Written evidence submitted by World Vision
World Vision welcomes the opportunity to respond
to the Human Rights Annual Report 2004 published by the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and to the request for evidence
from the Foreign Affairs Committee (see Press Release 10 November
2004). This Memorandum constitutes the written comments/evidence
of World Vision.
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 100 million people
in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective
of their religious beliefs.
While World Vision is concerned with all areas
concerning human rights, the comments made here will be restricted
to a number of specific areas discussed in the report: Women's
Rights and Child Rights (Chapter 9), Economic, Social, and Cultural
Rights—with a special focus on access to health (Chapter
7), and Human Rights and Conflict (Chapter 5). General comments
on the report as a whole and the FCO's work will also be made.
1. GENERAL COMMENTS
ON THE
REPORT AND
WORK OF
THE FCO
1.1 World Vision welcomes the Annual Human
Rights Report 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 78 para 4).
1.4 Over the last year World Vision has
continued to work with the FCO on both child rights and human
rights issues.
1.5 World Vision is disappointed by the
weak identification in the report of HIV/AIDS as a rights issue
affecting women and children. HIV/AIDS is a fundamental challenge
to human rights. HIV/AIDS not only denies people the right to
health, it also impacts on a multitude of other rights including
the right to education, parental care and even protection from
sexual abuse. As such, a cross-sectoral approach is necessary
in meeting the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS.[2]
1.6 Given the above, World Vision recommends
that the human rights abuses suffered by women and children because
of HIV/AIDS should be included specifically within Chapter 9,
as well as in Chapter 6 under the "Access to Health Services"
section.
2. WOMEN AND
CHILD RIGHTS
(CHAPTER 9 P
229-248)
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 in these areas. However,
there is little information on the FCO's overall strategy, an
evaluation against that strategy, and details on future targets.
Further, there is little critical analysis and honest evaluation
of where improvements could have been made to the FCO's work.
2.0.2 World Vision welcomes the specific
focus on child rights but recommend that child rights considerations
be mainstreamed across all areas of the report to reflect the
fact that human rights are child rights as well as simply "adult"
rights.
2.0.3 World Vision welcomes the UK Government's
recognition of its obligations under the UNCRC (p 239). Though
this Convention recognises the social, economic, cultural, civil
and political rights of all children, little attention is given
to these latter two in the report. Therefore, World Vision recommend
that the UK Government pay greater attention to the civil and
political rights of children and their participation in securing
their own rights.
2.1 Child Rights—Child Rights Panel
(p 238-240)
2.1.1 World Vision welcomes the establishment
of the FCO panel on child rights (p 238 para 6).
2.1.2 World Vision welcomes the practical
project support provided by the child rights panel. However, the
supported projects have only short to medium term impact. For
long-term impact, local communities, groups and networks must
receive capacity building on the CRC and engaging with institutions.
This will enable local people to understand the negative impact
of issues such as child labour, sexual exploitation, HTP etc and
raise these issues with the appropriate government representatives
at the local and national levels. In order to see long-term impact,
World Vision recommends that the child rights panel provide greater
support to initiatives which empower local people to voice their
concerns and provide information on institutional mechanisms (including
judicial processes and role of police).
2.2 Child Rights—Children and Conflict
(p 240-243)
2.2.1 World Vision welcomes the UK Government's
desire to prevent children from suffering the harmful consequences
of armed conflict across the globe. However, World Vision is disappointed
that the UK Government still fails to set an example of establishing
high standards on the issue of children and armed conflict by
failing to remove the interpretative declaration on the minimum
age for recruitment and participation in hostilities entered upon
ratifying the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the minimum age
for recruitment and participation in hostilities. The UK Government
therefore continues to permit a lower standard for children in
the UK than that proposed by the international community.
2.2.2 World Vision reiterates its recommendation
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.
2.2.3 World Vision welcomes the UK Government
commitment to the EU Guidelines on Children in Armed Conflict.
Given that the UK will have the presidency of the EU in 2005,
World Vision strongly recommends that the UK Government take a
proactive approach to implementation of the guidelines.
2.2.4 World Vision welcomes DFID's support
of DDR projects (page 242, para 3). However, it is important that
disarmament of children is not accompanied with provision of money.
In the past, children were given $150 when they disarm and a further
$150 when they undergo the demobilisation and reintegration programme.
