Council Press Release No. 18- LWF Council Adopts Resolution on Protection of Children´s Rights
LWF Council Meeting, Wittenberg, Germany, 10-17 September 2002
Churches, LWF Field Programs Urged to Address Female Genital Mutilation
WITTENBERG, Germany/GENEVA, 17 September 2002 (LWI) – The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) adopted a resolution on the protection of children’s rights that endorsed the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children and the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Receiving the report of the Standing Committee for International Affairs and Human Rights, September 17, the Council asked the LWF General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, to work with Lutheran churches in reflecting the priorities of the UN special session - promoting healthy lives and quality education, combating HIV/AIDS and protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence - and in “interpreting the Convention of the Rights of the Child from a theological and ethical perspective.” The Council called upon the two remaining governments that have not ratified the Convention (the United States of America and Somalia) to do so.
Female Genital Mutilation
In light of the findings of an LWF mission to Mauritania in January 2002 to examine the issue of female genital mutilation, the Council asked the General Secretary, LWF member churches, ecumenical partners and related agencies to take active measures to address the issue of female genital mutilation in all affected countries. The Council called for awareness raising and education in relation to relevant health and human rights issues. Appreciation was made for Council’s action on this issue, and emphasis was also made on the need to provide alternatives including income-generating and ritual-substituting activities for traditional practitioners of circumcision.
Discrimination Based on Caste
The Council also affirmed that discrimination based on caste and similar forms of social hierarchy is a denial of the God-given dignity of every human being and a violation of human rights. The LWF governing body regretted the failure of the international community to acknowledge this issue in the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa. It declared its appreciation and support for the initiative by the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India in proposing Dalit liberation as a new agenda for the mission of the church in India. The Council welcomed plans for an international conference on this issue to be held in India in February 2003.
Civilian Protection in Conflict Situations
The Council affirmed the principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to protect civilians in time of war. The LWF resolution noted “the increasing extent to which these principles are being disregarded and civilians attacked by parties to armed conflict,” and asked the federation, its field programs and its member churches to advocate for enforcement of IHL at times of international and domestic conflict.
The LWF Council welcomed the International Criminal Court, which was instituted this year. It called the court “an important institution for the enforcement of international humanitarian and human rights law,” deploring any action that may undermine its jurisdiction.
Appeal for Further Diplomatic Means to Reduce Tensions between Iraq and Other Nations
The Council asked the General Secretary to urge the government of Iraq to comply fully and without delay with the relevant UN resolutions and to work with U.S. churches to appeal to the U.S. government and other governments to refrain from considering intensified military action against Iraq. The Council resolution was passed before Iraq’s September 17 announcement that it would allow nuclear weapons’ inspectors into the country. Under this resolution, the Council called on “LWF member churches and all people of good will to pray for peace, to promote mutual understanding and global solidarity with a view toward restoring a sense of security to all of humanity.” It also appealed to “the international community to continue to seek further diplomatic means of reducing the tensions between Iraq and other nations.”
If you want to edit this article yourself and adapt it to a given format, follow our editing information
