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Home , Carol Bellamy, Children of the World, Emma Bonino, Kofi Annan, UNICEF

From “The State of the From children 2002 The State of the World’s Children World’s Children 2002” around the world

“Can there be a more sacred duty than our obliga- “We want a world where there is no tion to protect the rights of a as vigilantly as between boys and girls, between the able and the we protect the rights of every other person? Can disabled, between the rich and the poor. We want a there be a greater test of leadership than the task healthy, safe and clean environment suitable for all. of ensuring these freedoms for every child, in every And we want a decent education and opportunities country, without exception?” for play, instead of having to work.” – Kofi A. Annan – The Change Makers -General, representing children from eight countries in

“Ensuring the rights and well-being of children is “… but I am also confident that everybody will the key to sustained development in a country and contribute to this change, and that we will all live to peace and security in the world. Meeting this one day in a country with better opportunities for responsibility, fully, consistently and at any cost, is social and economic progress.” the essence of leadership. Heads of State and – El Salvador Government hold the lion’s share of this responsibil- ity but commitment and action are also called for “But when the government officials come to listen across the board: from community activists and to us, they do most of the talking and don’t let us entrepreneurs, from artists and scientists, from speak enough. They should listen more and let us religious leaders and journalists – and from children ask difficult questions.” and adolescents themselves.” LEADERSHIP – Ethiopia “– Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund “Maybe they [] want to listen and under- stand me, but they react so quickly to whatever I The State of the World’s Children 2002 “The future of our children lies in leadership and say that I decide to give up and next time not even the choices leaders make." start. So I tend to tell my problems to my friends, – Graça Machel and but they don’t have the experience to guide me.” The Global Movement for Children – Islamic Republic of Iran LEADERSHIP “We must move children to the centre of the world’s “I like to live, and with all the problems in my life I agenda. We must rewrite strategies to reduce pover- look forward to another new year.” ty so that investments in children are given priority.” – – Nelson Mandela Former President of South

$12.95 in USA £7.95 net in UK ISBN: 92-806-3667-7 ”Sales no.:E.02.xx.1 THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 This report has been prepared with the help of many people and organizations, including the following UNICEF field offices and National Committees for UNICEF: , Australia, Austria, Brazil, , Cambodia, , Chile, , Comoros, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, , Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Germany, , Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, , , Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liberia, , Maldives, , Mexico, Mongolia, , Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, , Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, , the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, , Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, West Bank and Gaza, Yugoslavia, Zambia, .

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) © The Library of Congress has catalogued this serial publication as follows: Permission to reproduce any part of this The state of the world’s children 2002 publication is required. Please contact the Editorial and Publications Section, Division of UNICEF, UNICEF House, 3 UN Plaza, Communication, UNICEF NY (3 UN Plaza, NY, NY New York, NY 10017, USA. 10017 USA, Tel: 212-326-7513, Fax: 212-303-7985, E-mail: pubdoc@.org). Permission will be E-mail: [email protected] freely granted to educational or non-profit Website: www.unicef.org organizations. Others will be requested to pay a small fee. UNICEF, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 10, ISBN 92-806-3667-7 Cover photo: UNICEF/92-1291/Lemoyne THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002

Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund Contents

Foreword by Kofi A. Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations ...... 6

The State of the World’s Children 2002: Leadership By Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund Governments, as well as international institutions, must be held accountable for their lead- ership in putting the rights and well-being of children above all other concerns. And those that fail to do so must also be held accountable. Ensuring the rights and well-being of children is the key to sustained development in a country and to peace and security in the world. Meeting this responsibility, fully, consistently and at any cost, is the essence of leadership. Heads of State and Government hold the lion’s share of this responsibility but commitment and action are also called for across the board: from community activists and entrepreneurs, from artists and scientists, from religious lead- ers and journalists – and from children and adolescents themselves. I. Birth and broken promises: There was high excitement in the village, the kind of ...... 9 joy and optimism that only a new baby can bring. Ayodele was a beautiful baby, full of limitless potential, her whole life before her. For this moment, as should be the case at the birth of any child, everyone set aside their fears and doubts about the future, their anxieties about health and growing enough food. They congratulated the baby’s parents and contemplated the resurgent hope that new life always brings. At the same time, on the other side of the Atlantic, there was a birth of a different kind, one to which great hope was also attached. An unprecedented number of country presidents and national leaders gathered in New York for the World Summit for Children. It was September 1990, a time of unusual optimism in the world. II. “To change the world with children:” Since the earliest days of its existence, ....33 UNICEF has called the world’s attention to the situation of children – to the many of them bruised by the operation of national societies and the global economy, to the ways in which they have suffered because of their parents’ , to how their health has suffered through lack of food or immunization and their mental development through poor health, abuse and neglect and lack of education – and has taken action to offset the damage. III. Actions that can change the world: Unquestionably, countries with the most ....51 power in the global economy need to show leadership in the pursuit of child rights. But developing countries’ disadvantage does not exempt their governments from the need to demonstrate leadership on behalf of children. The rights of children are indivisible and paramount. No society should be satisfied until the rights of all are guaranteed and respected. Investing in children is, quite simply, the best investment a government can make. No country has made the leap into meaningful and sustained development without investing significantly in its children.

Statistical panels 1. GOAL 1: Reduce infant and under-5 ...... 10 2. GOAL 2: Reduce ...... 12 3. GOAL 3: Reduce severe and moderate under-5 ...... 16 4. GOALS 4&5:Universal access to safe and sanitary means of excreta disposal .... 18 5. GOAL 6: Universal access to basic education...... 22 6. GOAL 7: Improved protection of children...... 24

4 CONTENTS Voices of Young People 1. ON CHANGING THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN ...... 30 2. ON HIV/AIDS ...... 40 3. ON CONFLICT ...... 42 4. ON DISCRIMINATION ...... 52 5. ON POVERTY AND EDUCATION ...... 72

Panels 1. IMMUNIZATION PLUS… ...... 14 2. TOSTAN: A BREAKTHROUGH MOVEMENT...... 20 3. CHILDREN OF LIBERIA: DETERMINED TO CHANGE DESTINY ...... 28 4. EDUCATE EVERY CHILD: THE DREAMS OF NAGALAND ...... 34 5. PYALARA: YOUNG PALESTINIAN LEADERS ...... 36 6. CHILDREN’S OPINION POLLS ...... 38 7. GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR CHILDREN: A ROLE FOR EVERYONE ...... 44 8. GIVING CHILDREN THE BEST POSSIBLE START: BETTER PARENTING IN JORDAN ...... 54 9. IN MALAWI: FIGHTING HIV/AIDS FROM THE CLASSROOM ...... 56 10. TEXTBOOKS BY DONKEY: EDUCATING GIRLS IN BADAKHSHA¯N ...... 58 11. THE ANONYMOUS TEACHER ...... 60 12. THE INVOLVEMENT OF CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT: OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTSOFTHECHILD...... 62 13. THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY: OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTSOFTHECHILD ...... 64 14. CHRONICLE OF A DISASTER FORETOLD ...... 66 15. IN EAST TIMOR: LEADERSHIP TO BUILD AN INDEPENDENT NATION ...... 68

Text figures 1. UNDER-INVESTMENT IN BASIC ...... 53 2. OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AS A PERCENTAGE OF DONOR NATION GNP, 2000...... 65

Maps ...... 77 Pictorial representations of findings from end-decade reviews in more than 130 countries that assessed the implementation of the 1990 World Summit for Children goals. The selected indices capture both gains and future challenges for the well-being of children.

Balance Sheets...... 85 A summary of the goals, gains and unfinished business of the 1990-2000 decade as included in the Report of the Secretary-General, “We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children.”

Regional Consultations...... 91 Excerpts from the regional high level meetings that were held in 2000-2001 in preparation for the Special Session on Children.

References ...... 74

Index...... 99

Glossary ...... 103

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 5 Foreword

ike millions of people around the world, I have signed on to the ‘Say Yes for Children’ campaign, which proclaims that “all children should be free to grow in health, peace and L dignity.” Can there be a more sacred duty than our obligation to protect the rights of a child as vigilantly as we protect the rights of any other person? Can there be a greater test of leadership than the task of ensuring these freedoms for every child, in every country, without exception?

At the United Nations General Assembly’s Special Session on Children this September, the international community will take up this challenge as it reviews the progress that has been made since the 1990 World Summit for Children. Ten years have yielded mixed results. Three million fewer children under five now die each year, due in large part to immunization programmes and the dedicated efforts of families and communities. In developing countries, 28 million fewer children under five suffer the debilitating effects of malnutrition. More than 175 countries are -free, and 104 have eliminated neonatal tetanus. Yet despite these gains, more than 10 million children still die from mostly preventable diseases, some 600 million children still live in poverty, and more than 100 million – the majority of them girls – are not in school.

Of all the lessons learned in the past decade, the critical role of leadership is perhaps the most important one to take with us into the new century. Leadership is an imperative if we are to improve the lives of children, their families and their communities. We must put the best interests of children at the heart of all political and business decision-making, and at the centre of our day-to-day behaviour and activities.

This issue of UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children is thus most timely. It calls for leadership from all continents and all sectors of society. It illustrates the many and varied ways that people have shown their commitment to children’s . And it emphasizes the need to give children the best possible start in life, to ensure that every child completes a basic education, and to involve children – adolescents in particular – in the decisions that affect their lives.

These are no doubt ambitious goals, especially given the persistence of poverty, inequality and conflict, and the ravages of HIV/AIDS and other preventable diseases. No single government or organization can hope to achieve them on its own. But together we can build a world fit for children, if each of us does our part and takes the well-being of children as our own responsibility. The Special Session must galvanize our collective efforts. This report is intended as a contribution to that essential work and merits the widest possible readership.

Kofi A. Annan Secretary-General of the United Nations

6 FOREWORD Leadership UNICEF/00-0513/Hernandez-Claire/Mexico

Children’s elections in Mexico

7

I Birth and broken promises

here was high excitement in the village, the kind of joy and optimism that only a new baby can bring. T Ayodele was a beautiful baby, full of limitless potential, her whole life before her. For this moment, as should be the case at the birth of any child, everyone set aside their fears and doubts about the future, their anxieties about family health and growing enough food. They congratulated the baby’s parents and contemplated the resurgent hope that new life always brings.1

At the same time, on the other side of the Atlantic, there was a birth of a different kind, one to which great hope was also attached. An unprecedented number of country presidents and national leaders gathered in New York for the World Summit for Children. It was September 1990, a time of unusual optimism in the world.

Schoolchildren in Zimbabwe

UNICEF/Harare and UNICEF/Harare Ziana/Zimbabwe THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 9 World Summit for Children Goal 1 For children and development in the 1990s UNICEF/00-0411/Balaguer Reduce Trend 14% reduction with 3 million fewer child deaths infant and 1990 U5MR 94 per 1,000 live births under-5 2000 U5MR 81 per 1,000 live births mortality 2010 goal Further 33% reduction Comments 63 countries achieved the goal of a 33% reduction and in over rate (U5MR) 100 countries deaths in children under 5 were cut by 20%. by 33% U5MR 200 180 change 172 1990 over period 2000 150 1990-2000 135

101 100 94 81 76 62 57 53 50 44 38 40 34

9 6

U5MR (deaths per 1,000 live births) per 1,000 live U5MR (deaths 0 Sub-Saharan South Asia Middle East East Asia Latin CEE/CIS Industrialized World Africa and North and Pacific America and and Baltic countries Africa Caribbean States

Sources: United Nations, Report Immunization 100 of the Secretary- Sub-Saharan Africa 90 General, ‘We the 1980-1999, South Asia Children: End-decade DPT3 East Asia and Pacific 80 76% review of the follow-up 74% 75% 75% 74% Latin America and Caribbean 73% 72% to the World Summit for coverage 70% 70% 70% 71% 70 66% Children’, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New 60 59% York, 4 May 2001; 51% 52% United Nations, 50 46%

Preparatory Committee cent Per 42% for the Special Session 40 37% 36% 34% of the General Assembly on Children, 30 ‘A world fit for children’. Revised draft outcome 20 document A/AC-256/ 10 CRP.6/Rev. 3, United Nations, New York, 0 June 2001. 1980 1985 1990 1995 1999

10 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES The child-health revolution, begun pounded for the nightly meal. This decades earlier, was in full swing dur- job is far from being her first of the ing the 1980s as a worldwide immu- day: She has already collected four Leaders on nization drive saved millions of young large bowls full of water, which she behalf of lives. The cold war was over and there has carried back to her family’s com- was widespread expectation that money pound on her head; she has helped in children that had been spent on arms could now the fields, cleaned the house and has be devoted to human development in looked after her younger brothers Carlos Arévalo, a Peruvian a ‘peace dividend’. The World Summit and sisters. Yes, she would like to go national police colonel, for Children seemed in itself a sign to school, but it is very expensive to founded COLIBRI, an NGO that the world had moved into a new buy the books and, besides, her fam- that works with abandoned and brighter phase in which its policy ily needs her at home. children and adolescents makers and politicians could gather to Ayodele’s life provides one small living on the streets, consider how to guarantee children a piece in the jigsaw of evidence that helping them continue better life rather than to deal with the shows that the most optimistic assess- their education. implications of superpower rivalry. ments both in her own village and in The World Summit reflected the New York at the time of her birth have world’s hopes for children. Leaders not been realized. While she survived promised to ratify the Convention on her first five years of life, two of her the Rights of the Child, which had siblings born since the World Summit been unanimously approved by the did not, dying from childhood dis- United Nations General Assembly just eases against which they could have the year before. They signed on to been immunized or which were easily ambitious goals to reduce child mor- treated. Ayodele’s learning potential tality, increase immunization coverage, was far from realized. Schools are not deliver basic education and a whole the only place in which learning oc- raft of other measures by the year curs, and she has grasped, by precept 2000. There was hope that the com- and example, many of the important bination of a specific legal framework skills she will need to negotiate life in together with an action plan with the village and beyond. But she cannot time-tied, concrete goals would trans- read or deal with any but the most basic form children’s lives worldwide over ideas of number; she has no knowledge the decade to come. Children’s sur- of the world beyond her local town; vival, development, protection and and she has no of her own rights. education were no longer matters of charitable concern but of legal oblig- Children of the 1990s ation. The Declaration to which the world’s leaders signed their name was One child cannot stand for the whole bold and unequivocal: “The well-being world, but the picture for the human of children requires political action at family in its entirety, while it has the highest level.” The cause of chil- some bright spots that were a lot dren, for perhaps the first time in darker back in 1990, reflects a largely human history, was at the top of the unfulfilled promise to children like world’s agenda. Ayodele. The group of children born at the start of the last decade of the Eleven years on 20th century was the largest genera- tion of children the world has ever Ayodele is now 10 years old, going on known. If all those born at the time 11 – and, though she does not know of the World Summit were reduced it, she has been let down. Her life is proportionately to a cohort of 100 much the same as it would have been children, what would they look like? – for a girl of her age in 1990. She is and what would their experience in hard at work. The grain needs to be the last 10 years have been?

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 11 World Summit for Children Goal 2 For children and development in the 1990s UNICEF/97-1012/Donnay

Trend No change – 515,000 women die every year as a result of Reduce pregnancy and childbirth maternal 1990 NA mortality 2000 400 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births ratio 2010 goal 33% reduction by 50% Comments There has been a small increase in the percentage of births that are attended by skilled personnel in some 53 countries where maternal mortality is generally less severe. But, other than this limited change in a single proxy measure, no other changes in global maternal mortality ratios have been shown.

Risking death Lifetime chance of dying to give life Region in pregnancy or childbirth* Sub-Saharan Africa 1 in 13 South Asia 1 in 54 Middle East/North Africa 1 in 55 Latin America/Caribbean 1 in 157 East Asia/Pacific 1 in 283 CEE/CIS and Baltic States 1 in 797

* Affected not only Least developed countries 1 in 16 by maternal mortality Developing countries 1 in 61 rates but also by Industrialized countries 1 in 4,085 the number of births World 1 in 75 per . Sources: United Nations, Report of the Secretary- Skilled South Asia 29 General, ‘We the Children: End-decade attendants Sub-Saharan Africa 37 review of the follow-up at delivery, to the World Summit for Children’, A/S-27/3, 1995-2000 East Asia and Pacific 66 United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001; Middle East and North Africa 69 United Nations, Preparatory Committee Latin America and the Caribbean 83 for the Special Session of the General CEE/CIS and Baltic States 94 Assembly on Children, ‘A world fit for children’, Revised draft outcome Developing countries 52 document A/AC-256/ CRP.6/Rev. 3, United World 56 Nations, New York, June 2001. 0 20406080100 Per cent

12 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES Of the 100 children, 55 would have cant improvement, which means been born in Asia, including 19 in that 3 million more children a year India and 18 in China. Eight would are now surviving beyond their fifth Leaders on have come from Latin America and the birthday than was the case a decade behalf of Caribbean, seven from the Middle ago. More than 60 countries actually East and North Africa, 16 from sub- achieved the one-third reduction, in- children Saharan Africa, six from CEE/CIS and cluding most countries in the Euro- Baltic States and eight from industri- pean Union and North Africa and Henita Asinsaun is only 15 alized countries. many others in East Asia, Oceania, years old, but she’s already The births of 33 of these children the Americas and the Middle East (see a veteran in organizing and went unregistered: As a result they have Goal 1). activism: In her home town no official existence, no recognition of But, the global picture conceals a of Malaian Bobonaro, East nationality. Some of them have no massive disparity in achievements be- Timor, she trains women in access to health facilities or to school tween regions and nations. Some rich how to run meetings, orga- without this official proof of their age countries did not achieve the goal nize a budget and set and and identity. while some very poor countries man- achieve their goals. Around 32 of the children suffered aged, by dint of huge effort and effec- from malnutrition before the age of five tive policies, to reach it. The tragedy of and 27 were not immunized against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa in any diseases. Nine died before the age particular not only sent some coun- of five. Of the remaining 91 children, tries’ child-mortality rates soaring after 18 do not attend school, of whom 11 decades of improvement but also acted are girls. Eighteen of the children have as a drag upon the global figure. no access to safe drinking water and In the case of one of the major 39 live without . causes of , diarrhoea, The difference between the life the world actually achieved its goal experiences and living conditions of of slashing death rates in half. The these 100 children and a comparable goal set in relation to was cohort of 11-year-olds in 1990 is not even more ambitious: a 95 per cent anything as great as the international reduction in the number of deaths community would have wished when from measles and a 90 per cent reduc- it began its undertakings a decade tion in measles cases by 1995. Over ago. Eleven years on from the World the whole decade, measles cases have Summit, world leaders are again to declined by nearly two thirds, still a gather in New York to consider the remarkable achievement. The target state of the world’s children, looking for neonatal tetanus was also ap- back over the years since the fine propriately bold: to eliminate it com- words of the Declaration were ex- pletely by 1995. At the latest count, pressed and since key, specific goals 104 of 161 developing countries have were set to improve children’s lives. achieved that goal – and 90 per cent The data presented to them will show of all remaining neonatal tetanus is that the progress has been patchy, in just 27 countries. the record a mixture of conspicuous Polio was slated for complete erad- achievement and dispiriting failure. ication by 2000. Again, the progress has been extraordinary without the Meeting the goals – and goal quite being reached. More than falling short 175 countries have been certified polio-free, and the world now looks The first goal of the World Summit to be on target, provided the com- was to reduce the rates of infant and mitment remains there, to eradicate under-five mortality by one third polio by 2005 at the latest. At that between 1990 and 2000. Overall the point it will become the second dis- reduction was 14 per cent – a signifi- ease, after smallpox, to be completely

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 13 PANEL 1 Immunization plus. . .

ecilia Soriano, 42, lives with her husband and eight children in a Cshanty in Manila. Since she was pregnant with her daughter, Katherine, who is now five, Cecilia has been troubled by night-blindness. Initially, she thought her vision problems were a routine part of being pregnant. Then, after her baby was born, she thought she was just getting old. But when Katherine began coming home covered with scrapes, scratches and bumps on her forehead after playing out- side at dusk and frequently complaining about her eyes, Cecilia became alarmed. She sought the help of Nenita Ito, a com- munity health worker, who encouraged

