New York, NY, Oct. 15 – On October 14, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, spoke in defense of children in the world. Admitting the imperfection of all international legal instruments, he called for “all States that have not yet done so to join in promoting the legal protection of children and young adolescents by ratifying or acceding to the Optional Protocols [to the Convention on the Rights of the Child] and... for a correct application of these legal instruments which entails respect for the inherent right to life of all children”. The Optional Protocols, adopted in 2000, concern the involvement of children in armed conflict as well as the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.