The long-awaited briefing paper on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has now been published. The briefing paper contains much of the text of the Convention itself and excerpts from the report of the UN Child Rights Committee.
Parts of the Convention itself will be shocking to Christians, such as the idea that one purpose of education is "The development of respect for ... the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations" and the absence of any recognition that the primary purpose of education is to show the relation of the child to Almighty God. Worse still is the way in which the Convention is interpreted by UN's partisan Child Rights activists.
The paper establishes a scriptural view of the United Nations and the Convention, concluding that the latter is "of negative value" to the United Kingdom. On the issue of the duty of parents to discipline their children, the briefing paper illustrates the depth of the rebellion of the UN Committee and the UK Child Rights lobby against the precepts of God.
Christian Voice concludes that the UN Convention is so flawed, and that it is being interpreted so wildly, that the only possible course of action is to withdraw from it, and join the United States of America, which has - so far, and despite pressure from the Clintons - refused to ratify it.
Jan 1995: UN-CONVENTIONAL RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
The UN Committee of the Convention on the Rights of the Child has issued its first report on the compliance of the United Kingdom. Amongst its recommendations are:
- The God-given right of parents to discipline their children be legislated away both in the home and in private schools.
- Parents and the public be "educated" so as to "change the climate of opinion" to achieve this.
- More school sex education and for parents to be denied their right to take children out,
- Schools to educate children as to the merits of the UN Convention itself,
- An increase in single-parent benefit levels,
- Raising the age of criminal responsibility,
- "Family education which would teach "New man" type equality of roles in child-rearing,
- In Northern Ireland, teaching the Irish language in schools, "integrated education schooling," and race relations legislation.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by the UK in December 1991, and has the force of an international treaty. It takes precedence over UK law, and under its Article 4 we are obliged to pass laws to implement it. It passes the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, in every area touched by the Convention, to a committee of "10 experts ... in the field of children's rights."
The UK ministry monitoring compliance is the Department of Health. Only last May, we were told by the official who drew up the UK's own report to the Committee that, especially with the Children Act, the UK complies with the Convention. Clearly, the Committee of child rights activists disagrees, and there is no appeal against their decision. The UK has now to consider a response to the committee.
READ: Gen 11:1-9; Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13,14; 29:15,17; Psalm 2; Psalm 127; John 5:23, 2 John 7.
PRAY: For our leaders to stand firm against the UN Committee, and even for their hearts to be strengthened to find the political will to withdraw from the Convention and join the United States which has refused to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