Cecilia to go to the centre. UNICEF/Philippines/J.R. Fortin The doctor diagnosed both Cecilia and Katherine as having night-blindness due to A deficiency (VAD). indigenous groups in the Sarangani lar immunizations from dying before they Affecting about 100 million young Islands, to urge mothers to take their are five years old, and the gap is growing children worldwide, deficiency children to the health centre. Eighty-five between these children and those in is the leading cause of blindness in chil- per cent of the target population received the industrialized world who have such dren in developing countries. Even mild de- a second dose of vitamin A in 2000. But life-savers readily available. ficiencies can compromise a young child’s despite these campaigns against VAD, it Committed to closing this gap, the immune system, reducing resistance to still remains a major threat to the lives of Global Alliance for and Immuni- such child-killer diseases as measles, Filipino children, in particular to those zation (GAVI) was formed in 1999 with malaria and diarrhoea. Children with who are the most impoverished. the goal of reaching the 30 million to 40 vitamin A deficiencies face a 25 per cent Reducing vitamin A deficiency by hav- million children in developing countries greater risk of dying from childhood ill- ing at least two rounds of vitamin A sup- who are not immunized. The GAVI part- nesses than those with an adequate intake plementation per year with at least 70 ners – which include national govern- of this micronutrient or those whose per cent coverage among children aged 6 ments, UNICEF, the Group, diets are fortified or supplemented on a to 59 months was one of the goals set at the World Health Organization, the Bill regular basis with vitamin A capsules. the 1990 World Summit for Children. and Melinda Gates Children’s In the early 1990s, the Government of Progress has been made over the past Program, the , the the Philippines promoted vitamin A sup- 10 years – the number of developing International Federation of Pharmaceuti- plementation and full immunization of countries providing vitamin A supplemen- cal Manufacturers Associations and pub- children through National Immunization tation to 70 per cent or more of children lic health and research institutions – Days and Micronutrient Days. As a result under five has risen from 11 nations in hope to significantly expand the reach and of vigorous campaigns, nearly 90 per cent 1996, to 27 in 1998, and 43 in 1999. As effectiveness of immunization programmes of Filipino children aged six or younger many as 1 million young lives may have countrybycountry. were covered from 1993 to 1996. In 1998, been saved in the last three years alone GAVI also aims to make underused vac- these campaigns were integrated into a through vitamin A supplementation. cines, such as that for yellow fever and more comprehensive programme, which But, despite the success of vitamin A new vaccines such as hepatitis B and twice yearly provided children aged six campaigns to date, new distribution sys- Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), and younger with vitamin A supplemen- tems must be established – or existing available to all children at risk by 2002 tation, routine immunization, deworming, primary health care systems must be and 2005, respectively. Through a global iron supplementation, and iodized salt strengthened – if the world is to meet its network of international development testing and distribution. Mothers and challenge of reducing infant and under- organizations, multilateral development caregivers were educated about breast- five mortality rates by two thirds by 2015. banks, philanthropic organizations, pri- feeding, hygiene and the advantages of For this to happen, every child must re- vate sector leaders and other parties, GAVI using iodized salt. ceive, at a minimum, regular immuniza- promises to further energize the world’s Leticia Bancairen, a community health tions and vitamin A supplementation. commitment to its youngest citizens. worker, remembers trekking to remote Children in the poorest countries are villages of the B’laans, one of five major the least protected by vaccines and regu-

14 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES conquered through human will and of countries with 70 per cent or higher solidarity. Meanwhile, the number of coverage in vitamin A rose from 11 to reported cases of worm dis- 43 (see Panel 1). Leaders on ease declined over the decade by 97 Iodine deficiency, meanwhile, which behalf of per cent. Only 13 countries in Africa is the main cause of preventable and one country in the Middle East mental retardation, is most easily ad- children are now affected. dressed through the simple process of The child-health achievements are iodizing salt. The goal of virtually Caroline Awuor Agwanda is mixed with concern that what in 1990 eliminating iodine deficiency dis- a Kenyan who hasn’t let a seemed like unstoppable progress orders has not been met, but the disability stop her from towards universal child immunization percentage of people in developing being an entrepreneurial has stalled somewhat in the decade countries consuming iodized salt has leader: At only 24, she is since. It is now clear that the levels of gone up from under 20 per cent to an established business- immunization at the time of the around 72 per cent. Given this pro- woman who employs 20 World Summit were actually lower, at gress, the elimination of iodine defi- artisans in her shop, 73 per cent, than was assumed at the ciency disorders by 2005 looks to be a HOPE, and supports her time. Not only has the Summit goal realistic prospect, though it will re- 11-member family. of 90 per cent coverage not been quire both effort and commitment, achieved, but the world has struggled since there are still 37 countries where to maintain about the same levels of less than half of the households con- coverage: Over a quarter of the world’s sume iodized salt. children (around 30 million infants) The World Summit goals of universal are still not reached by routine immu- access to safe drinking water and san- nization. In sub-Saharan Africa only itary means of excreta disposal by 47 per cent of children are immunized 2000 have not even been neared dur- against , whooping cough ing the 1990s. The percentage of people and tetanus. with access has gone up in both cases – In the field of nutrition, the pri- from 79 per cent to 82 per cent for mary goal was to cut malnutrition water, and 55 per cent to 60 per cent rates among children under five by for sanitation. But this still leaves half. Although this was more than around 1.1 billion people without safe achieved in South America, the water and 2.4 billion people without decline in developing countries was adequate sanitation, the vast major- only 17 per cent. In Asia, where more ity of the latter group being in Asia than two thirds of the world’s mal- (see Goals 4 & 5). nourished children live, the drop in The goal of universal access to child malnutrition rates was relatively basic education is also still far from small, from 36 per cent to 29 per being achieved. Net primary enrol- cent, while in sub-Saharan Africa the ment ratios increased in every region absolute number of malnourished but there are still more than 100 mil- children has actually increased (see lion children out of school and many Goal 3). more than that who receive an edu- On the other hand, two of the cation of poor quality. The gender micronutrients identified at the World gap – the difference between the school Summit for Children as key to pre- enrolment and completion rates of venting ‘hidden ’ – vitamin A boys and girls – is still far too wide, and iodine – have been success stories even if it has closed fractionally over- of the 1990s. The lack of vitamin A all and narrowed significantly in can lead to blindness and make chil- most countries in the Middle East dren more susceptible to illness, but and North Africa. There was a modest can be prevented by fortification of decline in adult illiteracy which fell food or the distribution of capsules as well short of the 50 per cent cut that part of immunization campaigns. had been hoped for (see Goal 6). Between 1996 and 1999 the number

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 15 World Summit for Children Goal 3 For children and development in the 1990s UNICEF/92-0058/Lemoyne Reduce Trend 17% reduction in developing countries severe and 1990 32% in developing countries moderate 2000 27% in developing countries under-5 2010 goal 33% reduction, with special attention to children under two Comments The total number of malnourished children in developing countries malnutrition fell from 177 million to 149 million. by 50% Trends 60

in child 50 1990 1995 2000 malnutrition: developing 40

countries, 30 1990-2000 20

10

Per cent underweight 0

ASIA AFRICA Caribbean COUNTRIES CARIBBEAN DEVELOPING Western AfricaEastern Africa South-East Asia Northern Africa Central America South America South Central Asia LATIN AMERICA/

Sources: United Nations, Report Levels of 100 of the Secretary- 90 88 General, ‘We the iodized salt 81 Children: End-decade consumption, 80 review of the follow-up 70 72 70 68 to the World Summit for 1995-2000 64 62 Children’, A/S-27/3, 60 United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001; 50 United Nations, 40 Preparatory Committee for the Special Session 30 26 of the General Assembly on Children, 20 ‘A world fit for children’, 10 Revised draft outcome document A/AC-256/ cent Per 0 World Developing Latin East Middle Sub- South CEE/CIS CRP.6/Rev. 3 , United countries America Asia East and Saharan Asia Nations, New York, and the and North Africa June 2001. Caribbean Pacific Africa

16 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES Falling far short most intractable diseases, from can- cer to cystic fibrosis, less terrifying It is in the area of women’s health, and life-threatening than they have Leaders on however, where countries have made been to all previous generations. A behalf of no discernable progress – a reflection mammal, Dolly the sheep, was cloned of women’s continuing low status in for the first time ever – and later gave children many societies. The aim was to birth to normal, healthy lambs. In the reduce maternal mortality rates by 1990s, the Internet went from being Brazilian journalist Ambar half but there is no evidence that the plaything of a privileged few to a de Barros founded ANDI, there has been any significant mass medium that promised to change an in Portuguese decline. A related goal of giving all our whole way of perceiving the world: for the News Agency on pregnant women access to prenatal By the year 2000, over 300 million Children’s Rights, a news care and trained attendants during people were estimated to be using organization for mobilizing childbirth has been hardly met: only the Internet, making this by far the and training journalists 29 per cent of births in South Asia are fastest-growing communication tool to promote social equity, attended and only 37 per cent in sub- ever.2 The $2 billion Hubble Space and investigation and Saharan Africa (see Goal 2). Telescope, the most complex and debate of the problems of UNICEF is determined to focus sensitive space observatory ever con- and youth. attention on the unfinished business, structed, was launched into orbit in on the children who, like Ayodele, 1990; a US spacecraft docked with have not yet been reached. The world the Russian space station Mir in 1995 should be under no illusion: Despite in an historic advance both in terms the progress that has been made, the of technology and of international last decade has been a missed oppor- cooperation; and in 1998, a Russian tunity of tragic proportions. rocket took into orbit the first com- ponent of the new International Space Human pain, human ingenuity Station, which is the most expensive single object ever built.3 By the end of When leaders are talking of millions the decade, no less than $1.5 trillion of people, the individuals involved was changing hands each day in spec- are too easily reduced to ciphers, ulation on the international currency their pain translated into statistics markets.4 and trends. But every one of the chil- Presented with these extraordinary dren born since 1990 has a name and developments, is there anyone who a story; every one of them has the could seriously maintain that the right to health, learning and protec- world leaders’ declaration of intent tion, the right to their full potential for children in 1990 represented an and the right to participate in shap- impossible dream? The resources and ing their world – rights which have technological know-how are there. in all too many cases been violated. That this wealth and these skills have Why have children’s rights contin- not been fully harnessed to deliver a ued to be abused? Are world fit for children is, then, a result and ill-health monsters that will always of misguided leadership and a dere- be with us, unbanishable, unbeatable? liction of duty. Must the exploitation of children be a fact of life forever? Leadership Think again. In that same decade humanity showed its enormous in- Governments, as well as international genuity and technological capacity institutions, must be held accountable over and again. The understanding of for their leadership in putting the rights humans’ genetic make-up increased and well-being of children above all with every passing year and could other concerns. And those that fail to within a generation make even the do so must also be held accountable.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 17 World Summit for Children Goals 4 & 5 For children and development in the 1990s UNICEF/98-1015/Pirozzi

Trend 3 percentage point increase with 816 million additional people Universal now having access access 1990 79% (4.1 billion) to safe 2000 82% (5 billion) drinking 2010 goal 33% increase water Comments 1.1 billion people still lack access.

Universal Trend 5 percentage point increase with 747 million additional people now having access access to 1990 55% (2.9 billion) sanitary 2000 60% (3.6 billion) means of 2010 goal 33% increase excreta Comments 2.4 billion people still lack access, including half of all people disposal living in Asia.

Improved water coverage, change over Improved sanitation coverage, change over period 1995-2000 period 1995-2000 100 100100 100 98 100 91 1990 1990 87 88 89 2000 84 83 83 2000 80 81 81 80 75 80 76 76 70 67 60 60 54 55 54 48 49

40 40 37 38 Coverage (%) Coverage (%) 25 20 20

0 0 Sub-Saharan East Asia South Asia Latin America CEE/CIS and Middle East Industrialized South Asia East Asia Sub-Saharan Latin Middle East CEE/CIS Industrialized Africa and Pacific and Baltic States and North countries and Pacific Africa America and and North and Baltic countries Caribbean Africa Caribbean Africa States

Sources: United Nations, Report of the Secretary-General, ‘We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children’, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001; United Nations, Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children, ‘A world fit for children’, Revised draft outcome document A/AC-256/CRP.6/Rev. 3, United Nations, New York, June 2001.

18 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES Ensuring the rights and well-being State who use their positions of lead- of children is the key to sustained de- ership to invest generously in the social velopment in a country and to peace sector, particularly in programmes ben- Leaders on and security in the world. Meeting this efiting children. In the Maldives, the behalf of responsibility, fully, consistently and at investment in the country’s youngest any cost, is the essence of leadership. citizens has resulted in some of the children Heads of State and Government hold best social indicators in the region the lion’s share of this responsibility such as low rates and With five of her friends but commitment and action are also good basic education and and $720 in funding from called for across the board: from rates for this nation of islands. Netaid.org Foundation, 15- community activists and entrepre- Ordinary people are just as capable year-old Kuheli Battacharya neurs, from artists and scientists, of showing leadership as are prime has been an inspiration to from religious leaders and journalists – ministers and presidents. Head teach- teens and adults alike by and from children and adolescents ers show leadership, for example, when running a vaccination clinic themselves. they admit children into school despite for poor children in her The United Nations Secretary- their families not being able to pay community of Pune, India. General, in his report at the time of the required fees – recognizing the “If we don’t care,” she the , stated: “No higher costs to the child, the family asks, “who will?” shift in the way we think or act can and the community of keeping the be more critical than this: we must child out. Parents show leadership, put people at the centre of everything when in communities where it is nor- we do. No calling is more noble, and mal only to send sons, they send no responsibility greater, than that of their daughters to school – and when enabling men, women and children, they resist social pressure to with- in cities and villages around the world, draw the girls for early marriage. to make their lives better.”5 Nine sheikhs from Somalia showed Each of us has the opportunity to leadership in 2000 when they trav- demonstrate leadership as we go about elled to attend a course at Al-Azhar the everyday business of our lives by International University Centre for taking the extra moment to ask: ‘How Islamic Studies in , on the harm does this decision, this choice, affect that female genital mutilation (FGM) the lives of children’? inflicts on girls and women in various It was leadership that the late Julius cultures throughout the world. As Nyerere exercised when he built the did Dr. Ahmed R.A. Ragab, an Islamic nation of on what he de- scholar and gynaecologist, who vis- scribed as the “values of justice, a re- ited every area of the country to con- spect for human beings, a development duct targeted sessions in communities which is people centred, development about the disastrous medical implica- where you care about people…”.6 tions of FGM. As a result, not only has When Nyerere first became Prime the region in the north-west of Minister of the newly independent Somalia declared the total eradica- nation in 1961, 85 per cent of the tion of FGM to be a priority goal but adult population was illiterate and religious leaders and most there were two trained engineers and authorities have also rallied around 12 doctors. When he retired as Presi- the cause of eliminating FGM – a dent in 1985, there was a 91 per cent significant breakthrough in a country literacy rate, thousands of engineers, where over 95 per cent of girls have doctors and teachers had been trained hitherto been mutilated in this way8 and nearly every child in the United (see Panel 2). Republic of Tanzania was in school.7 In Namibia, leadership is being Today, H. E. Maumoon Abdul shown in the My Future is My Choice Gayoom, President of the Maldives, is programme by secondary-school grad- among those contemporary Heads of uates who receive 10 days of training,

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 19 PANEL Tostan: 2 A breakthrough movement

urèye Sall used to earn her living groundswell of social activism. The profusely. Fearful that the young girl performing female genital cutting straightforward programme focuses on will die, the family takes her to the health Oin Senegal. Not even when one of technical information. Beginning with clinic nurse. The nurse arranges for Poolel her daughters nearly haemorrhaged to education and collective to go to the regional hospital where she death three decades ago, after being cut problem-solving, the core of all other dies the next day. by her grandmother, could Ourèye stop. modules, the class learns about hygiene, After discussing the play and their Culture and tradition were too strong. Plus oral rehydration, immunization, financial feelings and answering questions about it was her only source of income. But in and material management, leadership, female genital cutting, many classes 1997, together with others in her village, group dynamics, women’s health and have concluded that the ancient practice Ourèye put down her knives. income-generating options. Each module must stop. Bolstered by their new under- Female genital cutting, the removal of incorporates village customs, language standing of the rights of women and chil- part or all of the female genitalia, has and traditions to create a respectful envi- dren, the participants are galvanized to existed for thousands of years. Yet during ronment that matches the participants’ protect their daughters, granddaughters, the past four years, 282 villages in learning styles. Social mobilization activ- nieces and other village girls. Senegal, representing approximately ities assure the learning process is par- “African women are such incredible 220,000 people, have stopped the prac- ticipatory and relevant to the community. mothers and do so much for their chil- tice. The villages did not stop female As they move through the programme, dren,” says Molly Melching, the director genital cutting in response to outside learners become more at ease with dis- of Tostan. “To say they are mutilators is pressure or national laws. Instead, it was cussing taboo issues. The Tostan offensive. Female genital cutting was an a grass-roots movement arising from the programme gives facts, not judgements. act of love to protect their daughters’ people that put an end to the practice. It’s up to the participants to decide what honour. Ending the practice to protect Ourèye Sall is a leader in that movement. to do with the new information they’ve their daughters’ human rights and health She holds her head up high as she received. “If you impose on me, I’ll fight,” is now their act of love.” speaks to villagers, religious leaders, says Demba Diawara, the Imam from Keur In Senegal, the real impetus for aban- government officials, journalists and the Simbara who walks from village to village doning female genital cutting is at the international community about her decision in his campaign to end female genital grassroots, where women, men and reli- to stop cutting and her role in helping to cutting. “But if I am allowed the dignity gious and traditional leaders are engaged end the practice throughout Senegal. and space to decide, I will fully cooperate.” in a dynamic collaboration. This movement to end female genital One activity begun in the classroom Since the movement has taken hold, cutting began in the village of Malicounda and carried to neighbouring villages is a the Senegal Parliament has passed a Bambara. Villagers decided to abolish the play. The class members act out the story national law abolishing the ritual. While tradition after participating in a UNICEF- of Poolel, an eight-year-old girl who is to laws may be supportive of the people’s funded basic education programme run undergo the ancient rite of circumcision. actions, the real power lies in village by the NGO, ‘Tostan’ (“breakthrough” in Like other girls her age, she is to become declarations. These public decrees tip the Wolof, a local tongue). Unlike literacy a ‘real woman’ who will be clean, respec- balance. Where once women like Ourèye programmes of the 1970s and 1980s, table and marriage-ready. Sall could not stop cutting for fear their which involved teacher-led discussions As the play evolves, Poolel goes daughters would not be able to find hus- and letter and syllable repetition, Tostan through this rite of passage but bleeds bands, now it is just the opposite. depends on a participatory process where learners sit in a circle and use role-playing, singing, proverbs, poetry and theatre. In 1997, two years after Tostan first began, women of Malicounda Bambara, with the support of their husbands and religious leaders, ended female genital cutting in their community. Citing human rights articles and negative health conse- quences for their daughters, the women had begun a movement of cultural change. A shorter version of that original pro- gramme is now in place in over 400 vil- lages in Burkina Faso, , Senegal and , with similar results. Without a doubt, the practical, student- focused classes are what led to the

20 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES UNICEF/98-0236/Grossman enabling them to facilitate a life skills “We really did spend the money on training course including up to 22 schools and health,” says economist adolescents between 15 and 18 years Boris Segura. “Armies are a waste of Leaders on of age. Between 1997 and the middle money. It’s that simple.”11 behalf of of 2000, the programme had reached Across the globe, where children in 74,000 young people and should Afghanistan have suffered dispropor- children meet its target of training 80 per cent tionately from the country’s decades of 15- to 18-year-olds by the end of of internal armed conflict, it is worth Asserting that female 2001.9 noting that there have also been genital cutting “mutilates Costa Rica provides an excellent impressive acts of leadership in the the mind as well as the example of how leadership can trans- years 2000 and 2001. During 2000, body,” former European form the fortunes of a country – and four National Immunization Days Union Commissioner particularly of its children. On 1 De- were completed in Afghanistan, with Emma Bonino has launched cember 1948, President José Figueres an average of 5.4 million children a campaign to have FGC abolished the army. “The army hands reached with the in recognized as a fundamental over the keys to the barracks, to be each case; five further immunization abuse of human rights and converted into a cultural centre,” he rounds are planned for 2001. In every to change ’s asylum said. “We are the sustainers of a new case so far, the policy for women at risk world in America. Little Costa Rica activities have been conducted in who are seeking refugee offers its heart and love to civilian conditions of tranquillity: Both the status. rule and democracy.”10 warring factions and all their local Figueres believed that democratic commanders have respected the peace, institutions would only grow strong recognizing the overarching impor- in Costa Rica if the army was dis- tance of the vaccination campaign.12 banded. He also saw the opportunity to promote the rights of children at Facing HIV the same time: He transferred the whole defence budget to the Educa- Conflict is one of the main blockages tion Ministry at a stroke. on the road to child rights; another is More than 50 years later, Costa HIV/AIDS. On an international level, Rica is still seeing the benefits of this the industrialized countries have taken enlightened position. Leaders and insufficient responsibility for the global governments have come and gone in battle of the human family against the decades since Figueres left the the virus. Each of the wealthiest nations scene but, whether from the left or the took immediate and urgent action right, none of them has disturbed the from the mid-1980s to counter the legacy that has long given the coun- spread of the epidemic within their try the best human-development indi- own populations, through activism, cators in the region. Right through the public-education campaigns and health terrible decade of the 1980s in which initiatives. Yet once there were signs death squads and torture corroded the that the epidemic had been contained neighbouring societies of El Salvador, within their own countries, too many Honduras and Guatemala, and while governments responded with com- a disastrous armed conflict was being placency about what was happening fought in Nicaragua, Costa Rica main- around the world. Governments of tained its steady, peaceful progress. In industrialized countries paid narrow 1999, under-five mortality, often the attention to their own disease statistics most reliable index of human devel- and turned a blind eye to the tragedy opment because it measures an out- unfolding in developing countries. come rather than an input, stood at Only as the millennium loomed did 14 per 1,000 in Costa Rica, compared they realize that in this arena nation- with 60 in Guatemala, 47 in Nicaragua al borders are insignificant and that and 42 in El Salvador and Honduras. we are likely to stand or fall together.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 21 World Summit for Children Goal 6 For children and development in the 1990s UNICEF/96-0276/Toutounji

Trend Increasing, with a narrowing gender gap. There are now more Universal children in school than there ever were before access 1990 78% to basic 2000 82% education 2005 goal Elimination of gender disparities in primary and secondary education and 2010 goal A further 50% reduction of children not in school and a net completion primary school enrolment of at least 90% Comments While net primary enrolment is increasing at a higher rate than of primary population growth, there are still more than 100 million children education without access to basic education, 60 million of them girls. These are overwhelmingly working children, children affected by by 80% of disability, HIV/AIDS or conflict, children of poor families, children children of ethnic minorities, children in rural, peri-urban and remote areas and, above all, girls.

