STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3702
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: H.C.R. No. 312
H.D. 1
S.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2006
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 312, H.D. 1, entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE ADOPTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS' CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to urge the United States Congress to ratify the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Hawaii Institute for Human Rights and one individual submitted testimony in support of this measure.
The United States was instrumental in composing the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights; yet, the United States has failed to ratify several principal international agreements that are designed to enhance civil and human rights worldwide. Hawaii should not sit idly by while the nation fails to ratify what this State believes to be the right course of action. Your Committee finds that Hawaii can make an initiative to adopt human rights instruments as local law.
Upon further consideration, your Committee amended this measure by:
(1) Requesting the Hawaii Institute for Human Rights to convene a working group to examine and make recommendations regarding United Nations' human rights instruments for adoption by the State of Hawaii;
(2) Requesting the working group to seek input from the public and include in its membership the Hawaii Human Rights Center and representatives from the Senate Committee on Energy, Environment and International Affairs and the House International Affairs Committee;
(3) Requesting the working group to submit a report, including recommendations for legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2007. The report should detail the United Nations' human rights instruments that the working group proposes for adoption; and
(4) Adding substantive background provisions that are consistent with the revised purpose of the measure.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 312, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 312, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs,
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____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair |
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