Provision of money to children sets an unhealthy precedent. Also
the girl child needs to have separate facilities for DDR processes.
There is a lot of stigmatisation of girls who have been involved
with armed forces. Community sensitisation, awareness raising
and acceptance are required in order for girls to undergo DDR
and be successfully reintegrated and resettled back into their
communities.
2.3 Child Rights—Abuse, Exploitation,
and Neglect (p 243-244)
2.3.1 World Vision welcomes the section
on sexual abuse within this human rights publication and reference
to the UNCRC (p 244, para 5) in relation to this issue.
2.3.2 World Vision welcomes the attention
drawn to the sexual abuse children suffer at the hands of foreign
tourists (p 243, para 5; p 243, para 2) but is 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 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.
3. ECONOMIC,
SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS
(CHAPTER 6 P
157-174)
3.0 Access to Health Services (HIV/AIDS) (p
160-164)
3.0.1 World Vision welcomes the Government's
response to HIV/AIDS and in particular its focus on women, young
people and orphans, and marginalised and vulnerable groups.
3.0.2 World Vision welcomes the UK Government's
consideration of the particular problems posed to women by HIV/AIDS.
Ongoing World Vision research echoes the findings by UNAIDS that
women are more susceptible to HIV/AIDS.[3]
To fight AIDS successfully and to protect girls, the issues of
gender roles, harmful cultural practice, discrimination and sexual
violence must be tackled. These are the threats which millions
of girls face. Without tackling them, interventions based purely
on promoting abstinence, faithfulness and condom use are simply
irrelevant.
World Vision welcomes the UK Government's recent
commitment to champion the needs of orphans and vulnerable children.
World Vision calls on the UK Government to honour this commitment
by lobbying other G8 Governments, the EU/EC and EU member states
to:
Endorse and make time bound and measurable commitments
to implement the "Framework for the Protection, Care and
Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children living in a world with
HIV/AIDS".
Earmark additional resources of at least 10%
of total HIV/AIDS expenditure to enable the implementation of
the Framework.
Agree to host a conference on HIV/AIDS during
the UK EU presidency in which championing the needs of OVC will
be a central focus.
4. HUMAN RIGHTS
AND CONFLICT
(CHAPTER 5, P
133-155)
4.0 Conflict Prevention in Africa (p 135-136)
4.0.1 World Vision welcomes the UK Government's
commitment to increasing African Peacekeeping capacity (p 135),
however, World Vision urges the UK Government to resist proposals
to the OECD to have such support become eligible as ODA.
4.0.2 Although the UK Government supports
the Acholi Land peace reduction framework and the radio station
in Gulu (p 136, para 2) World Vision is concerned at the weak
recognition by the UK Government of the human cost of this conflict.
World Vision strongly recommends that the UK Government provide
increased humanitarian assistance to the North of Uganda and use
its diplomatic influence and bilateral aid to encourage the Ugandan
Government to find a political solution to the crisis, as well
as to address the corruption and abuses in the UPDF.
4.1 Post-Conflict Reconstruction (p 151-153)
4.1.1 World Vision welcomes the UK Government's
commitment to internationally co-ordinated post conflict reconstruction
under the UN (p 151). However, World Vision strongly recommends
that the Government initiate multi-lateral talks to investigate
the possibility of all post conflict reconstruction monies to
be set aside in a global fund administered by a mandated UN body.
This will ensure that the financing of reconstruction efforts
are de-linked from individual donor countries foreign policy objectives
and that the money is released at appropriate periods which acknowledge
the capacity of civil society and governments to absorb them in
the post conflict country.
Annex 1—Backhurst, J, Collen, S and Young
H. (2004) Small Voice, Big Concerns—a child rights approach
to HIV/AIDS, World Vision EU Liaison Office.
Annex 2—Corey Wright, V. (2004) The Vulnerability
of Girls to HIV/AIDS: Research in Tanzania and Zambia—Executive
Summary, World Vision.
World Vision
13 December 2004
2 See Backhurst, J, Collen, S and Young H. (2004)
Small Voice, Big Concerns-a child rights approach to HIV/AIDS,
World Vision EU Liason Office. (Annex 1.) Back
3
See Corey Wright, V. (2004) The Vulnerability of Girls to HIV/AIDS:
Research in Tanzania and Zambia-Executive Summary, World Vision.
(Annex 2.) Back
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