Sources: United Nations, Report of the Secretary- Primary 100 96 97 94 92 General, ‘We the 1990 88 Children: End-decade school 1998 84 review of the follow-up enrolment 80 74 74 76 to the World Summit for Children’, A/S-27/3, (net), 67 60 United Nations, New York, change 60 4 May 2001; United 54 Nations, Preparatory over Committee for the Special 40 Session of the General period Assembly on Children, 1990-1998 ‘A world fit for children’, Revised draft outcome 20 document A/AC-256/ CRP.6/Rev. 3, United (%) (%) enrolment enrolment school primary school primary Net Net Nations, New York, 0 June 2001. Sub- South and Arab Latin America Central East Asia Saharan West Asia States- and Asia and Africa North Africa Caribbean Pacific

Trend 16% decrease, although the number hovers around 880 million Reduce adult due to population growth illiteracy 1990 25% (895 million illiterate adults) rate to 50% 2000 21% (875 million illiterate adults) of the 1990 Comments Illiteracy has become concentrated regionally in South Asia and level sub-Saharan Africa. It has also become concentrated among women.

22 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES The UN Security Council debated Summit on HIV/AIDS, , AIDS for the first time in January and other Infectious Diseases in April 2000, recognizing that the disease 2001, proposing a multi-billion dollar Leaders on presents a threat to international a year Global AIDS and Health Fund, behalf of peace and security. Later that year with support to come from donor UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot and governments children said: “No doubt, the year 2000 can be and the private sector. Mr. Annan has described as the year when the prob- made the personal pledge of the Geoffrey Canada grew up lem of AIDS was recognized also as a $100,000 grant he is to receive along in Harlem on the streets of political problem…. It is sad but true: with the Liberty Award. one of New York’s roughest the main decision makers hardly Taking every opportunity to impress neighbourhoods – and showed any interest until it was the need for such a full scale assault stayed, dedicating his life brought home to them that produc- against HIV/AIDS, the Secretary-General to helping children and tivity and economic growth were followed up with a series of meetings, their families at risk of being seriously affected.”13 including an international consultation drugs, and other The profound impact of the epi- in June 2001 with more than 200 threats with programmes demic on the lives of children and representatives from 50 countries, mul- for education, housing their families threatens not only indi- tilaterals and NGOs, private founda- and non-violence. vidual lives and spirits but our collec- tions and others, aimed at having the tive hopes for humanity. In his report fund operational as soon as possible. to the Millennium Summit in 2000, Responses to the Secretary-General’s UN Secretary-General call have come from governments, the urged “that every seriously affected private sector and the foundation world, country have a national plan of action including $1 million from Winterthur in place within one year of the Sum- Insurance, a Credit Suisse Group com- mit;” recommended explicit goals for pany and, in an extraordinary action, reducing HIV infection rates; chal- $100 million from the Bill & Melinda lenged the developed countries to Gates Foundation, the largest private come up with effective and afford- donor to date. able vaccines against HIV through In June 2001, the United Nations public-private partnerships; called for General Assembly convened its first better care and support for those liv- ever special session on a disease as high- ing with HIV/AIDS; and proposed level national delegations pledged a that governments, the pharmaceuti- global commitment for greater efforts cal industry and international insti- at the national, regional and inter- tutions work together to ensure that national levels and concrete targets HIV-related drugs are widely accessi- for action to fight the epidemic and ble where they are needed.14 reverse its deadly course. In a Dec- In his February 2001 report to the laration of Commitment, ‘Global Special Session of the UN General Crisis – Global Action’, the Assembly Assembly on HIV /AIDS, the Secretary- outlined priority areas for action to General spoke of the AIDS epidemic be: prevention, improved access to as a “crisis of governance and a crisis care and treatment, care of children of leadership.” And he went further orphaned by AIDS, expanded public/ to say that “leadership – at the global private partnerships, multisectoral re- as well as the country level – is the sponses and a significant infusion of single most important factor in re- financial support.16 versing the epidemic.”15 The impact of HIV/AIDS is crush- Just a few months later, in what has ing the attempts of countries all over become an intense campaign at the the world to put human development highest levels of international coopera- and the rights of women and chil- tion, the Secretary-General launched dren first. In the Latin American and a ‘Call to action’ at the African Leaders’ Caribbean region, for example, an

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 23 World Summit for Children Goal 7 For children and development in the 1990s UNICEF/99-0423/Chalasani

The categories are broad: working children, children in armed Improve protection of conflict, , sexually abused/exploited children, children in especially incarcerated children, children with disabilities and children from socially disadvantaged groups. Data are especially hard to find for difficult circumstances these children, due to the secretive, illegal or pervasive nature of these activities.

AIDS and child mortality

Botswana 64% Zimbabwe 50% 50% Namibia 48% Kenya 35% Mozambique 26% Zambia 25% Liberia 22% Percentage of under-five child mortality due to AIDS, projected Tanzania 20% for the years 2000-2005 Côte d’Ivoire 17%

Percentage 100 Sources: United Nations, One third of all births or births not 90 40 million births every Report of the Secretary- 78 General, ‘We the registered, 80 year are NOT registered Children: End-decade review of the follow-up 1998 70 to the World Summit for 60 Children’, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New York, 50 44 4 May 2001; United 35 Nations, Preparatory 40 33 Per cent Per Committee for the Special 30 Session of the General 19 Assembly on Children, 20 8 ‘A world fit for children’, 10 3 Revised draft outcome document A/AC-256/ 0 CRP.6/Rev. 3, United Sub- Central Asia and Middle Americas Europe World Nations, New York, Saharan Asia Pacific East and June 2001. Africa North Africa

24 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES estimated 210,000 adults and children such frank discussion of sex. As a re- contracted the virus in 2000, bring- sult, while no one would underestimate ing the total number of people living the pain and loss Ugandans have suf- Leaders on with HIV to 1.8 million. Haiti is the fered at the hands of HIV/AIDS, the behalf of worst affected country in the region, country has brought the epidemic with an estimated 74,000 children under control: Its HIV-infection rate children orphaned by AIDS.17 has dropped from 30 per cent of adults But the epidemic is at its most dev- in the early 1990s to 10 per cent, one “If children need peace, astating in southern and eastern of the lowest rates in the eastern they must do something.” Africa where, after decades of steady part of Africa. This is the motto of Farid improvement, life expectancy figures When a country finds itself in such Dadashev, an 11-year-old are plummeting to the levels associ- dire circumstances the need for lead- from Azerbaijan, who ated with the pre-independence, ership becomes all the more desper- collected more than 1,000 colonial period. Africa’s experience of ate. In , the Government signatures in his work in HIV/AIDS over the last 10 years has has started on the long and painful the Azerbaijan Child to diverged so dramatically and terrify- road to recovery by becoming the Child Peace Network. ingly from that of industrialized coun- first country in Africa to launch a na- tries not because a plague has hit it at tional programme to prevent mother- random, still less because its sexual to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. traditions are different, but rather A pilot project in the cities of Francis- because of its poverty: AIDS is the town and Gaborone started in April most savage index of the inequality 1999 and is being extended nation- of our world. Any infection thrives in wide between July 2000 and December conditions of poverty, malnutrition and 2001. It provides pregnant women unsafe water: It is as true of HIV/AIDS with information and education, and as it is of tuberculosis and measles. voluntary and confidential coun- The industrialized nations have selling and testing, and provides anti- markedly failed to show the requisite retroviral drugs for those who are global leadership in the field of HIV positive, during their pregnancy HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, leadership and labour, as well as AZT syrup for has also been required of the African the baby in its first month of life.18 countries bearing the main brunt of Africa does not provide the only the epidemic – and the responses of leadership models in the field of individual governments to its mount- HIV/AIDS. Thailand also deserves ing threat have been markedly varied. great credit: It was the first Asian Some have seemed for many years nation to recognize that it had a determined to pursue an ostrich-like major HIV/AIDS problem and to approach, taking no account of the make tackling the disease an urgent rising tide of infection in the region priority. Warned by the catastrophic until it became an unstoppable flood. losses in Africa, Thai officials attacked In contrast Uganda, it is widely rec- their HIV epidemic at an earlier stage, ognized, took on a leadership role in launching extensive education cam- the late 1980s and early 1990s: The paigns. The ‘100% Condom Cam- Government there launched huge paign’ became national policy in public-education campaigns that edu- 1991 and condom use was not only cated people about how HIV is trans- heavily promoted, particularly to the mitted, promoted the use of condoms young, but the Ministry of Public and talked about the need for safe Health also started providing 60 mil- sex. President Yoweri Museveni him- lion condoms a year free of charge, self showed leadership on the issue, mainly to sex workers. Condom use talking openly about the virus and its soon increased by over 30 per cent sexual transmission route despite wide- and new HIV infections were radi- spread taboos in the region against cally reduced.19

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 25 Children at the centre of policy ples’ Democratic Republic have also set particularly good examples in the The Government in Mauritius, mean- field of immunization. Through mul- while, has shown leadership in deal- tiple National Immunization Days and ing with the growing problem of a movement-based approach backed and commercial sexual by strong governmental commitment, exploitation of children. It has set up both China and Lao PDR reached the a Unit in partner- goal of polio-free status by the end of ship with UNICEF, the British High 2000.22 Cambodia has gained the same Commission and the NGO Soropti- status, succeeding in eliminating polio mist International. Officers of the unit in three years despite huge obstacles. have been trained and sensitized over In 2000, the country showed a partic- a two-year period by child-protection ular commitment to spreading the experts from the and benefits of immunization to people hundreds of children have already ben- in remote, underserved areas, reach- efited from the greater understanding ing more of these – 65 per cent – than the unit has fostered. Meanwhile, the ever before.23 In Thailand, meanwhile, Government has also made substantial immunization is all but universal: efforts to tackle child abuse at other The Government sustains the vac- levels, with an expansion of its early cination programme out of its own childhood development (ECD) pro- budget and has stressed that it is grammes and extensive ‘better par- capable of ensuring that no children enting’ education schemes.20 under five die of vaccine-preventable Some national governments have diseases. The goal of freedom from shown leadership by recognizing the polio has also been achieved by paramount importance of a particu- Pacific Island Nations, which are also lar policy and moving heaven and well placed to eliminate measles and earth to bring it about. The decision neonatal tetanus – seven countries in by Malawi in 1994 to guarantee uni- the region have achieved and main- versal free was just tained 90 per cent immunization such a case. This was an enormously coverage. popular move that resulted in school On a more general level, in recent attendance skyrocketing from 1.9 years there have been national gov- million to 2.9 million. The school ernments that have demonstrated system is still straining to meet the leadership in attempting to protect demands – but the fee-free schooling the rights and improve the lives of remains in place. As might be ex- children – and other national govern- pected, moreover, a government that ments that have a distressingly poor shows such a commitment to human record. Oman’s reduction in under- development in one area is setting five mortality has been spectacular a similar example in others. Malawi over the last two decades – child has made women’s empowerment a deaths have fallen from 146 in 1980 priority, formulating a national gender to 16 in 1999, an indication of the policy in 2000 as well as joining other particular commitment that the Gov- countries around the world in orga- ernment, and especially its Health nizing the campaign ‘16 Days of Minister, Dr. Ali bin Mohammed bin Activism to Stop Violence Against Moosa, has shown to the cause of Women’. In addition, the Government children’s health. has sustained immunization levels Jamaica, meanwhile, has shown an over 80 per cent: There were no cases encouraging willingness to recognize of measles during 2000 and there have that children need to be placed at the been no cases of polio since 1992.21 centre of policy and programmes and Cambodia, China and the Lao Peo- the Government is establishing a Child

26 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES Development Agency that will have a of this kind of enlightened and ethi- broad brief to monitor, evaluate and cal leadership in the world’s fight set standards. It is also taking the against HIV/AIDS. The Coca-Cola Leaders on problems of adolescents more seri- Company recently announced that it behalf of ously than ever before by establish- would put its enormous distribution ing a National Youth Development network – which manages to get soft children Centre and putting a national youth drinks to nearly every nook of the policy in place.24 African continent – to help bring At 12, Aminata Diallo Venezuela’s abolition of fees for condoms, testing kits and literature ‘adopted’ some kids in her hospitals and health centres and of to remote clinics. Coca-Cola is one of Senegalese village who now enrolment fees for primary education many corporations that have joined regularly receive vaccina- has been another extremely positive the Global Business Council on HIV tions. “Their names are in recent move – as has been the incor- and AIDS, an effort to mobilize the my notebook. I’m going to poration of the Convention on the private sector that is chaired by William track them individually to Rights of the Child into the Consti- Roedy, president of MTV Networks make sure they don’t miss tution and the new law for children International and includes such com- an appointment.” Now 22, and adolescents.25 In , a new ini- panies as AOL Time Warner, MAC Diallo continues to be tiative to provide second-chance edu- Cosmetics and Unilever.28 dedicated to the cause of cation for 75,000 adolescent girls is a The Brazilian Government, backed children and has been practical demonstration of the Gov- by a strong social movement, has managing a children’s ernment’s increasing commitment to proved beyond doubt that full-scale network. enhancing the status of women. treatment of AIDS patients is possible In Cape Verde, the Government in the developing world. Since 1997, has shown a laudable commitment every AIDS patient in Brazil has re- to devoting resources to children: ceived for free the same triple cocktails Throughout the 1990s it dedicated that keep people alive in North Amer- 29 per cent of its budget to sectors di- ica and Europe. This has meant, for rectly linked to children’s development example, that seven-year-old Emerson, and has boosted this to 34 per cent in who has had HIV since birth but was the last two years, hugely outstrip- not diagnosed until he was six, is still ping the 20 per cent of budgets that living a healthy, happy life. As a re- the 20/20 Initiative recommends.26 sult Brazil has halved its AIDS death rate, cut the transmission rate and Corporate leadership stabilized the epidemic. But Brazil has only been able to do But instances of leadership are by no so by making copies of brand-name means confined to the public sector. drugs, which it has been doing since The chief executive of a corporation 1998. The cost of those medicines has, who transcended the narrow criteria as a result, been slashed: The triple of ‘competitiveness’ or the norms of cocktail in Rio de Janeiro costs $3,000 similar companies by introducing strict a year compared with $15,000 in ethical standards against New York, and Brazil expects to bring and in support of families would sim- the annual cost down to as low as ilarly be setting an example. This kind $700 in the near future. of private-sector far-sightedness can The strength of Brazil’s social move- be seen in Cambodia, where Mr. Bun ments in the 1990s resulted in the Barang, the dealer who controls almost Government adopting and maintain- all of the country’s salt, has com- ing a radical AIDS policy. José Sarney, mitted to iodizing 60 per cent of his Brazil’s first civilian President after production in 2001 and 100 per cent military rule and a Senator in 1996 of that in 2002.27 when he heard about the success of There is ample room for demon- the triple cocktail, supported it as a strating that corporations are capable priority even for the poorest: “I saw

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 27 PANEL Children of Liberia: 3 Determined to change destiny

where counsellors bring families togeth- er to work out problems and where they receive vocational skills training. Zoe Thomas is one beneficiary of this effort. The 19-year-old woman works intently at a foot-powered sewing machine, making a child’s dress. “I want to be a better per- son,” she says. “I want to work and help myself.” Other youth affected by war have learned to make agricultural tools out of decommissioned weapons in order to help their communities. Children who were robbed of basic education because of the civil war par- take in a UNICEF-sponsored accelerated

Copyright G. Russell Hill learning programme which allows over- age students to return to school and make up what they missed. A 22-year-old iberia still bears the scars of the “Children went and fought with the man in the grade 3 to 4 class declares, civil war that lasted from 1989 to rebels and they still act like rebels,” “I came back cu’ I wanted to learn. I hope L1997. One hundred and fifty thou- explained Magistrate Perry about juve- to be a medical doctor someday. ” sand people were killed, 1 million people nile crime in Liberia. In the past, children Entire communities are infused with internally displaced and 666,000 Liberians who were seen to be problematic were attitudes of optimism and a willingness were driven from the country. Perhaps placed in detention with adults and to work, despite past disappointments most horrifying, however, 15,000 chil- exposed to harsh corporal punishment and hardship. When WHO, UNICEF and dren – some as young as six years old – and abuse. This, however, only served to the Liberian Ministry of Health ap- were trained as soldiers. With so many increase and perpetuate the problem. In proached Bong County to participate in lives stolen and the country’s infrastruc- response, UNICEF and the Office of the the polio eradication campaign, there ture destroyed, there seemed little hope Chief Justice launched an effort to reno- was full participation at every level, from for the children of Liberia. vate courthouses so that they included governments to households. In 2000, six Yet, somehow, the country has become juvenile hearing areas. Magistrates re- rounds of mass vaccinations were carried stronger and its people more determined ceived training about juvenile justice. out, and the nation achieved total cover- and there is no better illustration than the UNICEF sponsored a trip for the Chief age of 90 per cent. Bong County achieved children themselves, who were once Justice of Liberia to travel to Namibia and an incredible 100 per cent. “We don’t usu- used as tools for destruction but who South Africa to observe their juvenile jus- ally fail in this county,” beamed the county now work diligently to improve their lot. tice programmes. By the end of 2000, superintendent. Sixteen-year-old Solomon is one juvenile justice programmes had been Children are not only assisted but also example of a youth determined to change established in four counties where play a significant role in assisting others. his destiny. Once a member of one of detention of minors has been reduced by Radio C’est la Vie, launched in March themostfeared groupsofboysoldiers, 95 per cent. 2000, is run mainly by children who, Solomon now participates in a UNICEF- For the first time in Liberia’s history, “educate both children and adults in a supported reintegration and life skills juveniles are receiving special consider- wide range of social issues,” explains programme. Struggling to overcome his ation from the courts. Deputy Inspector Korlu Willie, a ninth grader. For instance, tragic past, he explains, “I want to get the David White, a veteran police officer in the station “teaches kids how to take bad, bad things out of my heart.” Asked the town of Tubmanburg, says the train- care of themselves, to listen to their par- what he hopes for the future, he replies ing he received has made a difference. “I ents. Sometimes we interview girls who in a soft voice, “I want to go back to school. used to handle children wrong. I would are not going to school and who leave I want to be born again as a child.” handle them roughly,” he confesses. their parents and get involved with men Liberia is filled with cases of children “Now, we have been told not to treat and get pregnant. It is good for children who are being ‘born again’. While civil juveniles as criminals. Treat them as if to speak out because they learn more. unrest, international sanctions and poor they are your own children.” They listen to other children.” social conditions continue to create Instead of ‘bad children’, it is ‘bad When the helpless become the helpers, challenges for children, it is their opti- circumstances’ that are addressed and when the victims become victors, when mistic spirit that promises the rebirth helpful solutions sought. Youth offend- the children become the saviours, the they seek. ers are now referred to organizations world must listen. The world must learn.

