Question of a convention on the rights of the child

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 33/166 of 20 December 1978, 34/4 of 18 October 1979, 35/131 of 11 December 1980, 36/57 of 25 November 1981, 37/190 of 18 December 1982, 38/114 of 16 December 1983, 39/135 of 14 December 1984, 40/113 of 13 December 1985 and 41/116 of 4 December 1986,

Recalling also Commission on Human Rights resolutions 20 (XXXIV) of 8 March 1978, 19 (XXXV) of 14 March 1979, 36 (XXXVI) of 12 March 1980, 26 (XXXVII) of 10 March 1981, 1982/39 of 11 March 1982, 1983/52 of 10 March 1983, 1984/24 of 8 March 1984, 1985/50 of 14 March 1985, 1986/59 of 13 March 1986 and 1987/48 of 11 March 1987, as well as Economic and Social Council resolutions 1978/18 of 5 May 1978, 1978/40 of 1 August 1978, 1982/37 of 7 May 1982, 1983/39 of 27 May 1983, 1984/25 of 24 May 1984, 1985/42 of 30 May 1985, 1986/40 of 23 May 1986 and 1987/58 of 29 May 1987 and Council decisions 1980/138 of 2 May 1980 and 1981/144 of 8 May 1981,

Reaffirming that children's rights require special protection and call for continuous improvement of the situation of children all over the world, as well as their development and education in conditions of peace and security,

Profoundly concerned that the situation of children in many parts of the world remains critical as a result of unsatisfactory social conditions, natural disasters, armed conflicts, exploitation, hunger and disability and convinced that urgent and effective national and international action is called for,

Mindful of the important role of the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations in promoting the well-being of children and their development,

Convinced of the positive contribution which an international convention on the rights of the child, as a standard-setting accomplishment of the United Nations in the field of human rights, would make to protecting children's rights and ensuring their well-being,

Noting with appreciation that further progress was made during the forty-third session of the Commission on Human Rights in the elaboration of a draft convention on the rights of the child,

Bearing in mind that 1989 will be the year of the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child and of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Child,

Considering that these anniversaries could constitute an appropriate target date for completion of the work on a draft convention on the rights of the child and for its adoption by the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session in 1989,

1.         Welcomes Economic and Social Council resolution 1987/58, in which the Council authorized a meeting of an open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights for a period of one week prior to the forty-fourth session of the Commission in order to facilitate completion of the work on a draft convention on the rights of the child;

2.         Requests the Secretary-General to authorize convening, if necessary and within existing resources, the open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights for an additional week at its January 1988 session in order to complete a draft convention so as to facilitate its conclusion in 1989, the year of the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child and of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Child;

3.         Requests the Commission on Human Rights to give the highest priority to, and to make every effort at its sessions in 1988 and in 1989 to complete, a draft convention on the rights of the child and to submit it, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session;

4.         Invites all Member States to offer their active support to the completion of a draft convention on the rights of the child in 1989;

5.         Requests the Secretary-General to provide all necessary assistance to the working group in order to ensure its smooth and efficient work in the fulfilment of its important task;

6.         Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-third session the item entitled "Question of a convention on the rights of the child".