and that innovative financial processes like “front-loading” might be needed to jump-start the process?

34. With regard to the need to integrate human rights considerations in microeconomic policy making, he said that while respect for human rights was important, it should not become an impediment to economic growth. What were now developed countries had not been subject to human rights-related conditions in the early days of their development. He invited the Independent Expert to offer his views on the effectiveness of mutually reinforcing methods.

35. Ms. Diallo (Mali) said that the 2005 Multilateral Agreement to Combat Child Trafficking in West Africa mentioned in the report of the Special Rapporteur demonstrated the commitment of the countries in the subregion to combat child trafficking effectively. In addition, Mali had withdrawn its reservation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and concluded bilateral cooperation agreements with several neighbouring countries with the aim of combating trafficking. Within that framework, dozens of Malian children working on plantations in neighbouring countries had been repatriated.

36. The promotion and protection of the rights of women and children was one of the key priorities of Mali’s human rights policy. To give effect to that political will, her Government had established a special Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children and the Family and a “Children’s parliament”. While her delegation supported the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur, too much emphasis had been placed on the sexual exploitation of children and not enough had been said about children sold as cheap labour falling victim to a merciless market economy.

37. Ms. Khavn (Russian Federation) asked whether the Special Rapporteur could provide up-to-date information on effective action taken by Governments to prevent the use of the Internet for the exploitation of children, or recommend suitable measures to that end. She would be interested to learn the Special Rapporteur’s views on the globalization of prostitution and requested clarification on the distinction between voluntary and forced sexual services mentioned in the report.

38. Mr. Cerda (Argentina) agreed with the Special Rapporteur on the need for greater emphasis on the demand factor in the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

39. Turning to the Independent Expert’s report contained in document E/CN.4/2006/Add.1, he drew particular attention to paragraphs 25 and 37 (d). The Independent Expert had recommended that the indicators for measuring qualitatively the basic requirements for the realization of human rights should be developed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. It might be preferable to develop those indicators in the context of the Open-ended Working Group on the Right to Development, which had already pointed to the need for certain human rights indicators to measure debt-service sustainability in quantitative terms.

40. Mr. Solano Ortiz (Observer for Costa Rica) agreed with the Special Rapporteur that child-abusers should be effectively prosecuted. He also shared the Special Rapporteur’s view that effective action must be taken to prevent sexual abuse of minors by United Nations peacekeepers and employees of international organizations and to punish such conduct severely when it occurred. He asked whether it might be feasible in the short term for the international community to classify such acts as crimes under international law and

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to criminalize the dissemination of child pornography on the Internet. He would welcome suggestions by the Special Rapporteur on possible urgent measures to prevent such abuse.

41. Ms. Janjua (Pakistan), referring to the report by the Independent Expert, said that reducing the crushing debt burden of developing countries was of paramount importance. The Independent Expert might wish to take account of the debt situation of low and middle- income countries and its impact on the enjoyment of all human rights; examine further the impact of debt reduction and the diversion of resources to social sector development, especially in areas relating to women and children; and continue his work on the creation of additional policy space in developing countries. Experience had shown that standard prescriptions for structural reform did not work globally. The focus, including in the work of the Independent Expert, should be on home-grown solutions and country-based requirements. As the human rights machinery was being reviewed in accordance with General Assembly resolution 60/251, attention should focus on issues relevant to the Independent Expert’s mandate and of critical interest to developing countries.

42. Mr. Endo (Japan), referring to the report by the Special Rapporteur, reminded the Council of the Second World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children hosted by Japan in 2001, which had called for the promotion of effective policies to address the commercial sexual exploitation of children. In recognition of the crucial importance of the demand factor in addressing child prostitution, his Government had amended the Law on the Punishment of Acts relating to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and on the Protection of Children (Law No. 52 of 1999), and had ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The Japanese tourism authorities had signed the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, obliging travel agents to train personnel concerning destinations and prohibiting sexual exploitation of children in contracts concluded with local agents. Given the fact that measures to counter child prostitution and pornography could only be effective through the cooperation of the countries concerned, the Japanese police had held an international symposium to expand and strengthen cooperation in overseas investigations within South- East Asia in 2002.

43. Mr. Tichenor (Observer for the United States of America) agreed that the demand factor in the commercial exploitation of children deserved additional attention. As stated in the report, sex tourism was a serious problem and he invited the Special Rapporteur to elaborate on measures States should take on a priority basis in that area. Commending the Special Rapporteur for his initiative in coordinating his work closely with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, he requested additional information on actions planned.

44. Mr. Zevallos Águilar (Peru) said that his Government had launched an information campaign at all points of entry into Peru to inform foreigners that the exploitation of children was a punishable offence in his country, liable to heavy penalties commensurate with the seriousness of the offence committed. The campaign was being implemented jointly by the Ministry for Women and Social Development and the Ministry of the Interior. The Criminal Code had also been amended recently to establish the sexual abuse of minors as a very serious offence and information campaigns had been conducted to raise public awareness. In addition, the dissemination of child pornography on the Internet had been criminalized and a specialized police unit had been set up to prosecute paedophiles and persons possessing, producing or disseminating child pornography.

45. Mr. Musa (Observer for the Sudan), referring to the report of the Independent Expert, noted that only 10 per cent of developing countries’ debt had been cancelled. Strategies adopted by developed countries vis-à-vis developing countries often failed to take account of the importance of good governance or the debilitating effect of conflict

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situations. Structural adjustment policies and debt relief-related strategies should take account of country situations, governance and domestic policies in line with the MDGs.

