A/RES/63/241 commemorative high-level plenary meeting devoted to the follow-up to the outcome of the special session on children, held in New York on 11 to 13 December 2007, 12 1F Recognizing the link between an improved situation for children and achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, in particular those related to education, poverty eradication, gender equality, reduction of child mortality and global partnership for development, and welcoming in this context the outcomes of the high-level event on the Millennium Development Goals, held in New York on 25 September 2008, Recognizing also the importance of the integration of child rights issues into the follow-up of the outcome documents of all major United Nations conferences, special sessions and summits, Taking note with appreciation of the reports of the Secretary-General on progress made towards achieving the commitments set out in the outcome document of the twenty-seventh special session of the General Assembly 13 and on the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the issues raised in Assembly resolution 62/141, 14 as well as the report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, 15 12F 13F 14F Recognizing the importance of incorporating a child-protection perspective across the human rights agenda, as highlighted in the 2005 World Summit Outcome, 16 15F Welcoming the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 17 and the attention paid to children in this international instrument, 16F Noting with appreciation the attention paid to children in the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, 18 and stressing the importance of its entry into force, 17F Noting with appreciation also the attention paid to children in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 19 18F Profoundly concerned that the situation of children in many parts of the world remains critical, in an increasingly globalized environment, as a result of the persistence of poverty, social inequality, inadequate social and economic conditions, pandemics, in particular HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, environmental damage, natural disasters, armed conflict, foreign occupation, displacement, violence, terrorism, abuse, trafficking in children and their organs, all forms of exploitation, commercial sexual exploitation of children, child prostitution, child pornography and child sex tourism, neglect, illiteracy, hunger, intolerance, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, gender inequality, disability and inadequate legal protection, and convinced that urgent and effective national and international action is called for, _______________ 12 See resolution 62/88. A/63/308. 14 A/63/160. 15 Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-third Session, Supplement No. 41 (A/63/41). 16 See resolution 60/1, para. 128. 17 Resolution 61/106, annex I. 18 Resolution 61/177, annex. 19 Resolution 61/295, annex. 13 2