Norrkoping, 05/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The seminar that the Swedish Presidency organised in Norrkoping on 1 and 2 March on "Children affected by armed conflicts and forced displacement" led to Presidency conclusions stressing the need, in future, to strengthen the "children's rights" dimension in EU policies and directives, especially through the setting up of a common EU asylum and immigration policy. The Belgian State Secretary for Development, Eddy Boutmans, confirmed the intention of the future Belgian Presidency to ensure a follow-up to the initiatives of the Swedish Presidency regarding conflict prevention: thus, November's Development Council will be an opportunity to discuss cooperation in countries weakened by conflict, say the Norrkoping conclusions.
The conclusions stress the contribution provided to the seminar by four young Bosnian refugees, by Garca Machel, by the Canadian Minister of Cooperation, by Maria Minna, by Lars Loof, of Save the Children, by Carol Bellamy, Director of UNICEF, and Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, and by Commissioners for Development, Poul Nielson (for his intervention, see EUROPE of 3 March, p.5), and for Justice and Home Affairs, Antonio Vitorino. During the seminar, the latter made a point of recalling that, in its Article 24, based on the Convention of the rights of children of 1989, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights reaffirms the EU's commitment to the protection of children. Mr. Vitorino, who referred to different EU initiatives in favour of children (STOP programme against the trafficking in children for sexual purposes, DAPHNE for prevention and protection against violence, communications on combating sexual tourism and against the pornographic exploitation of children), stressed, regarding asylum, that the Commission's proposal on minimum standards in the matter comprised a series of guarantees to provide unaccompanied minors, and that the proposal on temporary protection (which he hopes will be adopted under the Swedish Presidency) provides in particular for provisions on access for the young to education and health. Children's interests lie at the heart of the draft directive on family reunification, said Vitorino, pleading, over and above legislative measures, in favour of the spread of best practices, citing the "Separated Children in Europe" programme, a joint effort by the High Commission for Refugees and Save the Children. Participants in the Norrkoping seminar came down in favour of promoting the wellbeing of children through an "open coordination process" between Member States, as suggested by the Commission. In addition, noting that efforts in favour of children are often unbalanced depending on regions, they called on the "forgotten crises" not to be neglected.