28 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES that most of the medicine in the and a malaria medication at cost to cocktail would not be available to the 63 of the world’s poorest countries.31 poor, and I felt that we were talking And in a decision long fought for Leaders on about the survival of the species.”29 by AIDS activists, a group of patent- behalf of Senator Sarney proposed a law guar- holding pharmaceutical companies anteeing every AIDS patient this dropped its challenge to the South children treatment and the bill passed. At the African law that would allow the pro- beginning of 1999, Brazil’s economy duction of cheaper drugs. These are Every street child in Addis was in dire trouble and the Govern- promising, welcome initiatives but Ababa knows Gash Abera ment came under huge pressure to there is still much more to be done.32 Molla, the foundation started cut the budget by ditching the AIDS Some private companies have shown by Ethiopian artist and programme. Supported by civil soci- a different kind of leadership in find- musician Seleshe Demesse ety, President Fernando Henrique ing a way in which hi-tech, cutting- to fight environmental Cardoso held firm, sure that the far- edge commerce can serve the needs degradation in the city. sighted policy had to stand. of the poorest. Finnish mobile-phone Some 13,000 children and There is ample room for the phar- giant Nokia, for example, has launched adolescents, many of them maceutical corporations to demon- child-oriented social initiatives in street children, have mobi- strate their sense of responsibility many countries, including supporting lized to help clean-up the and imagination in response to the the Little Master newspaper in China, city and to landscape areas challenges posed by HIV/AIDS. A developing the business skills of South that were former eyesores. start in this respect has been made by African youth and participating in a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, which mentoring programme in Germany. announced that it would sell its “As we share in the belief that preven- patented AIDS medicines, didanosine tion is better than cure,” the company and stavudine, for $1 a day to any says, “we take part in long-term pro- African country working to combat jects aimed at helping young people the disease with the help of key inter- create a firm foundation for them- national agencies, including UNICEF. selves and their future.”33 The sale of The initiative comes in the wake of mobile phones has also benefited strong local and international pres- Palestinian children: The Egyptian com- sure. The students of Yale University pany MobiNil donated $140,000 of its in the United States, for example, proceeds to UNICEF programmes in launched a major campaign insisting the West Bank and Gaza.34 Meanwhile that the University, which earns $40 in , GrameenPhone is million a year by holding the patent donating $2 to UNICEF for every for stavudine, use its influence to ensure mobile phone sold.35 Cisco Systems that AIDS drugs were made available Inc. has entered into partnership with at low cost in Africa and other poor the UN Development Programme to countries. In addition, an Indian drug create Netaid.org, which is playing a producer offered to make a generic vital role in building a Global version of stavudine available at a Movement for Children in the lead- price so significantly lower that it up to the UN General Assembly’s could be within the reach of hard-hit Special Session on Children in health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. September 2001. More recently still, Pfizer offered It is not only ‘new-generation’, to make fluconazole – used to treat a hi-tech companies that are showing fungal brain infection common in leadership for children, however. AIDS patients – available for free in The Tata Iron Company in India, the least developed countries and will which was a founding partner of the spend $11 million to build a training UN Global Compact with the private centre in Uganda for doctors fighting sector, runs an extensive and inte- AIDS.30 GlaxoSmithKline announced grated maternal and child health that it will provide three AIDS drugs programme for both employees and

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 29 “All children should have the right to study,” “The right to enjoy their parents Voices care,” “the right to play.” Youth, China of “The most important thing for me has been the opportunity I have had to express my feelings, to say what I feel, this is the difference with other schools, Young where that does not happen.” People . . . Sara, eighth-grader, Dominican Republic, speaking about her school

“I think that as Salvadorans we have to recognize that the earthquakes of 13 January and February were very hard, and that without the help of the inter- national community, we would still be looking for solutions that, thanks to On changing their help, we have already resolved. The responsibility is not that of a man or a name, we all share it, from the smallest to the biggest…” the world Rosenberg, 18, El Salvador with children “Children have the right to experience happy moments, too.” Girl, 12, Germany

The Universal Declaration of “In my opinion, the worst image of young people in the media is when they Human Rights recognizes: show that young people are indifferent.” Efthimis, 15, Greece “the equal and inalienable “I thought it would be a failure. I thought of myself as an for teens rights of all members of everywhere. If I failed people would label the next generation irresponsible and the human family” useless. I need to prove people wrong.” Kuheli, 15, India, on a vaccination project funded by Netaid.org that “all human beings are born free and equal “We as a young people behind our appearances as bad teenagers or good or any- in dignity and rights” thing, we still need [to] let people know that we still have brain and dare to speak that we think it is true.” Seira, 20, Indonesia that childhood is “entitled to special care and assistance.” [Involvement in decision-making] “gives you a feeling of cooperation, makes you feel like a grown up, and gives you self-confidence.” Youth, Islamic Republic of Iran

“[We] want to work with other young people, we also want to be a part of the solution.” Youth, Jamaica

“The teenagers on TV are different with the reality and common of us. They are splendid and the miniature of adult.” Ji-Hye, 12, Republic of Korea

“It is good for the children to speak out because they learn more. They listen to other children.” Korlu, ninth-grader, Liberia

“We have to work from within and not wait for other people to do everything.” Youth, Peru

“If I could change one thing about the world, it would be that children and young people are involved in all decisions that affect their lives. There should be a shadow youth council for all government councils so that young people can review and have an input in what goes on in their area.” Claire, 17, United Kingdom

30 BIRTH AND BROKEN PROMISES others who live within a 50-kilometre Let’s demand that it be respected.” radius of its production headquarters. If a global opinion poll were to be Tata routinely spends 10 per cent of conducted asking people which liv- Leaders on its profits on social-service activities.36 ing person on the international stage behalf of best embodied the concept of leader- Personal leadership ship, it is virtually certain that Nelson children Mandela would come out near or at The idea of leadership is normally asso- the top. The former President of Twenty-four-year-old ciated more with individuals than South Africa has been an inspiration journalist Kodjo Djissenou with organizations. It is important to to people all over the world not merely has been a human rights recognize that the most inspira- because of his leadership of a trans- leader and activist for half tional examples of leadership are parently just cause – the enfranchise- of his life: In 1994 in his often those by ordinary people who ment and liberation of black people native Togo he founded through their extraordinary actions in his country from apartheid – nor La Conscience, an NGO that show what is possible (see Panel 3). even because of the immense self- educates and organizes Individuals who use their celebrity sacrifice involved in spending 27 years for human rights and and popular respect for the greater in prison for his profoundly held democracy. La Conscience social good can also have a huge principles. Since his retirement from is also the name of the influence. A classic example of this the presidency ‘Madiba’ (as he is re- newspaper he publishes kind of leadership on behalf of chil- spectfully known) has continued to that is written entirely by dren came in October 1999 when 23 work tirelessly for the mass of people young people. “If there of the leading intellectuals in Latin who are denied their rights, using his is hope for change,” America and the Caribbean issued a immense moral presence on the Djissenou says, “it lies moving and outspoken manifesto international stage for good – notably with the nation’s young challenging governments and citi- in attempting to resolve conflict and people.” zens throughout the region to put build peace in many quarters of the aside their differences and establish a African continent. ‘social pact’ for the region’s 192 mil- Along with Graça Machel, a former lion children and adolescents. The Minister of Education in Mozambique group – which included writers Carlos and a world leader on the issue of Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez, Elena children caught up in armed conflict, Poniatowska and Ernesto Sábato – Madiba has dedicated himself to the warned of the dire consequences for cause of children’s rights. With UNICEF all if business as usual continues. “In and other key children’s agencies, Latin America,” said Uruguayan writer Machel and Madiba aim to enlist the Eduardo Galeano, “the majority of commitment of world leaders to do children are poor, and the majority of whatever it takes to deliver a world fit the poor are children. Society uses them, for children. “The future of our chil- punishes them, sometimes kills them: dren lies in leadership and the choic- it almost never listens to them and it es leaders make,” they have said. “We never understands them.” The Chilean call on those we have called on before novelist Isabel Allende added: “Mil- to join us in a new global partnership lions of children die of neglect that is that is committed to this change. We cruelly tolerated by society. And we invite those whom we have never are all part of that society. You and I. met to join us in the global move- Our governments have all ratified the ment for children.”37 Convention on the Rights of the Child.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 31

II “To change the world with children”

ince the earliest days of its existence, UNICEF has called the world’s attention to the situation of Schildren – to the many of them bruised by the operation of national societies and the global economy, to the ways in which they have suffered because of their parents’ poverty, to how their health has suffered through lack of food or immunization and their devel- opment through poor health, abuse and neglect, and lack of education – and has taken action to offset the damage. During the 1980s, UNICEF focused its energies on the child-health revolution, driven by the knowledge that easy-to-understand processes such as immuniza- tion, and would save the lives of millions of infants. The achievements were remarkable, demonstrating that when political will, knowledge and resources converge, seemingly intractable problems could be solved.

A young girl being measured for a school uniform in Rajasthan, India UNICEF/00-0664/Lemoyne

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 33 PANEL Educate every child: 4 The dreams of Nagaland

n the remote, hilly north-eastern children and college youth, they realized corner of India bordering “these are the people with the biggest Olies Nagaland, a tiny state em- stakes in the future…. Many of them were broiled in nearly a half century of contin- quite clear about the kind of future they uous conflict. The population of 2 million long for and the clarity of their thinking is tired of violence, threats of extortion zapped us! Clearly we were hearing and and living in fear. A fragile ceasefire has experiencing their cry of anguish.” existed for the last three years. One col- In a second workshop, two polls of lege student today writes, “I can recall both interviewers and interviewees were peace only when I was a small child – not conducted on the 10 imperatives of the after that.” Rallying Call for Children. ‘Educate Every With the support of the Chief Secre- Child’ was foremost in everyone’s mind, tary of Nagaland, the highest-ranking followed by ‘Care for every Child’, ‘Fight bureaucrat in the state, a series of action HIV/AIDS’ and ‘Listen to Children.’ research workshops were initiated in “Children are the leaders of tomorrow – Nagaland early in 2001 to create change. so we must educate them properly if In the workshops, individuals are asked we are to be led properly,” wrote one to ‘Imagine Nagaland’ by focusing on respondent. what they want for their state rather than clearly focused on the future rather than And a student echoed with, “I imagine on the problems they currently face. the past. Children were concerned that a Nagaland where people have less com- Participants move through a four-phase “Nagaland needs more freedom from plaints and criticism, children [are] cycle of interviews – Discovery, Dream, violence.” They spoke about community eagerly involved in school because of the Design and Destiny. Over 1,000 inter- development as being more important good facilities and extra-curricular activi- views have already been conducted and than individual development. They ap- ties, villages [are] involved in their own 20,000 more are planned. Each interview pealed for parks and sports fields. And development and everyone [is] involved is to generate six additional interviews, they expressed the need for primary edu- and aware of their cultural heritage.” setting off a ripple effect that will reach cation because, as they put it, “even a Will the dream stories that are told, into every corner of Nagaland society, building without a strong foundation can retold and interpreted ultimately influ- engaging adults and children in the com- fall.” One student wrote: ence the inner dialogue of the people of mon cause of creating their new society. Nagaland, and will such internal change In April 2001, more than 70 participants O’ future Nagas, let’s stop this evil give greater momentum to the social drawn from diverse stakeholder groups Let there be peace again change that is needed? Yes, according to and originating from eight districts gath- Stop the gun culture, it’s not ours one college youth who wrote in a letter, ered for a “Discovery Phase” workshop. For we cannot survive in this pool of “Obviously, what we are facing now They represented ‘Nagaland glue’ – Hatred, conflict and corruption. would be the consequence of what our junior, middle and senior government predecessors had already committed. So officials, media, teachers, legislators and By the end of the first day, the young it is the right time to reshape our society NGOs, including church leaders and people’s honesty and eloquence, repre- again. Or else the future situation will human rights activists. But importantly, sented in paintings, slogans and poems, again be the result of the present, and we almost one third of the participants were had jolted the adults. Children summed will be held responsible for that.” children and young people from different up what they had “more of” in compari- tribal origins. For many of the adults, this son with the maturity, experience and was their first experience of interacting responsibilities of adults. “We’re more on an equal footing with the younger educated, more creative, more sincere generation. and courageous and we’re more action- Initially young people and adults oriented.” Their wish-list was clear – began visioning exercises separately. peace, unity, reforestation, more state When asked “What gives life to Nagaland?” advances in science and technology and adults spoke of their sense of pride in guaranteed employment on leaving school. their rich cultural heritage, their stoic Writing in the local Northeast Herald acceptance of the current situation, their newspaper, a group of participating jour- classless and casteless society and strong nalists commented, “Some of us who religious convictions and their yearning thought we knew what the problem in for peace and development. Naga society is discovered that we didn’t “Imagine Nagaland” logo created by Ms. Abokou Metha, a college student attending the Regional Meeting leading The younger group appeared more know nearly enough.” Listening to school- to the Special Session on Children.

34 TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN And then, the Convention on the and contributing member of a family, Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989 community and society. It is becom- by the UN General Assembly and ing evident that when adults interact Leaders on entered into force a year later, pro- with children in ways built on respect behalf of foundly changed the world’s engage- for their rights, everything changes. ment with children. Just like the This has been the quiet but vital children Universal Declaration of Human Rights drama played out in every country of in 1948, the Convention articulated the world over the last decade: children “Only a healthy society something fundamental about human- learning about their rights and fami- can generate healthy ity’s sense of itself and acted as a lies and communities learning how to companies,” says Brazilian watershed and reference point for all embrace the principle of child rights Oded Grajew, who founded future generations that had never been and to change their attitudes and Instituto Ethos, an associa- there before. The Convention pre- behaviours to match (see Panel 4). tion of companies dedicated sented a coherent vision of children’s to developing socially rights and how society should provide Children’s participation responsible business, and for them – expressed in the terms of a Fundaçao Abrinq, a child legal document that asked national The child’s perspective is not an add- rights organization that governments to sign up to those terms on: The world looks different from promotes child-friendly and thereafter be held accountable his or her vantage point. Children’s companies. for them. participation changes thinking and The Convention is transforming alters the design of projects and pro- the landscape not simply because rati- grammes. “If you listen to children, fying governments have acknowl- you do things better.” 38 edged a legal responsibility, but also When PLAN International UK because the acceptance of the idea of started a housebuilding programme child rights creates its own dynamic. in Guatemala, for example, it at first The world’s understanding of children intended to build houses with one is changing. Seen through the Con- room. But following consultation vention’s lens, the child is an active with the families who were going to UNICEF/93-1728/Lemoyne/China

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 35 PANEL PYALARA: 5 Young Palestinian leaders Masthead

hrough panoramic glass windows Palestinian region. Begun in 1998, the “At PYALARA hope takes a more con- of a sun-drenched office, young 16-page monthly newspaper, with a cir- crete form,” explained Saleem Habash, T Palestinian men and women look culation of 7,000, is written in English an 18-year-old from Ramallah and one of out over one of the main crossroads near and . The students, with training the youth founders of PYALARA. “We real- Jerusalem. They watch the heavy traffic and guidance from staff and volunteers, ize our sense of purpose and belonging, pass by and reflect on their lives. They craft the periodical from story ideas we prioritize our needs and concerns and have reached a stage where choices have through final production. With a newly learn how to act upon them, we acquire to be made. There will be lifestyles to fol- designed website , the skills in media and communication and low, skills to learn, a future to plan. paper is now available throughout the learn how to spread awareness and open They have come here – to the world. direct means of dialoguing with our Palestinian Youth Association for Leader- More than 2,000 young Palestinians peers in Palestine and elsewhere, and we ship and Rights Activation (PYALARA) – to have submitted their writings to PYALARA, learn ways of helping out our families, join with others facing similar life deci- reaching out to the national, regional and peers, society and above all, ourselves.” sions and to seek some peace from the international reader. In a world of journal- The ‘We Care’ project came as a break- horrors of conflict. At a time when many ism where adult voices control the high- through providing for the emotional young Palestinians express fears that est notes, the pens and voices of these needs of children and young adults going there is nothing more to lose; that they young Palestinian writers try to press on through the psychological turmoil of the see no reason for living or working or the right chords. This year the journalists violence that pervades their lives. “We studying; that they feel helpless and are preparing a book with the working are the ‘children of the stones’ as the voiceless; PYALARA offers an alternative. title ‘Young voices from Palestine’, intro- media calls us but we are not made of With support from UNICEF, Cordaid (the ducing to the world first-hand accounts stone! We have broken hearts and misty ), Friedrich Naumann Founda- of the lives of young Palestinians. eyes (not necessarily from tear gas!). Our tion (Jerusalem), , Foun- But these young people are more than loved ones are missing and our families dation for Middle East Peace and other journalists; they are young Palestinian are torn apart. The shelling on our cities, organizations, PYALARA draws approxi- leaders. Recognizing the physical and villages and camps left deep scars but mately 150 youth, 14–22 years old. psychological toll of the political situa- not only on the crumbling walls,” were “We do not aim at converting young tion, PYALARA launched an outreach the words of some young Palestinians. people, but we work hard to show the component called ‘We Care’. This project With the help of UNICEF, a group of majority of our young people a way out,” trains college students in individual and Palestinian ministries and NGOs decided said Hania Bitar, the director general of group counselling, helping youth to help to bring some happiness into the hearts the Association. “Noam Chomsky sees youth. With their willingness to give of Palestinian children on the occasion of creativity and not acquisitiveness as the support, young adults eventually suc- the Palestinian Child’s Day, 5th of April. most fundamental human need. We aim ceed in raising the spirits of their peers Under the logo ‘We want our childhood’, at making our young members play an by releasing their tension, discussing their PYALARA’s young members designed, active role in serving their country and in psychological, emotional and other prob- worked on and presented special TV epi- expressing their love and nationalism in a lems and offering tangible solutions. sodes for children that were broadcasted creative and constructive way,” she added. “When Ramallah was bombarded two throughout April. According to Hania PYALARA emphasizes empowerment days ago, I held my little sister closely…I Bitar, the message was clear: “In order to through communication and media skills, shut her ears with my hands…I did not survive, persevere and preserve the ongoing workshops on leadership and want her to hear the shooting and the quality of our lives, we need to allow a children’s rights, peer solidarity and coun- bombardment…. I failed…she left me and space for laughter, for childhood and for selling. As one of several community rushed to my mom who herself was innocence.” service projects, it supports student crying hysterically and feeling helpless,” journalists who publish The Youth Times, explained Dima, an 18-year-old, first- the first and only youth paper in the year student at Birzeit University.

36 TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN live in them, it was decided to opt four- and five-year-olds were asked to for a more expensive model with two produce a mural depicting their local rooms. Why? Because the consulta- environment as it currently was and Leaders on tion had involved not just the adults then as they would like to see it. The behalf of in the family but also their children. researchers found, to their surprise, Girls told the researchers that they did that the children objected to having children not want to have just one room in play areas covered with grass. Why? which everyone would sleep because The children preferred concrete because In Sierra Leone, activist “then we get touched in places we grass made it difficult for them to see Father Berton Giuseppe, a don’t want to be touched.” broken glass, dog excrement and nee- 69-year-old Italian national In a further example, PLAN was dles discarded by drug addicts.40 who has dedicated the last involved with a poor community in When it comes to designing proj- 30 years to child protection . The adult starting point was ects to benefit adolescents there is and reintegration, has only that the community’s children needed something seriously wrong if their one motto in life: to work better school buildings. But when the own views are not actively sought with children and for children were consulted separately and taken into account (see Panel 5). children. they came up with their own list of The Bangladesh Rural Advancement priorities. Yes, they wanted school Committee (BRAC) has experienced buildings, but more than that they the value of this kind of consultation wanted schools in which they were not over two decades of experience. Not beaten and where the teachers actu- only has the input of adolescent girls ally showed up; they wanted streets fundamentally changed the character without so much rubbish; fathers who of BRAC’s schools and programmes, didn’t come home drunk; and protec- but it has also shattered the original tion from sexual abuse. perception of the NGO’s workers that As in this case, children’s messages such village girls would be more in- can be uncomfortable for adults – but terested in marriage plans than in the more uncomfortable the message learning – indicative of the cultural the more likely it is that it would not traditions and expectations that con- have been understood or predicted strain children’s participation and without children’s perspectives being consultation in many regions of the directly sought. This is particularly so world. Adolescent girls now train in the case of physical or sexual abuse, with BRAC as teachers and reading which researchers have found to be centre coordinators – and as photog- a consistent theme in surveys that raphers.41 On a national level, adoles- have carefully consulted children. cents in Bangladesh are being offered When UNICEF in Suriname consulted a voice on television: The new private primary-school-age children during a channel, Ekushey Television (ETV), child rights promotion campaign in runs a news programme presented by Marowijne in July 1999, it found that teenagers called Mukto Khobor.42 among the most significant abuses In Guatemala, youth groups suf- were those involving corporal punish- fered particular persecution during the ment. As a result, during 2000 it or- periods of dictatorship and youth ganized follow-up activities aimed at organizations remain weak. But there building adults’ skills in disciplining are signs of a renaissance and, given children both at school and at home that youth organizations provide without recourse to physical violence. adolescents’ main experience of In addition, adults attended two stress democracy, their strengthening will be management workshops designed to an essential buttress to future human help them develop self-control.39 rights in the country. Their experience It can even be well worth consult- can be inspirational – not least in their ing children of pre-school age. In a effect on their own members’ lives. In poor district of , a group of the town of Villa Nueva, for example,

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 37 PANEL 6 Children’s opinion polls

early 40,000 children between the of the children thought that voting in ages of 9 and 18 in 72 countries elections is ineffective. Nacross East Asia and the Pacific, When polled on what they would ask Europe and Central Asia, and Latin of social institutions such as the Church, America and the Caribbean were the sub- their mayor, government and laws, Latin ject of extensive interviews over the last American and Caribbean children listed two years, as UNICEF set out to systemati- helping the poor and needy as one of cally collect their thoughts and opinions their two top concerns. Almost half the on matters that affect them most. In one of children polled in CEE/CIS and Baltic the largest multi-country surveys of chil- States wanted their country to be a place dren’s opinions ever carried out, UNICEF with a better economic situation and queried young people on such topics as where everybody has a job. Children in school, violence in their lives and their all the polling regions asserted their expectations of government. The findings right to be loved. offer a uniquely valuable perspective on the state of the world’s children through Violence in and outside the eyes of the world’s children. of the home The right to education In Europe and Central Asia, 6 out of 10

children reported violent or aggressive Republic/Perera UNICEF/Dominican About half the children in Europe and behaviour at home and just over one Central Asia and in Latin America and the quarter of those interviewed in Latin must not go near an infected person was Caribbean say they go to school in order America and the Caribbean complained around 20 per cent. Four per cent of the to learn. Almost 60 per cent in Latin of a high level of aggressive behaviour, respondents said that HIV can be trans- America and the Caribbean sponta- including shouting and beatings, in their mitted by touching someone infected neously brought up the right to educa- homes. In East Asia and the Pacific, 23 with HIV. In Thailand in the East Asia and tion when asked about their rights, and per cent said they are beaten by parents Pacific region, the rate rises to 10 per cent. over 40 per cent wanted laws to protect at home, and in some places like that right. In East Asia and the Pacific, Cambodia (44%), East Timor (53%) and UNICEF found that half of those polled Myanmar (40%), the rates are even higher. Social justice and peace spontaneously mentioned education as a Nearly one in five of the children inter- child’s right, and, not surprisingly, that viewed in Europe and Central Asia felt Over half the interviewees in Europe and school was the main topic of children’s their neighbourhood was unsafe to Central Asia believed that children from conversations with friends. walk around in. In the Latin America and poor families are discriminated against, When children in Europe and Central Caribbean region, the feeling of insecuri- and 46 per cent thought that disabled Asia were asked what they would tell ty was even higher at 43 per cent; about children are treated unfairly. In Western their teachers if they could say what they 15 per cent of the children interviewed have and Central Europe, over 40 per cent felt thought, 20 per cent said they would ask themselves been victims of a robbery. that children of different ethnic groups for better teacher-student relations. In are treated unfairly in their country. In Latin America and the Caribbean, about Latin America and the Caribbean, a nega- HIV/AIDS tive relationship with their teachers was 12 per cent of the children polled listed linked with perceived authoritarian atti- Only 15 per cent of the 14- to 17-year- the right not to be discriminated against tudes and the lack of space for children olds interviewed in the East Asia and as one of the laws they would make to to express themselves. Pacific region claimed to know “a lot” help children and adolescents. about HIV/AIDS. Over half of UNICEF’s In the Latin America and Caribbean Seen, heard and loved interviewees in CEE/CIS and Baltic States, region, one out of five children wished for and 40 per cent in Western Europe, say a country at peace, with an even higher Over half the children interviewed in they have very little or no information on figure of 50 per cent in the Andean coun- Latin America and the Caribbean felt HIV/AIDS. One third of those interviewed tries. And in Europe and Central Asia, they are not heard, either at home or in in Latin America and the Caribbean feel about 40 per cent of the children polled school. In Europe and Central Asia, over uninformed about , HIV/AIDS by UNICEF said their desires for a country 60 per cent said their opinion is not suffi- and drug abuse. In countries like Ecuador, without crime or violence and a country ciently taken into account by their gov- Guatemala and , the percentage where there would be peace eclipsed their ernment. Only 30 per cent felt they can of children who wrongly believed that in desire for full employment and a better trust their government. Close to 20 per cent order to avoid becoming infected one economic situation.

