Memorandum submitted by World Vision
This Memorandum constitutes the written comments/evidence
of World Vision in response to the Human Rights Annual Report
2003 published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and
to the request for evidence from the Foreign Affairs Committee
(see News Release 15 December 2003). World Vision does not intend
giving oral evidence.
World Vision is one of the world's leading relief
and development agencies. It is a Christian organisation and currently
works in nearly 100 countries, helping over 75 million people
in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice.
The comments by World Vision will be restricted
to the issues concerning: Women and Child Rights (Chapter 9),
and Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights—with a special
focus on access to health and education, and contemporary forms
of slavery. (Chapter 7).
1. GENERAL COMMENTS
ON THE
PURPOSE AND
FORMAT OF
THE REPORT
1.1 World Vision welcomes the Annual Human
Rights Reports presented by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
in pursuance of its policy on Human Rights. It sets a clear framework
for the work of Her Majesty's Government in this area and provides
useful information on the activities undertaken.
1.2 World Vision welcomes the FCO recognition
of the importance of respect for human rights, the rule of law,
and the democratic processes in ensuring stability, prosperity,
progress and security.
1.3 We also welcome the mention of the valuable
contribution NGOs like World Vision make to its work on formulating
policy on human rights, whilst also acknowledging that differences
on policy between government and NGOs often exist. (p 63 para
1)
1.4 Over the last year World Vision has
continued to work with the FCO on: combating commercial sexual
exploitation of children in developing countries, trade policies,
child rights and human rights issues.
1.5 World Vision welcomes the news that
the FCO plans to establish a fifth panel on child rights. (p 64
para 2) World Vision recommends that such a panel also create
linkages between DfID, the Home Office, the Treasury, and child
rights coalitions.
1.6 While World Vision understands that
events in Iraq over the past year mean that a significant proportion
of this document looks at human rights issues relating to Iraq,
we also believe other human rights abuses that are not in the
public eye demand as much attention. For example, there are currently
over 14 million children that have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS[9]
an estimated 300,000 children fighting in wars[10]
and thousands of children forced into sexual exploitation.
1.7 These issues require as great a focus
because of their invisible nature. World Vision will present evidence
on human rights issues contained within this document, and also
highlight human rights issues World Vision believes the FCO has
not given significant attention to.
2. WOMEN AND
CHILD RIGHTS
(CHAPTER 9 P
223-240)
2.0 General
2.0.1 Chapter 9 provides a good summary
of some of the key issues that affect women and children, and
the FCO's work to combat human rights abuses these areas. However
there is little information on the overall strategy, an evaluation
against that strategy, and details on future targets. Further
it does not contain honest evaluation of what could have been
improved.
2.0.2 World Vision welcomes the setting
up of the Children and Young People's Unit (CYPU) in 2000 to co-ordinate
UK Government policy relating to children. At the time it was
established World Vision expressed grave reservations as to the
focus and remit of the unit, namely on domestic issues. As the
FCO report makes abundantly clear, the UK Government also needs
to focus on children's rights outside of the UK. The work and
policies of Ministries such as DfID, the Home Office and the Treasury
impact children overseas. To exclude that category from the remit
and scope of the CYPU means that UK Government policy remains
disjointed and unfocused when it comes to children overseas. Failure
to include this group means that such children will remain invisible,
and to quote the FCO report "children in every part of
the world are at risk". (p 230 para 4)
2.0.3 World Vision recommends that CYPU's
remit be extended to include the impacts of UK policy on children
overseas including the work and policies of DfID, the Treasury
and the Home Office.
2.1 Children and Conflict (p 232-234)
2.1.1 World Vision welcomes the UK Government's
desire to prevent children from suffering the harmful consequences
of armed conflict by signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights on the minimum age for recruitment
and participation in hostilities. World Vision is disappointed
that the UK Government failed to take the opportunity to set an
example of establishing high standards on the issue of children
and armed conflict. Whilst ratifying the Optional Protocol the
UK entered an interpretative declaration on the minimum age for
recruitment and participation in hostilities. The UK Government
has therefore failed to raise its standards and has chosen a lower
standard for children in the UK than that proposed by the international
community.
2.1.2 World Vision recommends that the interpretative
declaration be withdrawn by the UK Government as an indication
of its commitment to the human rights of children impacted by
armed conflict.
