Off the wire
• 2nd LD Writethru: China, U.S. to exchange negative lists of investment treaty talks  • U.S. condemns deadly attack near American consulate in Iraq's Arbil  • Napoli eye Cruzeiro midfielder Mayke  • Bolt not thinking about rivals ahead of Rio 2016  • 2nd Ld Writethru: G20 remain "deeply disappointed" with continued delay in IMF quota reform  • 1st Ld: China's Zhou says IMF members frustrated with quota reform delay  • 1st LD: China, U.S. to exchange negative lists of investment treaty talks  • Roundup: U.S. stocks tumble on inflation data, Greece concerns  • Roundup: Canadian stock market extends loss amid inflation, retail data  • Portuguese soccer league standings  
You are here: 　 Home

UNICEF urges Australia, Cambodia to protect rights of child refugees in Nauru

Xinhua, April 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN Children's Fund ( UNICEF) on Friday raised concerns regarding reported decisions by the governments of Australia and Cambodia to start transferring refugees currently in an Australian-funded processing center in Nauru to Cambodia for settlement.

"According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Australia and Cambodia are both parties, the rights of children are paramount and must be guaranteed in every situation," Daniel Toole, UNICEF's East Asia and Pacific regional director said in a statement released Friday.

"Article 3 of the (Convention) obliges States to ensure that in all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child are a primary consideration," the statement said, recalling that all governments have a responsibility to protect children's rights in every circumstance.

A group of refugees in Nauru is expected to be flown to Cambodia as early as next week as part of a controversial re- settlement deal.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported up to 10 people are believed to have agreed to abandon their hopes of living in Australia and make the journey to Phnom Penh. It is unclear how many refugees have accepted the offer.

The special needs and rights of children and the additional risks they face must be assessed and properly addressed in any action governments take, as an essential part of the planning and the implementation of that action, the statement stressed.

"Governments that take actions that can reasonably be expected to increase the risks children face must accept a special responsibility for the safeguarding of their rights," the statement said. "No government policy or action should knowingly put children's lives or their well-being at increased risk."

UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in all its work. It works with partners in 190 countries and territories to translate the commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of children all over the world. Endite