It is a unanimous desire of humankind to ensure that all children, who will shoulder the future of the country and nation, grow up happily and cheerfully with no pain and misery forever and to guarantee them a bright future by providing peaceful and happy conditions of living.
In reflection of this aspiration and demand of the international society, Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted on November 20, 1989 at the 44th Session of the United Nations General Assembly with the purpose to present international legal norms concerning the fundamental rights of the child and project a solution to child-related issues.
The adoption of the Convention helped to recognize the well-being and rights of the child, once a mere universal worry, as a major international issue and to coherently establish legal basis as well as executive and supervisory bodies for its solution, thus having laid a foundation to address the issue in a far-reaching manner.
For over 30 years since, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, other relevant international organizations, and many countries around the world gained a number of results by taking legal and practical measures for abiding by and implementing the Convention. But the issue of guaranteeing the children their rights is still presenting itself as a pressing task which calls for the attention and efforts of all countries and nations, and all regional and international organizations.
Now in all parts of the world, the crying of children in the throes of severe crisis and disturbances of war would not cease, and the number of child victims of all hues of crime including child marriage, human trafficking and violence, which menace the life and rights of children, is on a rapid increase, triggering grave concern of the international society and leading to a gloomy future.
Treasuring the future is never an extract from a sentimental poem.
It is a due duty of all peoples across the world to live shamelessly with a mindset of doing a full responsibility for the coming generation – their kids who have inherited their blood and spirit – and to fully dedicate themselves for them.
The issue of guaranteeing the rights of child can, therefore, be said to be the one to be addressed by all, taking it on their shoulders morally, ethically and voluntarily for the future of their countries and nations as well as of the world, rather than to be dealt with by merely relying on the international legal norms or control.
International society should work harder to completely eliminate all sorts of evil deeds that are violating the sacred rights of the children, masters of the future, and misconducts that are turning a blind eye to the sufferings and misfortunes of the children, only seeking an immediate profit. And it should strive to provide more civilized and brighter future to the children.
A bright future can only be brought about when it is nurtured with enormous care.
(DPRK MFA - November 20, 2020)