2.1.3 World Vision welcomes the UK Government
contribution and support for the drafting of the EU Guidelines
on Children in Armed Conflict. (See Annex 1.) World Vision is
concerned that implementation of the guidelines may prove to be
difficult given that COHOM (the European Council working group
on human rights) charged with implementation and COHOM's mandate
is restricted, whereas the scope of the guidelines is broad.
2.1.4 Given that the UK will have the presidency
of the EU in 2005, World Vision recommends that the UK Government
takes a proactive approach to implementation of the guidelines,
especially ensuring the appointment of a special representative
and adequate resources as stated in paragraph 20(g) of the guidelines.
(Annex 1.)
2.2 Child Rights—Abuse, Exploitation,
and Neglect (p 235-238)
2.2.1 World Vision welcomes the section
on sexual abuse within this human rights publication. This helps
to highlight the abuse many children face at the hands of adults.
(p235) Focusing on human rights aspects of sexual abuse is an
important message and should be consistent across all FCO publications.
2.2.2 World Vision and other NGOs have been
working with the FCO on a number of projects to highlight the
extra-territorial legislation (Sex Offenders Act 1997, part 11,
Section 7 and 8) that is in place to prosecute in the UK, those
who commit sex offences against children overseas. This is an
important initiative and should be mentioned in this section.
2.2.3 World Vision recently attended a consultation
on FCO consular services. World Vision raised the issue of child
sex tourism and there was general consensus that awareness raising
on the issue was the responsibility of a number of agencies and
actors. World Vision looks forward to this being reflected in
the new consular strategy currently being written by the FCO.
2.2.4 World Vision welcomes the comments
on work in Cambodia to reduce sexual exploitation, trafficking,
and paedophile activity. As World Vision research in Cambodia
showed, British men are among the top five nationalities to sexually
abuse children.[11]
(Annex 2 and 3)
2.2.5 Given the above World Vision is disappointed
with the structure of this section. During the introduction (para
1 and 2) there is no mention of the sexual abuse children suffer
at the hands of foreign tourists. This is only mentioned in the
later section on Cuba.
2.2.6 World Vision is particularly concerned
that the position of "situational offenders" is not
addressed in the report. World Vision recommends that the FCO
not only focus on those with the specific intention of going overseas
to abuse a child (p 235 para 7—"detecting and disrupting
paedophile activity") but also on awareness raising activities
for "situational offenders"—those who don't travel
with the intention of abusing a child, but do so because a particular
situation presents them with an opportunity to do so.
2.2.7 World Vision commends the FCO on its
recent decision to ensure that information on child sex tourism
and the impact of extra territorial legislation will be prominently
positioned on the FCO website. World Vision welcomes the further
work that the FCO intends undertaking to publicise this legislation.
2.2.8 This section also primarily focuses
on the identification and prosecution of sex offenders. There
are only brief references to prevention activities undertaken
by the FCO. World Vision strongly recommends that the FCO seek
to pursue policies that prevent sexual abuse of children overseas
by British tourists.
2.2.9 World Vision is disappointed that
there is no mention of the National Plan group on child sexual
exploitation. As part of the follow up on the Global Conference
on Child Sexual Exploitation held in Stockholm (the Stockholm
Conference) and subsequently in Yokohama (the Yokohama Conference)
the UK Government set up the National Plan group to coordinate
work on this issue. However, this group is not convened on a regular
basis and its remit appears to lack clarity and focus. World Vision
recommends that the National Plan group be given a clear mandate
with regular meetings.
2.2.10 World Vision also welcomes contribution
by the FCO to the Home Office group on child sex tourism. The
group, which also includes civil society organisations and Police
services, is helping to create dialogue on ways to progress with
this issue.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS THROUGH SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
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Lee was a 15-year-old girl. She was deceived by her aunt and ended up being sold to an American man for US$400 for four days. He was about 50 years old. After that she was forced to go with a 25-year-old Japanese man for a cost of $50. Then the pimp brought her to sleep with a Chinese man for US$30. Finally she slept with a 40-year-old French man. This man slept with her for a month at his rented house. After that she went to stay in an entertainment club. Two days later she was rescued by the police and sent to an organisation that could help her. (Annex 3.)
