CM/Res.1599 (LXII)
Page 1
RESOLUTION ON SUSTAINING THE MID-DECADE GOALS, AND LAYING THE BASIS FOR THE END-DECADE GOALS FOR CHILD
SURVIVAL, PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Sixty-Second Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21 to 23 June, 1995,
Having considered the Report of the Secretary-General on progress made towards the achievement of the mid-decade goals for Child Survival and Development – Doc. CM/1897 (LXII),
Recalling Resolution CM/Res. 1350 (LIV) on the Implementation of the African Decade for Child Survival, Protection and Development,
Recalling further Resolutions CM/Res.1408 (LV); CM/Res.1464 (LVIII); CM/Res.1532 (LX) and CM/Res.1533 (LX) on Assistance to African Children (ICAAC) and setting-up mechanism for the achievement of the Mid-Decade goals emanating from the Consensus of Dakar and the Goals set for the Year 2000 emanating from the World Declaration on Child Survival, Protection and Development in the 1990s,
Mindful of Resolution CM/Res.1468 (LVIII) on the Pan-African Conference on Girl’s Education as well as the principles of heath sector reform of the Bamako Initiative and the significant progress made in increasing sustained coverage and quality of affordable minimum health care packages through accelerated health system revitalization,
Guided by the Tunis Declaration adopted by the Conference on the follow-up of the Decade Goals for the Child held in Tunis, 11 to 13 January, 1995 ,
Considering the provisions of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the World Summit Plan of Action as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Consensus reached during the Conference on Assistance to African Children in Dakar and the ensuing Plan of Action;
Recognizing the praiseworthy efforts made by Member States to launce and implement National Plans of Action in the Context of the Africa Decade for the Survival, Protection and Development of Children, as well as the results obtained by a number of Member States for the well-being of children,
Aware of the recent great progress made by Member States in developing legislation and social mobilization programmes for universal salt iodination,
Recognizing and commending the dramatic achievements made towards the eradication of dracunculiasis on the continent;
Noting with extreme concern that the condition of children in a number of Member States remains critical due to socio-economic factors, environmental degradation, armed conflicts, and to various forms of neglect, violence and exploitation, as well as demographic growth and the scourge of AIDS:
REAFFIRMS ITS SUPPORT to the principles set out in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in the Consensus of Dakar;
COMMENDS to Member States and their development partners the 20/20 concept, as endorsed by the World Summit for Social Development, calling for a mutual commitment between interested developed and developing country partners to allocated on the average 20% of ODA and 20% of the national budget, respectively to basic social programmes;
REITERATES the need for all African Member States to mobilize maximum resources in social terms to include in their development plans and budgets the objectives contained in the Decade for the Survival, Protection and Development of Children;
INVITES all Member States to strengthen strategies for social mobilization to enable means of information to play in more effective role in awareness raising campaign, and achieving individual, household and community behavioural change, for the implementation of objectives to help children notably those related to health and education;
EMPHASIZES the necessity for all Member States to intensify their mutual cooperation programmes and carry out, in close collaboration with the OAU and the specialized institutions and competent bodies of the United Nations, campaign of information exchange and exhaustive analysis of plans and actions undertaken by the various countries to realize the Decade’s Objectives;
EXHORTS Member States to adopt and adapt the principles of health sector reform contained in the Bamako Initiative, taking into account lessons learned in its implementation; to increase government financial contribution, and strengthen national capacity for health sector reform, including decentralization, community partnership and increased expenditure on the delivery of cost-effective minimum health packages;
LAUNCHES on appeal for the creation of a climate of peace, stability ad democracy as a condition to achieving the objectives of Survival, Protection and Development of African Children;
URGES Member States to enact, in the shortest time possible, legislation to ensure the iodination of all salt for human and animal consumption, and to establish enforcement and monitoring mechanisms;
CALLS FURTHER for the establishment of an OAU/UNICEF permanent coordination and follow-up mechanism within the OAU facilitate the full attainment of Children’s Rights to Survival, Protection and Development;
APPROVES the Tunis Declaration on the Follow-up of the Mid-decade Goals for the Child as adopted by the Conference on the Follow-up of the objectives of the Decade for the Child in Tunis from 11 to 13 January, 1995;
RECOMMENDS the institutionalization of an OAU biennial conference similar to the Tunis African Conference on the follow-up of the Mid-Decade Goals for the Child and the convening of such a Conference in order to further:
assess the results obtained in this area;
analyze the obstacles encountered by the Member States and
define means that can guarantee the full attainment of the goals for the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in Africa;
REQUESTS all Member States to report in 1996 on the status of achievement of the Mid-Decade Goals (MDGs) using international parameters and taking into account the fact that 1995 is the year for the realization of these goals;
APPEALS to the International community, the UN institutions concerned and to international governmental and non-governmental organizations for greater general mobilization of resources to achieve the Decade’s goals within the framework of the promotion of genuine partnership to improve the international economic environment and guarantee meaningful development for African children;
STRESSES the vital need for all Member States to put into effect the provisions set out in the Tunis OAU Summit on AIDS and the African child;
APPEALS ALSO to Member States which have not yet done so, to ratify the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, in order to promote full implementation of its provisions;
REQUESTS the Secretary-General of the OAU to continue to closely monitor and report on the implementation of this resolution to the Sixty-Third Ordinary Session of Council.