38 TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN the Iqui Balam youth group comprises ethnic groups. It is assumed that chil- around 50 members of two rival gangs. dren and their interests will be repre- Following the death by cocaine of a sented and safeguarded by adults, Leaders on gang leader’s younger brother, the whether by their parents, their teach- behalf of group rejected violence and started to ers or other authority figures. But, engage in theatre, music and commu- children have no right to vote or to children nity-health activities. They are now political representation nor any access reaching a good artistic standard and to the courts (see Panel 7). In many Candlelight for Health and are developing pieces drawn from per- countries they remain the only peo- Education is one of the few sonal experience so as to communicate ple whom it is lawful to hit. Their organizations that has messages about family violence, drug views are rarely solicited or expressed actively encouraged abuse and AIDS. The group is becom- in the media in any meaningful way. women’s participation ing an NGO with UNICEF support, No one is assuming that young in social programmes in and offering training in leadership as children should be given the vote: Somalia, largely due to well as in small business management. Article 12 of the Convention on the the efforts and leadership Yet the systematic soliciting of chil- Rights of the Child says clearly that of its founder, Shukri dren’s and adolescents’ opinions has “in all matters affecting the child, the Ismail, an articulate and hitherto been rare. In an attempt to views of the child [should be] given dynamic leader who runs garner their views in a more system- due weight in accordance with the Candlelight’s on-the-ground atic way, UNICEF has embarked on age and maturity of the child.” Yet it operations. a series of regional youth opinion is odd, to say the least, that all over polls, with the long-term aim of con- the world adolescents can be married structing a database that will help the or sent to war years before they are organization evaluate whether chil- allowed to take part in elections. And dren’s rights are being respected43 (see in a democracy children’s lack of vot- Panel 6). ing power can mean that elected rep- resentatives take no notice of children’s Discrimination against interests. The net result can be disas- children trous for children. Over the past 20 years, for example, there has been a Hearing children’s voices in this way growth in child poverty in almost will make it clearer how the world every country in the European Union needs to change if it is to respect their and the proportion of public expen- fundamental rights. The flipside of diture on children has diminished – this is that the lack of interest in con- at a time when there has been a con- sulting children hitherto has left them sistent period of economic growth invisible to policy makers at all levels during which overall wealth has of society and, as increased. President Nicole Fontaine has said, The answer must be two-pronged. children’s invisibility has “an inher- Recognizing the likelihood of discrim- ently discriminatory impact.” 44 ination, even of an indirect and non- The idea that children are discrim- malicious kind, governments must inated against is a shocking one when set up specific mechanisms to ensure people first encounter it. Even vet- that their policies and programmes eran activists for children’s rights may respect child rights: Some countries balk at the idea. After all, our first have appointed ombudspersons to reaction is to object since children devise specific mechanisms for taking are appealing: they evoke a natural account of the views and perspectives sympathy in us. How could there be of children and adolescents. In Bolivia, such discrimination? Offices for the Defence of Children Discrimination against children is have been set up in 158 municipali- usually less direct, less naked than ties, and the goal is to establish at that, for example, against racial or least one in each of the country’s 314

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 39 Voices “I think we young people don’t listen to the elders because in most cases they preach water and drink wine which I think is not fair.” of Youth, Africa Young “Most of the campaigns don’t involve young people in the design . . . maybe this is why they don’t work, because they’re just adult ministry of health campaign. They’re just not cool!” People . . . Youth, Africa

“In Azerbaijan parents often oppose, while children welcome sex education.” On Youth, Azerbaijan “But just knowing about HIV/AIDS is not sufficient to change the way we behave. There is another factor: power. AIDS preys most on those who lack HIV/AIDS power, and girls are the most vulnerable. They are often pressured or forced into having sex, or are denied information they need to help them make informed Half of all new cases of HIV decisions. Girls frequently lack the skills to negotiate with boys or men and the occur in young people 15 to confidence to challenge them; girls fear that being too assertive will make them 24 years old. unpopular. Even when a girl makes an informed decision, she may be unable to negotiate safe sex.” Hortense, 19, Côte d’Ivoire There are an estimated 1.4 mil- lion children under the age of “They [the neighbours] all know. They assume that we are also HIV positive. 15 living with HIV worldwide. People used to really like my mother. Her brothers would help her – and through an NGO she was able to get free testing. That is how she found out she was HIV positive. She then had us tested because she was worried that we would 80 per cent of children under also be infected. Thank God we are all negative. Our neighbours are not like the age of 15 living with HIV before – they have distanced themselves. They should be distancing themselves from the virus, not from us.” are children living in Africa. Ammanuel, 13 and orphaned by AIDS, Ethiopia

4.3 million children under “They [our relatives] want to split us up. They want us to be their servants. No the age of 15 have died from one has suggested a way to keep us together and help us. They have picked who AIDS since the beginning of they want to take – to make us work for them – not to help us. And we are not the epidemic. willing to be separated. We want to stay together. We would rather eat nothing but beans, as long as we are together.” More than 13 million children Yemisrach, 21, Ethiopia, whose parents died of AIDS aged 14 or younger have been orphaned by AIDS. “I have to say that even though I get lots of information about AIDS, I always have the feeling that it concerns somebody else and that it isn’t a direct problem for me.” Lucie, 15, Central and Eastern Europe

“One thing [is] for sure, I want to do things that benefit others. The most urgent need these days is to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, for it is killing our country. Young people can play a big part in this prevention by helping one another stay HIV negative. Youth also meet to engage in constructive activities, working to improve their communities.” Teleza, 13, Malawi

“We are normal human beings, we can walk and talk.” Nkosi Johnson (now deceased), 12, South Africa

“I still get sad, but I want to live to see my daughter grow up – I want to live for my daughter.” Lan, early 20’s and HIV positive, Viet Nam

40 TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN municipalities. These offices have been of Moldova – are blazing a trail in active in denouncing abuses that would this regard. In Moldova there is not previously have gone unnoticed, as only an elected Children’s Parliament Leaders on in a recent case involving the sexual that includes representation for insti- behalf of abuse of an indigenous girl by 11 sol- tutionalized children but also elected diers where the mobilization of public youth councils which work in collab- children opinion and the local media resulted oration with the country’s 18 local in a prosecution that in the past would administrations to involve young peo- Rodwell Jacha of Image have been extremely unlikely.45 ple in the decision-making process.46 Africa turned However, governments must also In Azerbaijan, meanwhile, the Youth his private-sector savvy to find ways of taking more serious ac- Forum not only allows adolescents to benefit a public cause: the count of the views of children – and make recommendations to the Ministry fight against child sexual of adolescents in particular. The pro- of Youth and Sports, but in 2000 it abuse. A media campaign liferation of youth parliaments, for also came up with its own recommen- in Zimbabwe on the Day of example, is an important develop- dation to Parliament that a group of the African Child 2000 ment. But these must be seen not young people should be attached as raised awareness on the simply as an educational exercise for consultants to the Social Policy Com- issue of child sexual abuse the children and adolescents involved mission. In addition, Azerbaijan has a and increased the demand (as is often the temptation) but as higher than average proportion of for more child-friendly important democratic institutions in young people who have been elected information on child their own right. Some of the emerg- as Members of Parliament, including abuse and HIV/AIDS. ing democracies of Eastern Europe the chairperson of the Children’s Or- and the Commonwealth of Inde- ganization.47 In Africa, too, children’s pendent States – notably , parliaments are an idea whose time Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Republic has come, having been launched in UNICEF/97-0083/Horner/Thailand

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 41 Voices “Many adults had supported the Mandate [for peace in Colombia] because they saw it as an educational exercise to help Colombian children learn about good of citizenship. Instead, by voting in such huge numbers, and by showing that we really understood what the war was doing to us, we taught adults a lesson – Young they were the ones who had been letting us down. They were the ones who had not taken part in elections, had given us a weak government and had allowed the war to continue.” People . . . Mayerly, 16, Colombia

“My mother, younger siblings and I fled Senafe together when the air bombard- ments started. We headed straight to the mountains like everyone else and On conflict stayed hidden in the mountain caves for several days. My mother decided I should continue the flight on my own because my siblings and her would only slow me down. I was scared and left all alone, but I managed to hitch a ride to Of the 35 million refugees and Adi Keyih. There, I met some older boys I knew from my neighbourhood. I displaced people in the world, travelled with them all the way to Mai Habar. Now all of us live together in 80 per cent are women and one tent. I have not heard from my mother or siblings. It has now been over two months.” children. Mulugeta, 12, Eritrea

Between 1990 and 2000, “What I don’t like is the [artillery] shelling. It comes almost every day. The 2 million children were shelling is the reason we had to move the school from the two previous locations. slaughtered, 6 million injured In our previous location, when the shells started to fall, we had to run into or permanently disabled and the caves for shelter. Some people [from the community] have been hurt by the shelling, but no schoolchildren. Still, I’m scared whenever I hear it.” 12 million left homeless because of conflict. Hadgu, 12, Ethiopia

Between 80 per cent and “‘The Omagh Bombing’...my best friend was killed.… Although, I haven’t got over it, there is now a ceasefire in the North of Ireland, so there has been no 90 per cent of those who die more bombs, except the ceasefire is about to break down, and I now feel scared or are injured in conflicts are again to know that if the ceasefire breaks down…there will be people only a few – mostly children hundred miles away being killed monthly, if not weekly, and I feel so helpless and their mothers. to know that there is people too young to understand why.…” Briain, 12, Ireland Conflict has orphaned or separated more than 1 million “When happen conflict in Europe, in , almost whole world looked at it children from their families and listened news. But in Africa are happening more serious things and none does anything. Is that a racism?” in the last decade of the Robert, 16, 20th century. “I want to get the bad, bad things out of my heart. I want to go back to school. I want to be born again as a child.” Solomon, 16, Liberia

“The war affects us directly and indirectly…whatever we do, it is with us. We cannot escape from its reach. Like a rubber ball pushed under water, it will surface again and again.” Mahesh, 16, Sri Lanka

“We have been crying to the world and many people come to take photos and promise to do something, but they never come back and we don’t see any result in the situation.” Youth, Sudan

“I would like you to give a message. Please do your best to tell the world what is happening to us, the children. So that other children don’t have to pass through this violence.” Girl, 15, abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda who was made to kill a boy who tried to escape

“I do not know why the death of a half a million Iraqi children from sanctions does not attract more world attention. I think a half of million children is a whole lot of children.” Marwa, 10, United States

42 TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN one form or another in nearly every movement aims to draw in all those country on the continent. who believe that the rights of chil- As children attending the January dren must be our first priority: from Leaders on Preparatory Committee meeting for caring parents to government minis- behalf of the UN Special Session on Children ters, from responsible corporations to said in a joint statement: “We would teachers and child-protection officers. children like adults to meet the promises they It is a movement that is gathering the have made to us so that we can aspire kind of momentum and moral force South Africa’s youngest to a better future.… We also call for that politicians will ignore at their AIDS activist, Nkosi the participation of children and peril. In all its aspects – including the Johnson, died in June 2001 young people because we know best fact that children are full and neces- at 12 years of age. The the issues which affect us. We call sary partners – the Global Movement influence of his short life for our governments to respect our for Children is about leadership. will long be felt. Not only rights. The Special Session is for chil- Over the months leading up to did he defy the prognosis dren – you have to hear our voices. the UN Special Session on Children – of nine months to live After all, if not us, who else is all of which in September 2001 will review by a decade, Nkosi also this for? Children should be seen and the decade’s work since the World lobbied the South African heard, not ‘seen and not heard’.” 48 Summit for Children and adopt goals Parliament for equal and standards for the period ahead – education rights for The Global Movement this Movement has been mobilizing children with AIDS, result- for Children support all over the world for a 10- ing in the passage of an point agenda that aims to ‘change the anti-discrimination law for The influence of the Convention on world with children’. Its Rallying Call children affected with AIDS the Rights of the Child during the proclaims: “We, as citizens of every who want to attend school. last decade of the 20th century has nation and members of families, com- been profound – and it continues to munities and civil society organiza- augment, slowly but surely, with tions of every kind, hereby resolve to every passing month. Every day new help mobilize a Global Movement for people come into contact with the Children – an unstoppable crusade to idea of child rights; every day new end, at long last, the poverty, ill health, officials in both national and local violence and discrimination that have government come to terms with the needlessly blighted and destroyed so implications of their legal duty to many young lives. Our determination respect children’s rights; every day is rooted in the knowledge that in more children and adolescents gain furthering the best interests of chil- ground in exercising their right to be dren, the most effective actions must listened to and to shape their world come from within the context of our by changing the perspectives of the own lives and hearts, and from lis- adults around them. This ground- tening to children and young people swell of opinion and activism for a themselves. As members of the human common purpose is bringing into being family, each of us is responsible. All of a global movement composed of chil- us are accountable.” dren and their families and those who This message is being taken into care about child rights. villages, towns and cities all over the To help give this burgeoning mass world in a massive grass-roots cam- movement a public voice, six leading paign in which UNICEF is playing a organizations that work with children – major role. Young and old alike are BRAC, Netaid.org Foundation, PLAN being asked to ‘Say Yes for Children’, International, , opting for what they think are the top UNICEF and World Vision – came priorities for action. The same ques- together to announce their commit- tion is being asked on the Internet as ment to building a Global Movement people log on to www.gmfc.org and for Children. This inclusive, worldwide offer their support.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 43 PANEL 7 Global Movement for Children: A role for everyone

Note: This Action Matrix is managed by Save the Children on behalf of the Global Movement for Children.

44 TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN More detailed discussion and ideas President Stoyanov of Bulgaria for action are also being encouraged signed the pledge in April in Sofia and the results of this ‘action matrix’ while there was a simultaneous Leaders on are being collated and analysed by launch in 10 other cities. National behalf of the Save the Children Alliance (see television broadcast the Say Yes Panel 7). The Global Movement web- appeal every day after children’s children site has been set up and maintained programming and before the main by Netaid.org – itself a joint public- evening news. In Brazil, Padre Júlio private venture between the UN Lancelotti has long been Development Programme and Cisco The launch of Say Yes in Burkina advocating on behalf of Systems of the kind the Global Faso took place at the Pan-African children and adolescents, Movement aims to inspire – and Festival of Film and Television in most recently in pushing for which another founding partner of Ouagadougou. Film-makers present reform of the institutions the Global Movement for Children, left their handprints in clay as a that house youth in conflict World Vision, is making a particular graphic way of making their pledge with the law and providing effort to promote. for children. and protecting housing The national launches of ‘Say Yes and other services for for Children’ all over the world begin- In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun HIV-positive women ning in March 2001 were spectacular Sen launched the campaign in a and children. for both their diversity and their high special prime-time television broad- profile: presidents and prime ministers, cast, filling out the first pledge and musical and sports celebrities, religious urging all Cambodians to follow leaders and writers joined forces with his example. thousands of children to reach out to the widest possible audience. The fol- Chilean President Lagos used the lowing were among the highlights: Say Yes event to launch a National Policy and Integrated Plan of Action In Azerbaijan, Say Yes was launched for Children and Adolescents, and at the International Freestyle Wres- announced that he would be cere- tling Tournament, because of the monially presented with the results popularity of the sport in the of months of pledging in mid-August, country. World Freestyle Wrestling on Chile’s Day of the Child. champion Namiq Abdullayev was among the first to pledge. President Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire made the country’s first pledge The President, Prime Minister and before an audience of 2,000 chil- Leader of the Opposition in Ban- dren, traditional chiefs and business gladesh all signed pledge forms in leaders who watched young circus April, demonstrating an impressive artists, singers and dancers as well cross-party consensus that the cause as listened to the President of the of children must be a priority. Children’s Parliament.

Say Yes was officially launched on In Georgia, the bells of the main March 26 in Belgium and covered Sameba Cathedral announced the widely by national media and Say Yes campaign on June 1 as First youth publications. A group of the Lady Nanuli Shevardnadze led the country’s leading children’s advo- launch at the Children and Youth cates joined forces to promote the Palace. With pledge stations around campaign, with assistance from the the city and young volunteers Ministry of Education, the Youth distributing pledge forms, 10,000 Movement and others. Pledge forms pledges were received by the end in Dutch and French were widely of the day. On 12 June, President distributed. Eduard Shevardnadze signed his

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 45 Say UNICEF/HQ01-0212/Giacomo Pirozzi UNICEF/HQ01-0212/Giacomo

46 Yes for Children UNICEF/01-0155/Toutounji

A victory for hope. The truth is that the world has not been kind to children. The truth is also that the status quo doesn’t have to remain the status quo. The ‘Say Yes for Children’ campaign, launched by UNICEF as one of its contributions to the Global Movement for Children, has mobilized communities around the world, encouraging public discussions about the rights of the child and gathering pledges from millions of people who believe that every child has the right to live in health, peace and dignity. Pictured clockwise from top right: UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan; Harry and Julie Belafonte in South Africa; former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina; Jordan’s Queen Rania; Graça Machel, Kamo Masilo and Nelson Mandela in Mozambique; and in every photo, children eager

© Crystal George to change the world. UNICEF/01-0264/Pirozzi UNICEF/01-0237/Hossain THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 47 pledge and announced his com- country and to protect children mitment to attend the Special from discriminatory treatment. He Session on Children in September. declared: “We continue to affirm today that the child is king!” At the launch of Say Yes in , President Kufuor promised the Chil- During Mongolia’s Mother and dren’s Parliament that he would Children’s Day on 1 June, the Pres- implement free, compulsory basic ident, Prime Minister and Gover- education and an expanded teacher- nor of Ulaanbaatar all urged the training programme. country’s citizens to Say Yes. Na- tional pop star Ariunaa was named Against the backdrop of Haiti’s a UNICEF Special Envoy for Chil- current political and social turbu- dren and she released a Say Yes lence, thousands of children and song that she had composed and NGO representatives heard President performed with other artists on Aristide commit himself to attend the launch day. the Special Session on Children and to ensure education for all by 2004. Royal support was also forthcom- Children spoke spontaneously and ing in , where Princess pleaded for their rights to be re- Lalla Meryem launched a nation- spected and for an end to violence wide drive on National Child Day against Haitian children. in May.

