Staatssecretaris Van Rijn prijst winnares Kindervredesprijs

Toespraak | 06-09-2013

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, dear Malala,

On behalf of the Dutch Government I would like to welcome you to the award ceremony of the International Children’s Peace Prize. A prestigious award such as the Children’s Peace Prize can only be presented in a prestigious location.

We therefore find ourselves in one of the most important buildings in the Netherlands: the Ridderzaal, or Hall of Knights. It is here that the Head of State officially opens parliament each year.

For over a century, that has entailed the reading of the Queen’s Speech. This year, for the first time in living memory, we shall hear the King’s Speech as we welcome our new monarch, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. But today the Ridderzaal provides a fitting backdrop as we honour another very important guest, Malala Yousafzai.

Dear Malala, you received a very unusual sixteenth birthday present: the opportunity to address UN dignitaries, world leaders and some five hundred young guests, perhaps the world leaders of tomorrow.

You reminded them of the wise words, “the pen is mightier than the sword.” How very true. And you built upon this idea to make your rallying call, “So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.”  A shiver ran up my spine when I realized that a child, a young girl of just sixteen, had single-handedly taken on those who are trying to perpetuate the oppression of women.

Malala has dealt a mighty blow to the Taliban extremists. She survived their attack. And thanks to her, the entire world now knows about the injustice of denying education to girls and women. Everyone knows who Malala Yousafzai is and what she stands for.

Thanks to this very brave young lady, and to the previous winners of the Children’s Peace Price, millions of young people have been given new hope. Hope of a future; hope of a fruitful life as a full member of a society in which no child is ever excluded.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Every child has the right to be a child, to enjoy a childhood. And being a child brings – or should bring – many other rights, as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. But children cannot and must not be expected to stand up for those rights alone.

Unfortunately, the reality is different. Children throughout the world are still being denied their rights. Even as I speak, there are over 120 million children, the majority of them girls, with no access to even the most basic education. Some 25 million children are working, often as forced labour under absolutely pitiful circumstances.

Every year, there are 11 million deaths among children under 5. At least two million of those deaths could be avoided through simple vaccination programmes. I could go on.

In short, there are many improvements to be made before children and young people can claim their just entitlement under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Almost every country in the world – 193 nations to be precise – have ratified and signed that convention. The Netherlands did so on 8 March 1995, since when we have made even greater efforts to ensure that child rights, as described and conferred by the convention, are firmly embedded in every aspect of national legislation.

We are about to present our fourth national report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. In response to our previous report, the committee stated that it has set the bar extremely high for the Netherlands. We are expected to provide an example and a role model for other countries to emulate.

As the person responsible for coordinating the national efforts in this field, I find that very encouraging. It is a challenge to which we shall gladly rise. I hope that the Committee will continue to judge us against the very highest standards, and I am quietly confident that we shall not be found wanting.

Far more important, however, is that we continue to apply those standards even without outside scrutiny. They must be reflected in every piece of legislation, in all our policies, and in our every action.

Upholding the rights of the child is not something that can be ticked off the ‘to-do’ list. It is an ongoing process. We must work to maintain – and hopefully improve the situation where possible – day in and day out.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear Malala,

I sincerely hope that the international Children’s Peace Prize will draw attention to the right to education for all young people, regardless of nationality, background and gender. Girls and women must have equal access to education. They must be able to study and learn in safety so that they can achieve their full potential as self-assured, confident and empowered individuals.

Dear Malala, there are so many girls and women who continue to live in oppression, and who are still denied the basic right to education. I hope that your life will show the world that this situation can and will change.

 0-0-0