46. Mr. Larensa Serrano (Ecuador), referring to the report by the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, said that the international community must devote priority attention to the protection of children, including in international law. It was alarming that only 4 out of 25 Governments of States which had received a total of 34 communications from the Special Rapporteur concerning the sale, trafficking or sexual exploitation of children had responded. Effective and immediate action should be taken to ensure that Governments responded in accordance with their obligations.

47. Ms. Sosa Nishizaki (Observer for Mexico) welcomed the focus by the Special Rapporteur on the demand factor in the fight against child sexual exploitation. She endorsed the recommendations contained in paragraph 131 (b) and (e) of his report, especially the proposal to set up a mandatory educational and training programme for military and United Nations personnel on human trafficking, gender equality, the effects of buying women and children for sex, and identifying and assisting trafficking victims.

48. Turning to the report by the Independent Expert, she expressed support for his recommendation in paragraph 37 (c) that the Council urge States to cooperate with him in the discharge of his mandate and, in particular, to respond to his requests for their views and suggestions on possible elements for consideration in the draft general guidelines.

49. Ms. Schenk (World Organization against Torture), also speaking on behalf of the International Save the Children Alliance, the International Alliance of Women, Plan International, the World Movement of Mothers, Defence for Children International, the Women’s World Summit Foundation, the International Federation of Social Workers, World Vision International, ECPAT International, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations and the Child Rights Information Network, said that while child rights should be mainstreamed into the human rights system as a whole, the Council should adopt a specific child rights focus in recognition of children’s specific needs and concerns. The Council should highlight the Convention on the Rights of the Child in its work and assert its commitment to child rights by including a separate relevant item in the agendas for future sessions.

50. The Council should take action on violence against children; the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; children affected by armed conflict and displacement; and children in conflict with the law. It should ensure the meaningful and substantive participation of NGOs and independent human rights institutions focusing on children’s rights in their work, including under the universal periodic review. Specific facilities should be created to allow children themselves to participate in the work of the Council. Special procedures must be maintained and strengthened and include the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols in their mandate.

51. Mr. Pary (Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru”), referring to the report of the Independent Expert, said that 30 years after the establishment of a new global economic order, speaking about the fundamental right to food, clothing and decent housing meant speaking about extreme poverty, increasingly unsustainable foreign debt, bankruptcy leading to social crises and the corruption of modern society. Those phenomena constituted fertile ground for ethnic conflict, racial discrimination, hatred, violence and terrorism. Ever since their inception, the World Bank and IMF, which had been originally created to promote economic development and prosperity for all, had continually imposed an ultra- liberal development model on countries and peoples, the perverse effects of which were tearing the world apart. Using and abusing its binding recommendations, IMF had advocated market-economy-based global trade, devaluation, price deregulation, salary

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freezes, reduction of health and education budgets, and the unbridled privatization of public companies and services.

52. He invited the Independent Expert to express his views on ways to address poverty and the foreign debt burden that weighed heavily on the developing world. Did the Independent Expert see a need for fundamental changes in the way the World Bank and IMF operated?

53. Ms. Soderlund (World Young Women’s Christian Association) said that more than 2 million children were exploited in the multibillion dollar sex industry every year; 1.2 million children were trafficked annually; girls as young as 13, mainly from Asia and Eastern Europe, were trafficked as mail order brides; and child pornography was a growing problem on the Internet. The consequences of that abuse were devastating, as children subjected to violence and sexual exploitation suffered lasting physical, psychological and mental damage. Cross-generational sex constituted a crime by adults against children; action must be taken to end such violence and bring the perpetrators to justice. The punishment should be as severe as the crime was serious, and there should be no limitation period for bringing child-abusers to justice. An abused child must be entitled to justice even if the defendant was charged many years later. International police cooperation must be enhanced to prevent child pornography and trafficking. Governments must identify victims and perpetrators and share such information systematically. National justice systems must apply the United Nations definition of a child; horrific crimes of sexual abuse should not be condoned or ignored simply because the child appeared older than his or her actual age.

54. Mr. Mudho (Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights), thanked the Government of Mozambique for its assistance and cooperation during his mission.

55. He thanked the delegation of Mexico for supporting his request for extension of the time frame for the formulation of the proposed draft guidelines and expressed his gratitude to the Governments of Cuba, Mexico, the Russian Federation and South Africa for responding to his request for views and comments in that regard. Given the scantiness of input from Governments to date, he had desisted from completing the guidelines so as to ensure that the final text would reflect the position of all Council members.

56. Referring to the comments made by the representative of Iraq, he said although his report focused on heavily indebted countries, he was well aware of the devastating effect the war in Iraq had had on the country’s economy. In his previous report, he had recommended that debt relief operations should not be restricted to heavily indebted countries.

57. He agreed with the representative of the Sudan that governance should be an important factor when considering a country’s debt situation.

58. He supported the suggestion by the representative of Cuba that the work of United Nations bodies, international conferences and human rights organizations should inform the preparation of the draft guidelines, and that the concept of shared responsibility should be incorporated.

59. In his future work, he would consider the idea of applying debt-for-equity schemes in debt relief operations, as mentioned by the representative of the Philippines. The notion of granting aid for debt relief, which had surfaced recently, was also worth exploring.

60. In reply to the enquiry by the representative of Bangladesh about visible effects of debt relief in Mozambique, he said that while he had noted positive and encouraging developments, debt relief alone was insufficient.

The meeting rose at 3.25 p.m.