In Honduras, there was a launch in Say Yes took off in Mozambique on May and there will be a nation- April 26 at a well-attended launch, wide vigil organized by the various marked by the participation of 150 religions in the country in August. students, the promise of govern- The national soccer team is show- mental support from the Ministry ing its support by playing interna- of Women and Social Welfare and tional matches while wearing Say the spirited performance of top Yes T-shirts. female vocalist Julia Mwithu. Na- tional NGOs have distributed forms Prime Minister Patterson launched and collected more than 50,000 Say Yes on May 1st in a nationwide pledges so far. On June 1, Inter- radio and television broadcast to national Children's Day, President kick off Jamaica’s National Child cast his vote be- Month. The campaign will piggy- fore thousands gathered in Maputo. back on planned events such as market days in the country’s capi- On June 1st, in a festive all-day cel- tal in June, summer camps organized ebration that saw the launch of by church and community groups five major child-rights initiatives, and NGOs in July, a national agricul- more than 500 children, parliamen- tural show in August and a Chil- tarians, teachers and caregivers gath- dren’s Parliament in September. ered as four South African Cabinet Ministers logged on to fill out launched South Africa’s child-friendly ver- Say Yes in May and in just 21 days sion of the pledge, called ‘Hear My the campaign exceeded its target Voice’ , and by gathering 1 million pledges. to launch Say Yes on the new web- site of the Office on the Rights of President Ratsiraka of Madagascar the Child in the Presidency. made a personal pledge to ensure child rights are realized in the Renamed ‘Say Yes to Peace for

48 TO CHANGE THE WORLD WITH CHILDREN Children’, the campaign is gaining at the largest children’s museum in momentum in Sudan where a Mexico City. The campaign got off group of artists, led by well-known to a momentous start with chil- Leaders on actor Ali Mahdi, is preparing to dren voicing the 10 points of the behalf of take a grand ‘March for Children’, Say Yes pledge and several notable stopping at villages on the way to Mexicans making the country’s first children make theatre presentations and set of pledges. collect pledges. In southern Sudan – One of the few Ghanaian one of the most conflict-ridden In , 300 traditional chiefs women who has studied and isolated regions in the world – from Burkina Faso, , Chad, engineering, Akosua paper pledge forms are being Mali, Mauritania, , Mfumuwaa founded Akos distributed and collected through and Senegal signed the Rallying Engineering Service, a com- schools, medical outreach and im- Call of the Global Movement for pany that makes machinery munization programmes under the Children. They lent their consider- for the harvest activities umbrellas of Operation Lifeline able moral and religious authority usually handled by women Sudan. Pledges are also being col- to an appeal for children’s and who spend long hours lected in 500 ‘Child Friendly Vil- women’s rights and spoke out for supporting their families. lages’ in Darfur, Gedaref, Kordofan girls’ education and against early She also trains young rural and River Nile areas. marriage. women in learning a trade and starting their own In Tanzania, President Mkapa pre- The launch of the Say Yes cam- businesses. sided over the official start of Say paign right across the world in 2001 Yes and listened to an impassioned has been a remarkable phenomenon: plea by children from 20 regions in many cases political leaders have of the mainland and the island of urgently requested that they be put Zanzibar for the abolition of school under as much pressure as possible by fees. their own populations to ‘deliver the goods’ at the Special Session. It is up The Makednski Posti company in to all of us to ensure that this pres- the former Yugoslav Republic of sure on our leaders is sustained not Macedonia provided prepaid post- just through September but in the cards for distribution through daily years ahead. We can do this by mak- newspapers and at schools and ing our own individual pledges, add- community centres nationwide. Top ing our own voices to the swelling local hip-hop artist Vrcak will be international chorus that is Saying campaigning for Say Yes through Yes for Children. to September. None of us is too important or too insignificant to make a pledge to The regional launch for Central and this cause. As the Global Movement Eastern Europe, Commonwealth of for Children makes clear: “We are Independent States and the Baltic calling on every one of you, every- States took place in Istanbul, Turkey, where, to do as much as you possibly at a spectacular and colourful tele- can for children in your own time vised show to celebrate national and in your own way.” Children’s Day. Children from 41 countries urged the world’s leaders to make the protection of children their top priority.

In a regional launch, children, young people and adults from all walks of society came together on April 25th to set Say Yes in motion

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 49

III Actions that can change the world

nquestionably, countries with the most power in the global economy need to show leadership Uin the pursuit of child rights. But developing countries’ disadvantage does not exempt their govern- ments from the need to demonstrate leadership on behalf of children. The rights of children are indivisible and paramount. No society should be satisfied until the rights of all are guaranteed and respected.

Investing in children is, quite simply, the best invest- ment a government can make. No country has made the leap into meaningful and sustained development without investing significantly in its children. According to the World Bank, one of the significant reasons, along with good macroeconomic management, that the countries of East Asia were so much more successful than those of sub-Saharan Africa in economic development during the 1970s and 1980s is that they had invested heavily in children in the preceding decades. They were reaping the harvest, in other words, of seeds sown in the 1950s and 1960s in the fertile soil of children’s health, nutrition and education.49

Mother and son in Tunisia

UNICEF/97-1600/Pirozzi/Tunisia THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 51 Voices “I understand that father had no choice. But why is my brother going to school while I cannot?” of Girl, China Young “Indigenous children are often prevented from having their own identity and self-image – which prevents them from studying – and their land is taken away People . . . due to lack of documentation, leaving them without a house or a home.” Indigenous child, Costa Rica

“Today I work as a servant and live with a family in Arsi Negele. I cannot live On with my family in the countryside. Girls who escape after being abducted are not accepted in our culture – they are hated. So instead of living with my family and being hated, I prefer to live and work with strangers and continue my discrimination education.… People in the community look at girls like me who have escaped abduction differently. They talk about what has happened to us and treat us as though we are not human beings. In my new school, people are OK because they Of the more than 100 million do not know. Those who have heard, however, stay away from me.” out-of-school youth, 60 million Shegitu, 16, Ethiopia are girls. “I feel sad about not having the opportunity to go to school . . . at least I am Between 60 million and 100 being offered the opportunity to learn how to sew, but how I wish I could go to school.” million women are ‘missing’ Abena, 13, Ghana from the world’s population – victims of gender-based “Youth are definitely paid much less than older people at work. Even if their con- , foeticide, tribution is the same or more they are not considered as part of the workforce.” malnutrition and neglect. Deepti, 17, India

90 per cent of domestic workers, “Youth don’t have equality with adults, women don’t have equality with men, the largest group of child and disabled people don’t have equality with ordinary people. And this is the workers in the world, are girls problem of the whole of the world: fighting these types of discrimination. And between 12 and 17 years old. we are fighting too. I am feeling that I am changing something in this society, so I don’t feel we have discrimination in this country. Even if we have, okay. But I feel that we’re going to change it. We’re about to reach equality.” In some areas, HIV infection rates are five times higher Layali, 17, Jordan for girls than for boys. “As an African youth and a girl, I feel disadvantaged several times not because of my circumstances but because of the images and stories created by others and distributed about my life, my past, my dreams and even my future. When the time comes for me to play a role in the world, there is none left for me because others’ prejudices, backed up by images which they have selected as ‘African’, have already determined a place for me without respecting my right to own my own image.” Alison, 17, Kenya

“You can’t go in peace to the shops or take a walk. Maybe if I was a boy these things won’t happen to us.” Nosie, 15, Namibia

“Imagine in a family where there is a boy and a girl, the girl will do all the work in the house. If there is any sacrifice to be made it will be the girl that will suf- fer it, for instance, when the family income is down the girl will be send to go and hawk, that is to sell things in the streets and along the highway. Most times they will push her out to an old man or introduce her into prostitution. Even our mothers are also guilty of this act. This is very wrong, people of the world should change their attitude towards girls and women.” Taiwo, 13, Nigeria

52 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD In the 1990s, moreover, UNICEF as part of the 20/20 Initiative at the studied nine developing countries and World Summit for Social Development the Indian state of . All were in 1995. Leaders on selected for their excellent results in Countries that do not invest enough behalf of health and education, which far sur- in basic social services, that do not passed those of countries facing simi- thereby equip their people to face the children lar economic conditions. The aim was turbulence – or seize the opportuni- to find out if there was any common ties – associated with globalization, Teleza Mseche knows that denominator from which other devel- put themselves at a serious disadvan- AIDS is killing her country oping countries could learn. The tage. Universal access to these services and that young people have Governments – those of Barbados, offers a ‘social shock absorber’ for the power to do something Botswana, Costa Rica, Cuba, Malaysia, travelling the bumpy road to a global- about it. “Young people Mauritius, the Republic of Korea, Sri ized economy, giving the people who can play a big part in this Lanka, Zimbabwe and Kerala state – are poor a greater chance of benefit- prevention by helping one were often very different in their polit- ing and making the whole process of another stay negative,” she ical orientation, but all had made a globalization more democratic.52 says. At 13, Teleza is the point of investing in children through chairperson of her school’s strong state support for basic social Strategic leadership anti-HIV/AIDS club as well services. Thus, each of these countries as president of the local Girl has consistently spent a higher pro- Decisions by political leaders have Guides chapter. She is one portion of their national income on profound effects in the private lives of of three young people who primary education than their neigh- families, from the earliest years of a have represented Malawi bours and kept primary schooling child’s life through to school age; the at international meetings free of tuition fees.50 learning years, broadly those of the in Nairobi and New York. In contrast, recent studies in more primary-school-age range; and the than 30 countries have shown that adolescent years, when the child is basic social services receive, on aver- grappling with the full complexity of age, between 12 per cent and 14 per the world. cent of total public spending.51 This is far from adequate: National gov- ECD ernments should be aiming to spend about 20 per cent of their budgets on The central importance of early child- basic social services, a goal accepted hood development (ECD) is much

Figure 1. Under-investment in basic social services

National budget

Basic education ODA Basic health & nutrition Water & sanitation

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Source: OECD Development Co-operation 2000 Report and UNICEF/UNDP 1998

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 53 PANEL Giving children the best possible start: 8 Better parenting in Jordan

“ he family is the basic social unit where the child is reared and nur- Ttured.” So states Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah as she charges early childhood development specialists in Jordan to design national strategies to upgrade the way children are cared for. “Any effort towards early childhood development should therefore be inter- woven with a more embracing effort towards the well-being of the family as a whole,” says the Queen, “and of women in particular.” Queen Rania’s National Team for Early Childhood Development is working to identify those areas in need of increased attention – the earliest years of child-

hood, for example, when children first UNICEF/Jordan/Pirozzi develop their abilities to think and learn, while laying the foundation for their values and behaviour as adults. The Health; Ministry of Social Development; eries; upgrading kindergarten schooling; National Team will eventually submit its Ministry of Youth; Noor Al-Hussein Foun- helping parents improve their child-care recommendations to the Jordanian Gov- dation; UNICEF and UN Relief and Works skills; ensuring that children with disabil- ernment for ratification. According to Agency for Palestine Refugees in the ities have the services they need; focus- Queen Rania, “We in Jordan therefore pri- . ing on children who are homeless, beggars oritize our interventions to focus on The first step was to assemble a or ; broadening children’s cultural equipping our citizens – not only parents nationwide team of trainers in Jordan, horizons; using the media to communicate and communities, but also youth who are making use of existing agencies and staff child-care messages; upgrading materials the parents of tomorrow – with the nec- in programmes in order to improve par- in schools; training all child-care workers; essary parenting and child-care knowl- enting skills and increase knowledge of and upgrading the health care system. edge and skills. Only then do we fully health, nutrition and children’s cognitive Although much progress has been capitalize on the talents and potential of and social development needs. Mass made, far too many of Jordan’s poorest children, who are indeed our future, at media and community outreach strate- and most disadvantaged children have this critical stage of their lives.” gies were used to reach families and to remained outside of these efforts. Gov- In Jordan, children are traditionally disseminate information about childcare ernment and civil service workers still cared for at home until the age of six, in and development. Groups of parents, need to be educated about the crucial most instances by mothers, older sib- including fathers, met with facilitators to importance of a child’s earliest years. lings and sometimes by neighbours. discuss areas of concern and to exchange Legislation needs to be passed to protect Fathers generally have been absent or ideas. Kindergarten and nursery teachers and uphold children’s rights. And more only slightly involved in raising their chil- were also invited to improve their skills. fathers need to be included in the pro- dren. In 1996, as part of a long-standing The Better Parenting Project has gramme, so they can better understand commitment to support community-based achieved remarkable success – after the their children’s needs and better respond services, UNICEF devised the Better first three years, more than 13,000 par- to them. Parenting Project. The project reaches ents were reached (12,257 women and For our world to survive and flourish, parents, teachers and young future par- 960 men). Parents who participated the first step is to give our children every ents and assists them in developing the gained more confidence in their child- chance they deserve to fulfil their poten- necessary skills to meet their children’s care skills and noted positive changes in tial. Jordan’s strong commitment to early needs most effectively. Jordan was one of their children’s behaviour, all for the af- childhood development and its integrated the first countries to adopt the project as fordable cost of $3.75 per child. approach, with the Government, non- a pilot, with 10 committed partners on In its work, the National Team for Early governmental organizations and interna- board – the Community Empowerment Childhood Development has already pri- tional organizations all working together, Project, Al-Nasir; General Union of oritized the following areas: passing is moving us in the right direction on the Voluntary Societies; Jordanian Women’s legislation to protect children’s rights; path to a better future. Union; Jordanian Hashemite Foundation upgrading health care services for preg- for Human Development; Ministry of nant women; improving childcare at nurs-

54 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD more widely accepted than was the the Convention on the Rights of the case at the time of the World Summit Child. for Children in 1990. High-quality Good ECD programmes encompass Leaders on care in early childhood is a prerequi- all of the child-survival goals with behalf of site of healthy human development. which UNICEF is traditionally identi- It is also a fundamental human right. fied: maternal health, safe childbirth, children The world’s leaders must ensure that regular postnatal check-ups, immuni- every child, without exception, has zation, growth promotion through Agnes Pareyio and Leah their birth registered; that they start breastfeeding, complementary feed- Muuya have traversed life safe from violence and abuse; that ing, provision of micronutrients and Kenya’s Rift Valley over and they have sufficient nutrition, clean parental education about nutrition over since 1996, sometimes water, proper sanitation and health and health. But they extend also into by car, sometimes on foot, care. And just as importantly, com- the mental, social, emotional and for Tasaru Ntomonok or munities must ensure that the intel- spiritual development of children in ‘Safe Motherhood Initiative’ lectual and emotional developmental their early years: both the physical to end the tradition of needs of children are being met; that and psychosocial care they receive female genital mutilation they are given the requisite stimula- and the stimulation they enjoy. by educating both young tion and early learning opportunities; With every passing year additional women and men about and that their parents and other scientific evidence accumulates that the dangerous side primary caregivers receive enough a child’s start in life goes a long way effects of the practice. support and information to provide a to determining the quality of life nurturing and enriching environment they will enjoy throughout child- (see Panel 8). If national and local hood. There is a growth in under- governments do not deliver these standing, for example, that learning things, they will be making a costly starts at birth and is promoted by mistake – as well as failing their moral positive, nurturing experiences in the and legal obligations as set forth in earliest years of childhood. In Dalmau, UNICEF/00-0411/Balaguer/Philippines

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 55 PANEL In Malawi: Fighting HIV/AIDS 9 from the classroom

“ void sex,” says 12-year-old Rebecca Within the national strategy to stop the Abraham. “Avoid boys,” adds her epidemic, the plan is to expand this life A friend. “Don’t share razor blades skills programme to all schools in or needles,” shouts a boy at the back. Malawi. It’s 10 a.m. as the class teacher, Because HIV prevalence in Malawi is Martha Chadzamakono, asks an animated lowest in the 10- to 14-year age group, group of 10- to 12-year-olds at the classes like Mrs. Chadzamakono’s pro- Domasi Demonstration Primary School vide a special opportunity to affect the in Zomba, Malawi, “How do you avoid course of the epidemic. “These children HIV/AIDS?” Mrs. Chadzamakono is clearly will probably become sexually active pleased with the responses. Now that the when they are about 13 or 14,” said most obvious answers have been offered, Ms. Chadzamakono. “At their age, the only one hand remains raised. Rebecca focus is abstinence. When they’re about has another answer. 14 or 15 we’ll teach them about safe “Avoid bars and bottle stores,” the sex.” And she added, “Their parents are young girl states emphatically. There is happy to know that their children are no need to elaborate, it seems, as her being taught the truth about HIV/AIDS.” classmates nod in knowing agreement But the skills learned in these class- about the potential consequences of rooms have a broader impact than hanging about in places where alcohol is fighting the spread of the disease, how- likely to fuel potentially life-threatening ever pressing the need to do that might sexual behaviour. be. Life skills education provides a foun- In twice-weekly classes like this, Mala- dation that allows young people to deal wians as young as eight years old are effectively with the demands and chal- learning to make decisions, solve prob- lenges of everyday life. Rebecca and her lems, negotiate with their peers and friends are learning about more than how assert themselves. Ms. Chadzamakono’s to avoid HIV/AIDS; they are learning simple question is designed to help about gender relations and about their these youngsters acquire the knowledge abilities to take control of their lives. and develop the positive attitudes and “Of course what one has to do is to skills necessary to reduce their vulnera- empower the women so they are able to bility to HIV/AIDS. The classroom has stand on their own economically and become the latest and most natural socially,” says Justin Malewezi, Malawi’s battlefield in the country’s war against Vice-President and Chairman of the HIV/AIDS. Cabinet Committee on HIV/AIDS. In Africa, a continent devastated by One of Rebecca’s chores after school HIV/AIDS, Malawi is one of the countries is to fetch water from a nearby well. As worst affected. Every day an average of she walks home with a 20-litre bucketful UNICEF/01-0244/Thomas 267 people in the country are infected of water balanced on her head, she does with HIV and 139 people die from AIDS- her best to avoid eye contact with a group While Davie’s grasp of how HIV is related diseases. More than 300,000 of local boys. transmitted is fairly limited, there is a people are estimated to have died of “I always go for young girls because cavalier logic behind his theory that he is AIDS-related illnesses since the first they won’t have HIV,” says 18-year-old safe from infection because younger girls case in Malawi was reported in 1985 and Davie, who lives about 300 metres from are less likely to carry the virus that leads today around 9 per cent of the 10.6 mil- Rebecca’s house. Davie and his mates to AIDS. What doesn’t seem to weigh on lion population is believed to be infected Andrew and Anod, both 17, may look his mind as much is the possibility that with HIV. harmless, but to girls like Rebecca they he might pass the virus on. Malawi’s Ministry of Education, spell danger. Davie’s current girlfriend is Thanks to her life skills classes, Rebecca Sports and Culture and the Malawi Insti- only 12, the same age as Rebecca, and is clearer about the situation. “I’m not tute of Education, with UNICEF support, he says that they have sex about once a scared about getting AIDS because we are have developed a life skills curriculum week. “I never use a condom because I taught about HIV at school,” she says. It that is being piloted in 24 primary trust my girlfriend,” he explains matter- is the self-confidence of her answer as schools reaching about 2,400 students, of-factly. “And if I trust her, then she much as any knowledge about HIV that evenly divided between boys and girls. should trust me.” offers hope for Malawi’s future.

