WHEREAS, children are our most precious resource and the Legislature recognizes our responsibility to ensure them a safe, productive future; and

WHEREAS, every child holds the key to a sustainable future for Hawaii and is worth the investment to provide services for early childhood care, learning, and their general well-being; and

WHEREAS, the principles of the Charter of the United Nations affirm that the recognition of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family are the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations, in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenants on Human Rights, has affirmed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations, in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed that each child is entitled to special care and assistance; and

WHEREAS, the family, as the fundamental unit of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities with the community; and

WHEREAS, each child, for the full and harmonious development of the child's personality, should grow up in an environment of belonging and community, with an atmosphere of aloha where happiness, love, acceptance, respect, and understanding abound; and

WHEREAS, to be fully prepared to participate as a member of society, each child needs to be raised in the spirit of the ideals of the United Nations Charter, especially in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality, and solidarity; and

WHEREAS, on November 20, 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and

WHEREAS, 192 nations have entered as signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and

WHEREAS, the preamble to the State of Hawaii Constitution proclaims that the State of Hawaii is dedicated to the fulfillment of the state motto, "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono," meaning, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"; and

WHEREAS, children are the trustees of the legacy of human culture and sustainability of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, to protect, nurture, and treasure our keiki is an underlying principle for Hawaii as a Pacific island community; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that this body urges the State of Hawaii to adopt the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body urges the President of the United States to request that Congress ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, the Governor, Attorney General, Director of Finance, Superintendent of

Education, Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Director of Public Safety, and Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Urging the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child