ENB:14:18
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WORKING GROUP I
Working Group I, chaired by Nana Amma Yeboaa (Ghana), examined Section L (girl child), Chapter III (Critical Areas of Concern), a report from the Contact Group on health, and outstanding issues from other sections during a morning session.
SECTION L (girl child): In 282(b) (minimum employment age), delegates called for defining the minimum age for child admission to employment in national legislation, in conformity with international labor standards and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Brackets were then lifted from 282(c)(i) (minimum age for admission to employment), 283(a) (safety of girls) and 283(c) (gender sensitization training). In 283(d) (protection from violence), delegates agreed to: a reference to female infanticide and prenatal sex selection; retain "safe and confidential;" add "social" and retain "medical and psychological;" and delete the reference to parental responsibility. In 285(a) (policies to help the family), Guatemala, Benin and others supported "family" but the EU and others supported "families" or "in its various forms." Delegates agreed to "the family, as described in paragraph 30." The same formulation was used in 285(b) (strengthen the family). Also in 285(b), delegates called for measures that protect, respect and promote the potential of the girl child. In 285(c) (educate parents and care givers), delegates agreed to "educate and encourage" care givers to "treat girls and boys equally."
CHAPTER III (Critical Areas of Concern): Delegates deleted the reference to respect for women's innate dignity in 43 (advancement of women) and retained the reference to "a matter of human rights and a condition for" social justice.
CONTACT GROUP I (health): Chair Mervat Tallawy introduced the final package on parental language, and noted that the Contact Group had accomplished a major breakthrough and removed all of the brackets from Section C (health). Delegates agreed to recommend the final outcome to the Main Committee.
OUTSTANDING ISSUES: In 17 (movement towards democratization), delegates adopted the Central and Eastern European nations' reformulation of the reference to their countries, which notes that transition has given rise to a variety of experiences and has been mostly peaceful, but in some countries has been hindered by armed conflict. The Group continued its work during an evening session.