56 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD India, for instance, ECD programmes improve their own life chances and increased school attendance by 16 potential but those of their future per cent, while in Colombia those children and families – and of society Leaders on who had benefited from early child- as a whole (see Panel 10). Girls’ educa- behalf of hood programmes were shown to be tion has been proven to reduce child twice as likely to complete primary mortality, improve child health and children school.53 What’s more, investing in nutrition, improve women’s health, children at the very outset increases and also to reduce population growth, Actor and director Rob the likelihood of the child reaching given that educated women tend to Reiner founded the I Am adolescence and being able to contin- marry later and have fewer children. Your Child Foundation in ue learning while dealing with the Societies that invest in educating girls 1997 to make early child- challenges of work, sexuality and sur- and boys equally reap huge develop- hood development, the vival. Government funds invested ment dividends. “Investment in the key years between zero early in the lives of children, espe- education of girls,” says the World Bank, and three, a priority in the cially for children at risk, can result “may well be the highest-return in- United States. Since then, in compensating decreases in expen- vestment available in the developing the Foundation has educated diture later on for older children and world.” 56 millions and has been influ- adults. More than just an investment, edu- encing the Government to If States are to fulfil their obliga- cation is also a fundamental right set increase public spending tions under the Convention on the out by the Universal Declaration of on early childhood Rights of the Child they will have to Human Rights as well as the Con- programmes. stop seeing early childhood care as an vention on the Rights of the Child. issue of concern to families alone, as What’s more, UNICEF firmly believes an optional extra, a soft alternative. that improving girls’ education is Investing in ECD should now be sec- the best and quickest way of tackling ond nature for the human family, as poverty and of creating more just natural and inevitable to our lives as societies. It coordinates the UN Girls’ the sun and the rain on a field of rice. Education Initiative, launched by the UN Secretary-General at both the Basic education World Education Forum in Dakar in April 2000 and the Millennium Sum- The case for investing in basic high- mit in September 2000. quality education – particularly in The existing African Girls’ Educa- the education of girls – has been well tion Initiative has proved over established. Education does more than the last five years that targeted pro- produce clerks or clerics: It enhances grammes make a real difference. life and expands opportunities for all. Among the strategies that are working: The benefits can be seen across the recruiting more women and training board. Farmers who can read and have teachers to be sensitive to gender and learned something about finding and child rights; rooting out gender bias sorting information will be better from textbooks and educational mate- able to keep pace with developments rials; ensuring that parents and the in agriculture: A study of 13 low- local community are involved; in- income countries indicated that a creasing pre-school provision and farmer with four years of schooling care; ensuring that schools are located produced an average of 9 per cent where girls can reach them safely; more food than one who had none.54 providing separate latrines for girls Education has been shown to act as and boys; and eliminating tuition a ‘vaccine’ against the twin dangers fees and other costs that deter the of hazardous child labour and poor from sending their children to HIV/AIDS55 (see Panel 9). school (see Panel 11). Girls given the opportunity to go The knowledge is there: After the to school, moreover, tend not just to last decade of research and experience

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 57 PANEL Textbooks by donkey: Educating girls 10 in Badakhsha–n

hildren cluster excitedly ’round the donkeys as they arrive in this Cmountain village in the north- eastern province of Badakhsha–n in Afghanistan. This time the donkeys are carrying not supplies of food, tools or seeds – this is an area chronically short of food – but rather educational materi- als. These books and worksheets have been on a long journey, first purchased in Pakistan by staff of UNICEF Afghanistan. They have been sent in a convoy of trucks through the mountains into Badakhsha–n, on a journey made each autumn before the pass closes in the winter snows. Once in the province, the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC) organizes distribution of the materials, encourag- ing communities to take responsibility by

sending donkeys and horses to collect UNICEF/00-0910/Lemoyne them from central distribution points. Roads in Badakhsha–n are few and far between, and the staff from the local dence of many schools on female staff. education programme aimed at encour- education department, which surveyed UNICEF’s policy position, along with that aging school attendance, with a particular every village in advance of the distribu- of many other international organiza- emphasis on girls. In five pilot districts, tion, did much of their work on horseback tions, is that the denial of girls’ educa- both teachers and students who attend or on foot, sometimes taking six weeks to tion contravenes the Convention on the school regularly are now receiving a cover a single district. Rights of the Child. UNICEF has therefore monthly ration of wheat, and girls But the remoteness of many of these suspended assistance to the formal edu- are being given an extra ration of mountain communities is far from being cation system in Afghanistan and instead edible oil. the only obstacle in the way of educating supports non-formal programmes all Programmes like these are having a the children of the province. Afghanistan over the country that make an effort to quantifiable impact. While in 1993 there has been ravaged by conflict since 1979. include both girls and boys. were 45,000 children enrolled in school, Amid the widespread destruction, educa- Children in Badakhsha–n have derived 19 per cent of whom were girls, there are tion has been very low on the list of some benefit from their remoteness from now nearly 64,000 children in school, priorities. Even before the war, educa- the capital, Kabul. Despite its general 33 per cent of whom are girls. In addi- tional opportunities in the country were poverty and susceptibility to earthquake tion, 29 per cent of the teachers in the extremely limited, particularly outside damage, the province has traditionally province are women, compared with the major towns and cities. The rate of been more committed to education than 15 per cent in 1993. gross enrolment in primary school in 1978, most other areas of Afghanistan. In addi- In international terms, these are dis- just as the conflict began, was 37 per cent tion, Badakhsha–n remains under the con- mal figures – and UNICEF will go on for boys and just 8 per cent for girls. Two trol of the opposition Northern Alliance, working to give every child in the decades on, overall enrolment figures are which allows girls to attend school. province, male or female, the educational no better and the gender divide even This has enabled international agen- opportunity that is their right. The quality worse, at 53 per cent for boys and an cies to play a part in helping the under- of the schooling in Badakhsha–n, more- appalling 5 per cent for girls. resourced local education department over, still leaves much to be desired. The coming to power in 1996 of the – specifically in promoting the educa- But in the context of the conflict in Taliban, which now controls most of the tion of girls. The provision of educational Afghanistan, and of the comprehensive country, drastically reduced the already materials has been a key area of assault on girls’ rights in the Taliban-con- poor educational opportunities for Afghan support. Another has been offering trolled areas, the educational improve- girls. Formal girls’ schools were closed in training to local teachers, who are only ments in Badakhsha–n are encouraging. If Taliban-held areas. In addition, women paid around $2 per month – well below a girls’ education programme can make teachers were not allowed to work, an subsistence levels. In 2000, the World significant strides even here, with the edict which also had a disastrous effect Food Programme, in cooperation with bleakest conditions imaginable, it can on boys’ education, given the depen- UNICEF and NAC, started a food-for- make a difference anywhere.

58 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD it is clear what works and what does Adolescence not. What is required are individuals who will fight for the funding neces- The third opportunity for making wise Leaders on sary to extend the opportunities for investments comes during a child’s behalf of learning to all children. The inter- adolescence. The adolescent years are national community took a significant a period of very rapid development children step forward at the World Education for young people in every way – phys- Forum by reaffirming the goal of ical, emotional, psychological, social Peruvian Agripina Rojas is a Education for All while also setting and spiritual. This is in fact the most self-trained social commu- new goals and higher standards – in rapid phase of human development nicator who, through her expanded and improved care and apart from the period just before radio programme delivered education in early childhood, espe- and after birth. Yet it is also a time of in the indigenous Quechua cially for the most vulnerable and great danger. It is these older children language, promotes the disadvantaged. It also set as its year who are most vulnerable to some of rights of children and 2015 target not only universal access the major threats to child rights – women. to primary schooling as before but to HIV/AIDS, sexual exploitation, ex- also the completion of high-quality ploitative child labour, being caught primary education by all children, in- up in conflict or used as soldiers (see cluding girls, ethnic minorities and Panel 12). Adolescents are forced to those in difficult circumstances. Dakar enter these arenas of risk often with- reaffirmed the centrality of girls’ edu- out the information, skills and access cation in any serious development to support services that they need. strategy and stressed that the dead- Adolescence is also a critical gate- line for eliminating the gender gap in way to improving women’s situation. primary and secondary enrolment, The well-being of adolescent girls is unlike most of the other interna- pivotal in breaking down the cycles tional development targets, has been of gender discrimination that relegate set for 2005 rather than 2015. Four far too many girls to the same dis- short years are left for the world to advantaged position as their mothers. deliver equal rights for girls to learn- It is in these years, for example, that ing, literacy and the empowerment the gender gap in education yawns of education. widest: While 6 per cent more boys UNICEF/00-0438/Balaguer/Brazil

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 59 PANEL 11 The anonymous teacher Finiosse Santos/AIM, Finiosse Mozambique This is the real magician. It can only be considered magic that a human being With little or no training With little support or professional guidance Who lives in a thatched hut, badly ventilated and scarcely illuminated With no shops close by, and water miles away At five or ten kilometres from school, that she or he will have to walk Two times a day (in the morning and the afternoon) Who receives a salary just enough to buy a week’s food, how many times paid late And that doesn’t even buy clothes or furniture …Is able to make a child… Who walked five to ten kilometres to get to school After a night sleeping on a ragged mat In a hut with many cracks and roaming cold Not having eaten much After having had to complete domestic chores …Learn to read, write and count… In the shadow of a tree Sitting on the ground In groups of 70 children With no chalk or didactic means With no books or notebooks With no pens or pencils It’s magic, for the esoteric; a miracle, for the religious. Heroism, for the people and for each child who, from that nothing, acquires knowledge and develops skills. These are the anonymous heroes of each nation. They are not heroes of war. Their only weapons are a tremendous love for children and a tenacious desire to contribute to a better world. They are the heroes of peace. (From UNICEF country office Mozambique) Translated from the original Portuguese.

60 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD than girls in developing countries enrol of cynicism that stand in the way of in primary school, the gap opens up to a better, more decent world. For that 16 per cent in the secondary years – reason, among many others, young Leaders on and in South Asia reaches an alarm- people’s participation in the UN Spe- behalf of ing 36 per cent. It is teenage girls who cial Session on Children in September are most likely to be threatened by 2001 will be vital. When adolescents’ children sexual abuse, trafficking or exploita- rights are fulfilled, their strength, tive forms of child labour (see Panel confidence, creativity and passion Anglican Bishop Dinis 13); just as it is they who are com- can engender hope and solutions Sengulane has called on pelled by cultural insistence or overt even in the most desperate situations. churches in Mozambique command towards early marriage and to play an integral role in childbearing. Responsibilities without helping young soldiers, Specific provision for the needs of borders some drafted while they young people often falls by the way- were children, to become side given the competing demands All countries have every economic members of peaceful and priorities of adults, who can exert incentive to invest in children. Each society. His support of political pressure. But, again, govern- State that has ratified the Convention the Transforming Guns ments that have ratified the Conven- on the Rights of the Child is bound into Hoes programme tion on the Rights of the Child must by the stipulation that national gov- has led many to exchange accept that adolescents have inalien- ernments must implement all of the weapons – both real and able rights that are patently ignored children’s rights recognized in the play – for farm tools. at present. Adolescents have the right Convention “to the maximum extent to relevant and reliable information of their available resources;” and has from a variety of sources, including accepted the legal and moral obliga- parents, teachers, the media and peer tion to use the best interests of chil- educators. They have the right to be dren as the mediating principle when taught the life skills they need for the tough economic decisions have to teenage years when they are explor- be made. ing their own identity and indepen- National and state-level finance dence – skills in negotiation, conflict ministers and financial institutions resolution, critical thinking, decision- must accept their responsibilities for making, communication and earning the ways in which countries use the a livelihood. Adolescents depend for public purse to invest in children. their well-being on a safe and support- The Convention does add its own ive environment that includes adults rider, however, stating that “where who care about them. They also have needed,” the resources should be the right to participate in decisions sought “within the framework of in- that affect family life. ternational co-operation”. Developing Securing and guaranteeing these countries must do all they can but it rights would not only help young is abundantly clear that most of them people, it would help human society will fall short of the 2015 targets re- as a whole. Adolescents make up a affirmed by the international commu- very large proportion of the popula- nity at the Millennium Summit unless tion in developing countries, yet, as there is a significant increase in exter- a group, they are too often ignored. nal assistance – and a major infusion They tend to be treated as a poten- of the resources from debt relief. tially delinquent, problem group After all, the third large obstacle instead of being valued for their blocking the road to child rights, energy and resourcefulness (see Panel along with conflict and HIV/AIDS, 14). We depend on young people’s is poverty, and there is a desperate vibrancy and idealism for our capa- necessity for those who benefit most city to change, to shake ourselves out from the increasing prosperity of the of the corroded habits and patterns global economy to ensure that the

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 61 PANEL The involvement of children in armed 12 conflict: Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child

On 25 May 2000, the General Assembly Convinced that an optional protocol to Stressing that the present Protocol is of the United Nations adopted the Op- the Convention that raises the age of without prejudice to the purposes and tional Protocol to the Convention on the possible recruitment of persons into principles contained in the Charter of the Rights of the Child on the involvement of armed forces and their participation in United Nations, including Article 51, and children in armed conflict. To date, 80 hostilities will contribute effectively to relevant norms of humanitarian law, States have signed it and four have rati- the implementation of the principle that Bearing in mind that conditions of fied it. Ten ratifications are needed to bring the best interests of the child are to be a peace and security based on full respect it into force. primary consideration in all actions con- of the purposes and principles contained cerning children, in the Charter and observance of applica- The States Parties to the Noting that the twenty-sixth Inter- ble human rights instruments are in- national Conference of the Red Cross and dispensable for the full protection of present Protocol, Red Crescent in December 1995 recom- children, in particular during armed con- Encouraged by the overwhelming sup- flicts and foreign occupation, port for the Convention on the Rights of Recognizing the special needs of the Child, demonstrating the widespread those children who are particularly vul- commitment that exists to strive for the nerable to recruitment or use in hostili- promotion and protection of the rights of ties contrary to the present Protocol the child, owing to their economic or social status Reaffirming that the rights of children or gender, require special protection, and calling for Mindful of the necessity of taking into continuous improvement of the situation consideration the economic, social and of children without distinction, as well as political root causes of the involvement for their development and education in of children in armed conflicts, conditions of peace and security, Convinced of the need to strengthen Disturbed by the harmful and wide- international cooperation in the imple- spread impact of armed conflict on chil- mentation of the present Protocol, as well dren and the long-term consequences it as the physical and psychosocial rehabil- has for durable peace, security and itation and social reintegration of chil- development, dren who are victims of armed conflict, Condemning the targeting of children Encouraging the participation of the in situations of armed conflict and direct community and, in particular, children attacks on objects protected under inter- UNICEF/98-1064/Pirozzi and child victims in the dissemination of national law, including places that gener- informational and educational pro- ally have a significant presence of mended, inter alia, that parties to conflict grammes concerning the implementation children, such as schools and hospitals, take every feasible step to ensure that of the Protocol, Noting the adoption of the children below the age of 18 years do not Statute of the International Criminal take part in hostilities, Have agreed as follows: Court, in particular, the inclusion therein Welcoming the unanimous adoption, as a war crime, of conscripting or enlist- in June 1999, of International Labour Article 1 ing children under the age of 15 years or Organization Convention No. 182 on the States Parties shall take all feasible mea- using them to participate actively in hos- Prohibition and Immediate Action for the sures to ensure that members of their tilities in both international and non- Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child armed forces who have not attained the international armed conflicts, Labour, which prohibits, inter alia, forced age of 18 years do not take a direct part Considering therefore that to strengthen or compulsory recruitment of children for in hostilities. further the implementation of rights rec- use in armed conflict, ognized in the Convention on the Rights Condemning with the gravest concern Article 2 of the Child there is a need to increase the recruitment, training and use within States Parties shall ensure that persons the protection of children from involve- and across national borders of children who have not attained the age of 18 ment in armed conflict, in hostilities by armed groups distinct years are not compulsorily recruited into Noting that article 1 of the Convention from the armed forces of a State, and rec- their armed forces. on the Rights of the Child specifies that, ognizing the responsibility of those who for the purposes of that Convention, a child recruit, train and use children in this regard, — Excerpted from “Optional Protocols to the Con- means every human being below the age Recalling the obligation of each party vention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement to an armed conflict to abide by the pro- of children in armed conflict and on the sale of chil- of 18 years unless, under the law applic- dren, and child pornography,” able to the child, majority is attained earlier, visions of international humanitarian law, A/RES/54/263, 26 June 2000.

62 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD most vulnerable – inevitably women retained the most unequal distribution and children in the poorest countries – of income and assets in the world.57 also benefit. The fact is that, while The deficiencies in the Washington Leaders on there has been an overall increase in Consensus are being increasingly rec- behalf of wealth, this is heavily concentrated ognized, not least by the World Bank in just a few countries. The gulf be- itself.58 The poor have to be protected children tween the richest and the poorest from the earth tremors of global- countries on earth is actually widen- ization by public investment in basic Visiting women in the ing with every passing day. In 1990 social services. If globalization is in- streets where they work, the annual income per person in evitable, and if it is to be a liberating Solidarity with Women in industrialized countries was 60 times rather than a damaging force, the Distress, or SOLWODI, greater than that in the least devel- universal package of minimum stan- provides guidance and oped countries; in 1999 it was almost dards that it includes should not counselling on HIV/AIDS 100 times greater. entail simply the removal of tariff bar- and STIs for commercial In the last five years the interna- riers but also the guarantee of chil- sex workers in Mombasa tional community has become in- dren’s rights. and Malindi, many of creasingly concerned about reducing Thankfully, there are at last signs whom were adolescents poverty – and with good reason. For that at least some of the richest nations when they entered Kenya’s the last decade-and-a-half, countries are beginning to take their responsi- thriving commercial sex all around the world have been broad- bility to combat global poverty seri- trade. The NGO also helps ly following the economic policies of ously. There was a long campaign with vocational training what has come to be known as the throughout the 1980s and 1990s by and psychosocial life skills. Washington Consensus because of its non-governmental organizations, reli- support by the United States Treasury gious groups and international orga- and Washington-based institutions nizations – including UNICEF in its like the World Bank and the yearly The State of the World’s Children International Monetary Fund. These reports – aimed at persuading the most policies have involved the pursuit of powerful nations and international low inflation through fiscal discipline, financial institutions to move more trade and financial liberalization and swiftly and surely to tackle the mas- widespread privatization. The empha- sive problem of indebtedness. The sis rightly has been on efficiency and work of the Jubilee 2000 coalition, wrongly not on equity: The underly- in particular, has been nothing short ing assumption has been that the poli- of heroic in transforming the issue of cies would result in economic growth debt relief from a ‘fringe concern’ into that would benefit the poor. a practical, serious proposition. The problem is that the poor have Now the Heavily Indebted Poor been conspicuously the last to bene- Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which fit from the advantages of economic was painfully slow and circumscribed reform and globalization. In Latin at first, is finally starting to kick in. Debt America, for example, where most relief has been late in coming. After countries, whether out of choice or many years in which Western gov- necessity, abided by the Washington ernments and the international Consensus with remarkable unanim- financial institutions held out against ity and single-mindedness in the 1990s, any kind of relief ‘on principle’, critics the new economic policies had mini- wondered if the HIPC Initiative was mal impact on income poverty. There simply a smokescreen disguising a were certainly overall benefits: single- fundamental unwillingness to tackle digit inflation, a lower debt burden the debt problem. By early 2000 and an influx of private capital into HIPC had still only provided debt the region. But, unemployment rose relief to four countries: Bolivia, while nearly 80 million people remained Guyana, Mozambique and Uganda.59 in and the region Now, the ‘enhanced’ version of HIPC

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 63 PANEL The sale of children, child prostitution and 13 child pornography: Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child

On 25 May 2000, the General Assembly worldwide criminalization of the produc- Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in of the United Nations adopted the Op- tion, distribution, exportation, transmis- Stockholm from 27 to 31 August 1996, tional Protocol to the Convention on the sion, importation, intentional possession and the other relevant decisions and rec- Rights of the Child on the sale of children, and advertising of child pornography, ommendations of pertinent international child prostitution and child pornography. and stressing the importance of closer bodies, To date, 73 States have signed it and four cooperation and partnership between Taking due account of the importance have ratified it. Ten ratifications are need- Governments and the Internet industry, of the traditions and cultural values of ed in order to bring it into force. Believing that the elimination of the each people for the protection and har- sale of children, child prostitution and monious development of the child, The States Parties to the child pornography will be facilitated by adopting a holistic approach, addressing Have agreed as follows: present Protocol, the contributing factors, including under- Considering that, in order further to development, poverty, economic dispari- Article 1 achieve the purposes of the Convention ties, inequitable socio-economic structure, States Parties shall prohibit the sale of on the Rights of the Child and the imple- dysfunctioning families, lack of educa- children, child prostitution and child mentation of its provisions, especially tion, urban-rural migration, gender dis- pornography as provided for by the pre- articles 1, 11, 21, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, crimination, irresponsible adult sexual sent Protocol. it would be appropriate to extend the behaviour, harmful traditional practices, measures that States Parties should armed conflicts and trafficking in children, Article 2 undertake in order to guarantee the pro- Believing also that efforts to raise For the purposes of the present Protocol: tection of the child from the sale of chil- public awareness are needed to reduce dren, child prostitution and child consumer demand for the sale of chil- (a) Sale of children means any act or pornography, dren, child prostitution and child por- transaction whereby a child is trans- Considering also that the Convention nography, and believing further in the ferred by any person or group of per- on the Rights of the Child recognizes the importance of strengthening global part- sons to another for remuneration or right of the child to be protected from nership among all actors and of improv- any other consideration; economic exploitation and from perform- ing law enforcement at the national level, ing any work that is likely to be haz- Noting the provisions of international (b) Child prostitution means the use of a ardous or to interfere with the child’s legal instruments relevant to the protec- child in sexual activities for remunera- education, or to be harmful to the child’s tion of children, including the Hague tion or any other form of consideration; health or physical, mental, spiritual, Convention on Protection of Children and moral or social development, Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry (c) Child pornography means any repre- Gravely concerned at the significant Adoption, the Hague Convention on the sentation, by whatever means, of a and increasing international traffic in Civil Aspects of International Child child engaged in real or simulated children for the purpose of the sale of Abduction, the Hague Convention on explicit sexual activities or any repre- children, child prostitution and child Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recogni- sentation of the sexual parts of a child pornography, tion, Enforcement and Cooperation in for primarily sexual purposes. Deeply concerned at the widespread Respect of Parental Responsibility and and continuing practice of , to Measures for the Protection of Children, which children are especially vulnerable, and International Labour Organization as it directly promotes the sale of children, Convention No. 182 on the Prohibition child prostitution and child pornography, and Immediate Action for the Elimination Recognizing that a number of particu- of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, larly vulnerable groups, including girl Encouraged by the overwhelming sup- children, are at greater risk of sexual port for the Convention on the Rights of exploitation and that girl children are dis- the Child, demonstrating the widespread proportionately represented among the commitment that exists for the promotion sexually exploited, and protection of the rights of the child, Concerned about the growing avail- Recognizing the importance of the ability of child pornography on the implementation of the provisions of the Internet and other evolving technologies, Programme of Action for the Prevention and recalling the International Con- of the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution — Excerpted from “Optional Protocols to the Conven- ference on Combating Child Pornography and Child Pornography and the Declara- tion on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of chil- on the Internet, held in Vienna in 1999, tion and Agenda for Action adopted at dren, child prostitution and child pornography,” in particular its conclusion calling for the the World Congress against Commercial A/RES/54/263, 26 June 2000.

