VIENNA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on Nov. 20, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger called for an effective protection of children on Thursday.

    "UNCRC has contributed significantly to improve the global children's rights since its adoption 20 years ago," and which also has given Austria important impulses to enshrine children's rightsin its Constitution, said Spindelegger in a press release by Austrian Foreign Ministry.

    He stressed that children are the vulnerable members of the society and therefore particularly needed to be protected against violence and exploitation. "Children's rights are universal and must be respected," he said.

    He pointed out that, the compliance of the global commitment tochildren's rights remains an import pillar of Austrian foreign policy. "Austria commits itself in many ways: through bilateral contacts, in the framework of the EU, Council of Europe or the UN," he said.

    Austria uses its membership in the UN Security Council specifically to strengthen children's rights at the international level. "Austria has involved itself in summer for the adoption of a resolution to provide concrete measures for better protection of children in armed conflicts," he said.