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2.2.11 World Vision welcomes the UK Government efforts
at a European level to deal with the issue of sexual exploitation
and abuse. World Vision refers to the meetings of the EU Ministers
responsible for Childhood "L'Europe de l'Enfance"
at Lucca in September 2003 and the subsequent declaration. World
Vision also refers to the follow up meeting in Paris in November
2003. (Annex 4.)
2.2.12 World Vision is disappointed that despite a clear
indication from the French Government about the involvement of
NGOs at the Paris conference, the UK Government delegation did
not include NGO representation from international development
agencies dealing with such issues, despite several representations
to the ministry handling the delegation. World Vision recommends
that the UK Government dialogue with international NGOs concerning
places on the UK Government delegation for future conferences
on this issue.
2.2.13 It is clear that the UK Government is engaged
in a number of activities and in creating effective policies and
practices around this issue. However, because there is no clearly
defined strategy linking up the various initiatives and ministries
the danger is that the UK Governments action will be fragmented,
counter productive, difficult to monitor and evaluate, and an
ineffective use of resources. Therefore, World Vision strongly
recommends that the FCO develop a fully integrated strategy to
deal with this issue, taking into account the work of the Home
Office and DfID.
2.3 Women's Rights—Discrimination against women
(p 225-227)
2.3.1 World Vision welcomes the report's emphasis on
protecting the physical and mental rights of women across the
world. World Vision works in many countries to combat the violence,
discrimination, isolation, and victimisation many women face.
We welcome the report's description of work and policies in many
of these areas.
2.3.2 World Vision and other development agencies have
recognised that only with the active participation of women can
development be sustainable. As a human rights development violation,
indeed a grave humanitarian concern, violence against women demands
responses at all levels: from individual and family through community,
national and international levels.
2.3.3 However, World Vision believes the report does
not adequately address the issue of the economic empowerment of
women. Development programmes have been found to be more sustainable
with greater participation and empowerment of women. However the
dynamics of control and management of economic gain at household
level continues to be a challenge within the economic empowerment
framework. These are key issues that need to be addressed through
the state, for the benefit of women in developing communities.
2.3.4 World Vision recommends greater partnership in
programmes that support the economic empowerment of women, and
also that the dynamics of control of economic resources at household
level be examined.
2.3.5 The report also does not focus on the needs of
disabled girls and women who are often particularly vulnerable
to violence and various other human rights abuses. The specific
needs of disabled women and girls needs to be addressed through
state policies, strategies and in future plans.
2.3.6 World Vision recommends that prioritisation of
key needs and human rights concerns for women, followed by the
strategic design of projects that address these needs, would probably
assist in ensuring change and the advancement of women's rights
world-wide. (See World Vision report on Violence Against Women,
which provides a global perspective and case studies on the impact
of violence against women Annex 5).
2.4 Women's Rights—Female Genital Mutilation (228-229)
2.4.1 World Vision welcomes the acknowledgement of the
report on our work to eradicate FGM through education in Tanzania.
2.4.2 As part of the ongoing fight to eradiate FGM, World
Vision encloses a recent research paper—Female Genital
Mutilation & Early Marriage in Africa (Annex 6), which
is based on research in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana. The report
calls for national governments and the international community
to address the neglected problems of girls and women in developing
countries in an open, honest manner, with the aim to break the
silence and encourage women and their communities to talk about
harmful traditional practices.
3. Economic, social and cultural rights (Chapter 7
p 143-162)
3.0 Access to Health (HIV/AIDS) (p 160-161)
3.0.1 HIV/AIDS is a fundamental challenge to human rights.
It impacts the physical health of individuals, and also their
social identity and condition. The stigma and discrimination surrounding
HIV/AIDS can be as destructive as the disease itself.
"A tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding
in Africa. Aids today in Africa is claiming more lives than the
sum total of all wars, famines and floods and the ravages of such
deadly diseases as Malaria"
"Aids is no longer a disease, it is a human rights
issue"
Nelson Mandela[12]
3.0.2 World Vision is disappointed with the lack of priority
given by the report to the abuses of human rights owing to HIV/AIDS.
Lack of human rights recognition within communities, not only
causes unnecessary personal suffering and loss of dignity for
people living with HIV/AIDS, but also contributes directly to
the spread of the epidemic since it hinders an adequate and appropriate
response. Lack of recognition within this report contributes to
the deficit of attention given to human rights aspects of HIV/AIDS.
3.0.3 World Vision recommends that human rights abuses
children suffer because of HIV/AIDS should be included within
the section on child rights, not just under the Access to Health
section.
3.0.4 World Vision is also concerned with the lack of
any mention of the 14 million children that have been orphaned
by HIV/AIDS. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC),
and the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Declaration
2001, emphasises that these children must have the basic right
to:
— freedom from discrimination;
— their best interests being of primary consideration;
— and have a voice and be listened to.
Many children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS do
not enjoy these basic human rights.
3.0.5 World Vision views the abuses faced by orphans
and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS as human rights violations
that should be mentioned in this report. Children who lose one
or both parents to AIDS, or who live with the disease, suffer
from: increased hardship, lack attention and affection, withdrawal
from school, psychological distress, loss of inheritance, increased
abuse and risk of HIV infection, malnutrition and illness, and
increased stigma, discrimination and isolation.
Human rights abuses because of HIV/AIDS—Zambia While many give up when the heat is turned on them, Lenty stuck to her guns till the very end of her life. She had nothing personally to gain from coming out and telling people that she was HIV positive, but she did so anyway. She was the first person in her community to do so. A mother of four, Lenty was widowed in 1999 and left with the responsibility of raising the children with no income at her disposal.
"I was worried about my children's future in terms of education, who was going to take care of them once I die. It used to really hurt me to see my children as they would look envy as the other children got ready for school" said Lenty in an earlier interview.
Towards the end of her life her landlord evicted Lenty from her house because she was HIV positive. She died in February 2003 after losing her sight and hearing.
During her funeral her friends, some of whom were also HIV positive, were the pallbearers. Her uncle explained that Lenty had died of "Sikalilele" the Tonga word for AIDS, something that her village had never heard of before at a funeral.
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3.0.6 World Vision calls on the UK government to endorse
in principle UNICEF's "Strategic Framework for the Protection,
Care and Support of Orphans and Other Children Made Vulnerable
by HIV/AIDS." The Department for International Development
should include specific policy commitments to implement the Framework
in its HIV/AIDS strategy, which is currently being reviewed.
3.0.7 World Vision also welcomes the mention given to
addressing the needs for access to medicines and treatment. World
Vision strongly recommends that the government supports better
access to care and treatment for prolonging the lives of children,
parents and carers, including lobbying the international community
to commit resources to achieving the WHO "3 by 5" target—getting
three million people on anti-retroviral drugs by the end of 2005.
3.1 Contemporary forms of Slavery (Sexual Offences Bill)
(p 158-158 para 5)
3.1.1 World Vision welcomes the paragraph on the Sexual
Offences Bill, which has as one of its aims, seeking to provide
increased protection for children in developing counties at risk
from sexual exploitation.
3.1.2 World Vision worked in partnership with other NGOs
to achieve a change in the "eight day loophole" that
allowed convicted sex offenders who travel overseas, eight days
before a notification was required. The government has agreed
to introduce regulations to reduce this period to three days.
3.1.3 Regulations within the Sexual Offences Bill have
the potential to reduce sexual abuse of children in developing
countries by British tourists. World Vision and the FCO are on
the Home Office Group on Child Sex Tourism that intends to discuss
the drafting of new regulations at its next meeting. The fact
that the FCO is part of this group demonstrates World Visions
previous comments concerning the lack of a clear strategy that
can lead to initiatives being disjointed and fragmented. World
Vision is concerned that this section is not clearly linked to
the information under the section on child rights. (Abuse, exploitation,
and neglect. p 235)
Annex 1—EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict.
Annex 2—Children's Work Adults Play—Child Sex
Tourism—The Problem in Cambodia.
Annex 3—No child of mine . . .! Opening the world's
eyes to the sexual exploitation of children. World Vision UK.
2002
Annex 4—"L'Europe de l'Enfance" at Lucca
in September 2003 and the subsequent declaration. September 2003.
Annex 5—World Vision International. Violence Against
Women: from silence to empowerment.
Annex 6—World Vision International. Female Genital
Mutilation & Early Marriage in Africa.
World Vision
February 2004
9
2002 (UNAIDS, UNICEF, USAID) Children on the Brink 2002. Back
10
2001 (UNCHR) Child Soldiers Global Report. Back
11
2002 (World Vision Cambodia) Children's Work Adults Play-Child
Sex Tourism-The Problem in Cambodia. Back
12
International AIDS Conference- Paris, 2003. Back
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