64 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD has at last begun to make a differ- country’s own companies – and is ence. Some 22 poor countries receive now campaigning for other industri- varying amounts of relief that should alized countries to follow suit. Leaders on eventually amount to around $34 bil- The UK Government has also behalf of lion and should help reduce their undertaken to increase its spending debt to one third of what it was at the on overseas from 0.24 per cent of children start of the process.60 the gross national product (GNP) in Another extremely welcome devel- 1999 to 0.31 per cent over the next The Reverend , opment has been the announcement two years, after many years of dwin- who died in April 2001 at by the G7 countries that they will dling or stagnating aid. The increase 78, let nothing stand in his forgive 100 per cent of the bilateral is welcome as a first instalment but in way in his pursuit of rights, debt owed them by HIPC-qualified this respect the leaders have long been even if it came to “moving countries. The Government of the the countries of northern Europe – mountains that stand in United Kingdom has shown particu- , the Netherlands, the way of freedom, justice, lar leadership on the international and Sweden – who have consistently and truth.” He devised stage in this respect – and its decision, met or exceeded the UN recommended the ‘Sullivan Principles’, supported by the Canadian Govern- minimum of 0.7 per cent of GNP. As guidelines for American ment, to place any current debt- it stands, bilateral aid flows from the corporations investing service payments from conflict-ridden industrialized countries are $100 bil- in South Africa, and also countries in trust for when they lion a year less than governments designed the ‘Global attain peace is far-sighted. The UK have agreed they should be. As long Sullivan Principles’ to has also taken a lead in abolishing as aid levels are so low, rich countries address company the iniquitous practice of tying aid to are reneging on their side of the standards in the era the purchase of goods from the donor bargain. Agreed targets are agreed tar- of globalization.

Figure 2. Official development assistance as a percentage of donor nation GNP, 2000

Denmark 1.06 Netherlands 0.82 Sweden 0.81 Norway 0.80 Luxembourg 0.70 Belgium 0.36 Switzerland 0.34 0.33 Finland 0.31 United Kingdom 0.31 Ireland 0.30 Japan 0.27 Germany 0.27 Australia 0.27 New Zealand 0.26 Portugal 0.26 Canada 0.25 Austria 0.25 Spain 0.24 Greece 0.19 0.13 United States 0.10 Target figure of Average 0.22 0.7% of GNP

Source: OECD, Press release, 20 April 2001

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 65 PANEL 14 Chronicle of a disaster foretold

“ t was like seeing dead men walking…,” important man-made factors that aggra- strategy for disaster prevention and ade- says Rosemberg Marín as he recalls vate the impact of these disasters. Land quate laws and institutions to protect the Ithe people going through the rubble in cleared by indiscriminate deforestation environment and ensure sustainable his native Cojutepeque, a community one loses stability and fertility within a very development. hour east of San Salvador, the capital city few years. Steep hillsides quickly become “Our country needs a strategic disaster- of El Salvador. “There was practically eroded without investments in soil con- prevention plan that focuses on risk mit- nothing left from the houses,” he says, servation. Intense population density, as igation in areas of high vulnerability,” “…but the most painful thing was to see is the case in El Salvador, often provokes says Mirna. And she wants young people children who had lost not only that, but rapid, unplanned growth of human set- involved: “We young people want to get also somebody or everyone in their family.” tlement in vulnerable areas and leaves involved and participate actively in all In January and February 2001, two inhabitants unprotected. the actions aimed at preventing this type major earthquakes and thousands of Primarily, it is the poor who live in these of disaster so that we can achieve politi- aftershocks jolted this country already environmentally marginal and vulnerable cal and social awareness in my country.” suffering the socio-economic conse- areas, on land that no one else wants, far Rosemberg sees a solution in disaster- quences of years of war, poverty, environ- removed from services or employment, in prevention education for young people. mental degradation and overpopulation. isolated rural areas, or on steep hillsides. “It would give us a certain degree of hope El Salvador now had to deal with a natural The mutually reinforcing relationships that these youth or children would have disaster that buried entire villages, killed between poverty and population growth the capacity to organize their commun- or wounded thousands and left almost and environmental stress constitute a ity.” He wants a strong Ministry of the one quarter of the population homeless. vicious circle through which poverty Environment, and the Government to Damage to social structures, health and helps maintain high rates of population focus its public policies around social, education infrastructures, the productive growth and increase environmental stress, economic and ecological issues. sectors and the environment amounts to both of which contribute in turn to the Do Mirna and Rosemberg think that 12 per cent of the country’s 2000 gross perpetuation of poverty. This interaction their country can be rebuilt? “Not only do domestic product. Reconstruction costs of poverty, population growth and envi- I trust that my country can be recon- are calculated at over $1.9 billion. ronmental deterioration is actually one structed,” says Mirna, “but I am also con- These earthquakes were the latest in problem. fident that everybody will contribute to a series of natural disasters increasing in This year’s earthquakes in El Salvador this change, and that we will all live one frequency and severity, aggravating the were to a large extent a disaster foretold. day in a country with better opportunities ecological vulnerability of El Salvador. Warnings that these problems had accu- for social and economic progress.” In the last three years alone, El Niño, mulated to the point at which disaster Rosemberg thinks that “if we all unite Hurricane Mitch and La Niña pummelled was inevitable had abounded for years. as Salvadorans, without expecting finan- the country, each compounding the impact Numerous studies, books and assess- cial rewards for helping others, we can of the previous event. ments pointed to the need for a national defeat anything.” At age 18, Rosemberg, whose family home was almost completely destroyed in the quake, is somewhat of an expert in disaster mitigation. He has been volun- teering with the Defensorías de los Derechos de la Niñez y Adolescencia (Defenders of Children’s and Adolescents’ Rights), a UNICEF-supported initiative set up since the time of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The Defensorías train young volun- teers in psychosocial rehabilitation and prepare them to work with traumatized children and adults. This is how 19-year- old Mirna Bulnes from San Salvador got involved, becoming a volunteer shortly before the hurricane raged through the country. Central American geological struc- tures are prone to seismic movements, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods and droughts. But there are also

66 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE

THE WORLD Friedl UNICEF/TACRO/Wolfgang gets; and if they are so conspicuously and NGOs – all of them put on the ignored by the world’s most powerful spot as to what they could con- economies, how can those govern- tribute. It was a recognition that the Leaders on ments in all conscience preach to development goals that the interna- behalf of their counterparts in developing tional community has undertaken to countries who have infinitely fewer meet by the year 2015 have no children resources to work with? chance of being met unless all parties Nations that claim leadership of work together with markedly more Under the multi-lane the global economy must set behind commitment than has been shown bridges spanning Jakarta’s them the broken promises of the last hitherto – and most particularly unless bustling intersections, Sri century. They must respond to the the finance ministers and interna- Irianingsih and Sri Rosiati, call by the Managing Director of the tional financial institutions who con- twin sisters known as Rian IMF, Horst Köhler, for “a campaign to trol the resources are on board. and Rosi, have jerry-rigged mobilize public support for action by “What can be achieved together cardboard cartons, soap- all OECD governments and parlia- by unity of purpose is far greater than boxes and jute mats to ments to reach the 0.7 per cent target what we can ever achieve acting on create health centres and within this decade.” 61 That public our own,” says Gordon Brown. “It is schools that serve hun- support will not be difficult to enlist: by putting the needs of the young dreds of the city’s street A recent poll in the United States and the poor not only at the centre of children. They spend US found that respondents believed social policy but at the centre of $2,000 monthly, mostly their government to be spending well financial decision-making, economic from their own pockets. over 20 per cent of the federal budget policy and international diplomatic on foreign aid. When asked what action, that we can ensure a better they considered to be an appropriate future – a future of health and hope – level of foreign aid, the answer aver- in which no child is left behind and aged out at 14 per cent of the budget. every child, in every country, has the The actual proportion of the US bud- opportunity to make the very most of get that goes to aid is 0.3 per cent.62 his or her abilities.”63 In Spain, meanwhile, some munici- Speaking by satellite link at the same palities have shown leadership on event, Nelson Mandela challenged this issue by agreeing to devote 0.7 those in the audience, “We must move per cent of their budgets to assisting children to the centre of the world’s municipalities in developing countries. agenda. We must rewrite strategies to An encouraging event took place reduce poverty so that investments in in London in February 2001. The children are given priority.” UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Among the initiatives launched Gordon Brown and International at the conference was a proposal from Development Secretary the Italian Government, using its convened a one-day conference on leadership position chairing the G7 International Action against Child countries, to create a special Trust Fund Poverty. It marked a notable change for Health to which the 1,000 largest of emphasis. Taking seriously the call corporations in the world would of the Global Movement for Children contribute a minimum donation of for everyone, whatever position they $500,000 each. The governments of hold in society, to do all they can to industrialized nations would then deliver children’s rights, Gordon match those donations to arrive at a Brown brought his influence as fund of at least a billion dollars that finance minister in one of the world’s could be dedicated to helping coun- richest economies to bear. Finance tries to meet the year 2015 goals on ministers from many parts of the health.64 world were invited, along with the This is exactly the kind of partner- heads of the World Bank, IMF and ship between rich countries and poor, delegations from key UN agencies governments and corporations, UN

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 67 PANEL In East Timor: Leadership to build an 15 independent nation

n a small shop near the market in Maliana, Agusta and Victoria da Silva Iserve customers from behind a rough wooden benchtop. Next door, Dulce Maria sits at a foot-pedalled sewing machine making a T-shirt. These three women help run the Nove Nove Cooperacion shop, sell- ing hand-made items such as clothes and baskets, along with manufactured items, most of them imported from Indonesia. The women are all members of the self-help group Nove Nove (Nine Nine). Altogether, the 48 members of Nove Nove have more than 200 children, but not a single husband. The men were all killed in September 1999, at the height of the violence that swept East Timor UNICEF/East Timor/Martins after the 30 August vote for indepen- dence from Indonesia. same situation as me. I also realized that time management, for instance, is very The impact of those riotous weeks it helps to talk about what happened with useful. However, we need more skills and was both immediate and long-lasting. other people who had the same experi- we need to be able to reach out to other Government services ceased to function ence,” she says. The women in Nove women.” practically overnight as buildings associ- Nove started by getting together to dis- While Nove Nove is a success and an ated with the administration were looted cuss their everyday needs: how to collect inspiration, formidable challenges remain and razed to the ground and the staff water, feed their children and send them for East Timor. Every area of social wel- who worked in the administration left en to school, how to rebuild the houses that fare, especially those related to children, masse. Schools were destroyed, village were burned in the violence. “We would lacks resources. The student: teacher health posts burned to their foundations talk together, cry together. It helped us to ratio is above 60 to 1 in primary schools and around two thirds of the population feel better to know we weren’t alone. and most health services are currently was displaced. Most of the vehicles, fish- Sometimes, if one woman cries, her being provided by NGOs. UNICEF has ing boats and personal belongings dis- friends will joke with her to cheer her up. trained teachers in participatory meth- appeared, as did several thousand people. We know when we can joke and when we ods and is working with what will become Today, many agencies are working need to cry.” the education department to develop a together to train the people who will run Although talking helped, the women training programme for the mostly inex- East Timor when it achieves full inde- pendence. The current vacuum of policies soon realized that it would neither solve perienced school principals. Because the and structures is both a threat to the their problems nor help in their struggle current situation has pushed young peo- rights of children and an opportunity to to feed and clothe their children. At this ple and women into leadership roles for put issues that affect children and young point, Mrs. Leite attended a leadership which they were not prepared, UNICEF people on the national agenda. training course run by UNICEF in Maliana. and others run leadership courses for Regina Leite lives with six of her chil- During the three-day programme, she women’s and youth groups, training dren in a large house on a hillside over- and 34 other women learned how to run hundreds of people in how to set up and looking the town centre of Maliana. She an organization, including how to draw run organizations. has two more children in Dili and one in up a workplan, set objectives and come Through literacy classes, thousands of Australia on a scholarship. Her husband to decisions in a group. She also trav- women in remote districts like Bobonaro was the local leader of the CNRT, the elled to Dili, where FOKUPERS, the East and the Ambeno enclave are learning to umbrella body for the East Timorese Timorese Women’s Communication Forum, read and write. Mrs. Leite also finds time independence movement. The name Nove also supported by UNICEF, held a work- to help lead one of these literacy groups, Nove refers to the date of his murder – shop on how to manage cooperative although it hasn’t been easy. “They [her 9 September, 1999. Regina is currently ill enterprises. children] are all studying, so it has been with a relapse of malaria, but still willing “The training we had from UNICEF was a very heavy load for me to carry. I have to talk to strangers. good for us, not only in the business but to force myself every day, but I want them “I decided to form Nove Nove because also at home. We all have children to to go to school so I have to be strong I realized there were many women in the bring up and households to organize, so for them.”

68 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD agencies and NGOs that was lacking society organizations working with in the last decades of the 20th century – and for children has played an active and which the Global Movement for part in the debate from the start. Leaders on Children seeks to inspire and pro- Representatives of NGOs have had behalf of mote at the start of the 21st. It is broad access and contributed signifi- up to all of us, from teachers to gov- cantly to the process and the draft children ernment ministers, volunteers to documents. Organizations both small corporate chief executives, social and large from all over the world have Ms. Tho, a social worker at workers to bankers, to make our own risen above their differences to sup- the Rose Warm Shelter for contribution to that movement. The port a common agenda. They have sexually abused girls in face of global poverty must no longer created a multi-pronged alliance Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, be the face of a young child. aimed at ensuring that the world takes has devoted her life to seriously the idea that children have helping child victims of The Special Session fundamental human rights, that they sexual abuse and trafficking on Children must have the first call on our energy, recover from their trauma commitment and resources. and lead productive lives. The UN General Assembly’s Special It is an alliance, moreover, which Session on Children in September does not just aim to represent chil- 2001 is the culmination of years of dren’s needs and concerns but to be work by literally thousands of organi- founded on their participation. Chil- zations. The ground has been pre- dren’s right to participate is nowhere pared for it, as with any major UN more appropriate than at the Special conference, by a series of preparatory Session and the major meetings lead- gatherings at which key issues have ing up to it. So it was that in Jomtien, been debated and explored, and guid- Thailand, in April, there was an ing principles and targets for future unprecedented gathering of children actions have been adopted. The issue aged between 11 and 18 from coun- of accountability has gained new tries all over East Asia. They met to prominence, in particular as it relates discuss the problems of children in to commitments to children in the the region, to formulate their vision coming years. of how things should be and to make Unlike any other UN conference, their own recommendations to the the widest possible range of civil governments and NGOs who will be UNICEF/Iran/002

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 69 present at the Special Session. In the of children. Panamanian President same month, children from 27 coun- Mireya Moscoso will take to the Special tries across Europe and Central Asia Session a proposal for a more inte- met in Budapest to work on a Young grated system for monitoring the way People’s Agenda for Europe and Cen- governments’ commitments to chil- tral Asia. There was a similar Regional dren’s rights are being implemented. Youth Forum in in Novem- In Lebanon in April 2001, a re- ber 2000 involving children from the gional symposium met to draw up a Middle East and North Africa: They plan of action called An Arab World stressed that children must be included Fit for Children. This was followed by in all efforts to end the inequality, vio- a conference of Arab and African lence and injustice that undermine finance ministers in Morocco in May, children’s rights and human develop- which recommended formal assess- ment. In April 2001 in , ments of the impact of government a group called The Change Makers, policies on children; it also proposed representing children from the eight the creation of national committees countries of South Asia, presented their that would press for child-focused own vision of the future to corporate budgets. In China in May 2001, gov- leaders from the region. “We want a ernments from across East Asia and world,” they said, “where there is no the Pacific undertook to put chil- discrimination between boys and dren’s well-being at the top of their girls, between the able and the dis- agenda, accepting that it represented abled, between the rich and the poor. “the most important indicator of na- We want a healthy, safe and clean envi- tional and economic social progress.” ronment suitable for all. And we want The fifth such regional meeting to a decent education and opportunities review progress towards the goals of for play, instead of having to work.” the World Summit for Children, this was the first that had featured the active participation of children and A world fit for children adolescents. In , meanwhile, The Special Session will be a unique finance ministers from South Asia opportunity for the world’s nations met in that same month to discuss to make a clean break with the tradi- the urgent need to increase invest- tion of leaving hundreds of millions ment in children – and came to a of children abandoned in poverty or consensus on how to do it. They exploited in labour, condemned to agreed that governments needed to everyday hunger or denied the bene- forge new alliances with the private fits of learning. Those present at the sector, with civil society organiza- Special Session will have the chance tions and with children themselves to be part of an historic moment in in order to generate the necessary which the world’s leaders commit resources. In , too, there was a themselves to creating a world fit for regional meeting for Europe and children within a generation. Central Asia that produced a 20- The work has already begun on point action plan. “If we are to create a regional basis. At the 10th Ibero- a better world and better future for American Summit in Panama in our children,” Zlatko Lagumdz˘ija, December 2000, 21 Presidents and Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Her- Heads of State signed a Declaration zegovina, told delegates, “we must pledging to deliver free and compul- put children and child rights at the sory education for all children by 2015, top of our political agenda.” to halve maternal mortality by 2010 We have learned a great deal over and to crack down on the trafficking, the decades of development about the kidnapping and sexual exploitation way in which promises are discarded

70 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD or evaded – always leaving children Full financing in order to speed up to bear the brunt of the betrayal. We debt relief, particularly in least have learned that targets and goals developed countries, and cancella- Leaders on have to be specific, time-bound and tion of all official bilateral debts; behalf of measurable – and that progress towards them has to be carefully monitored Easier access to exports for the children and reviewed. Delegates to the Special least developed countries, free Session will therefore be asked to from duty or quota restrictions; Lescek Zawadka, a Polish commit to concrete targets in child musician who lives in health, in education, in combating Social spending over military expen- Mexico, founded Niños HIV/AIDS and in protecting children diture; Cantores de Valle de from abuse, exploitation or violence. Chalco, a children’s choir, More than that, though, they will be Domestic resources should be used considered the best in the asked to agree to account for their for social development and to country, in one of the 10 progress or their failure. reduce disparities at the interna- poorest municipalities in To make the achievement of the tional and national levels; the state of Mexico. The goals possible, delegates will be asked choir regularly gives for a commitment to mobilize the Both aid and government expendi- concerts and has toured resources of which the world’s chil- tures should be restructured along Europe and Latin America. dren have been starved. We encourage the lines of the 20/20 Initiative, government leaders in developing in line with the Oslo and Hanoi and industrialized countries to work Consensus documents, to achieve closely together to meet the following universal access to basic social targets: services.

All countries who have not done so At the Special Session govern- should strive to meet the long-agreed ments must show they have finally target of 0.7 per cent of GNP for over- understood that, for the good of all, all development assistance; the rights of children must come first. UNICEF/97-1034/Pirozzi/Rwanda

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 71 “For six years, my school has been a railroad car. It is difficult to learn. There Voices is not glass in the windows. During the summer it’s impossible to stay cool and during winter it’s impossible to stay warm…. I don’t have any gloves, so it’s of terrible to write. After one or two lessons in the cold, the teachers usually let us leave.” Young Isa, 17, Azerbaijan “[And] when you see hope, your sense of humour returns. You can even tease People . . . your parents.” Xiuhua, 15, on getting a job, China

“My name is Eilyn. I quit school at 13 years because of economical problems. At 15, I tried come back, but I wasn’t accepted anymore.” On poverty Eilyn, 15, Costa Rica

“I am always frightened at night. Drunk men come to bother me all the time. and One day, I tried to run away with my siblings. But, we had nowhere to go, nothing to eat, and nowhere to sleep. So we came back. Now it is even worse. There aren’t many like me; most families have one parent; we are always poor; education we never eat or drink well when others do.” Zewdi, 14, Eritrea Children are the hardest hit “How can I continue education without having enough to eat?” by poverty: it causes lifelong damage to their minds and Street vendor, 12, Ethiopia bodies. “There are some of us who are very privileged who will get good education and good exposure. And some who do take advantage of opportunities given to them. More than half a billion However, there are some who don’t take advantage or are deprived of opportunities, children live on less than say by going into child labour. Child labour is more profitable in the eyes of $1 a day. their parents, because they will be making money for the family instead of studying. Studying would be an investment for families, which would not be affordable in many cases.” Education is the key to Deepti, 17, India ending poverty. “Before being released by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, I worked in the stone quarries More than 100 million children of Faridabad in North India. Here I was beaten regularly on one pretext or the are out of school because of other. The loan, which my father had taken, never seemed to be repaid. Year poverty, discrimination or lack after year I worked until one day Bachpan Bachao Andolan stepped in! Today I understand how important it is to be educated. No one will now be able to make of resources. me or my family sign on blank sheets of paper and make us bonded slaves.” Kaushalya, 14, India

“We don’t like this work because it is hard and we feel very tired when picking tea, but we know how to pick tea because it helps us in many ways. It helps us to get food, money for paying school fees and also clothes and other things, and also we want to stop it.” Betty, 13, Kenya

“Even if I could enrol in standard one for free, there would be no money for supplies.” Piana, 13,

“I live in roofless and damaged former government building with my fourteen- year-old sister, and my three children – one son and two girls (twins). The oldest is my four-year son and the twins are one and a half years old. When I go begging, I take my children with me. My sister also goes begging. We eat together what we get.” Refugee girl, 16, Somalia

“I married young (at 14) and am uneducated. But I will not allow my daughter to marry young and be uneducated. I will giver her the chance to be educated and let her get her own income prior to getting married. The civil war forced me to marry young. I will protect the mistakes of early marriage and lack of education from my daughter.” Militia girl, 20, Somalia

72 ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD As Nelson Mandela has said: “Any the sand of the new century, let us country, any society, which does not make a sacred promise to deliver to care for its children is no nation at the children who will be born into Leaders on all.” Heads of State and Government, our world the health and nutrition, behalf of ministers and civil servants, experts the education and protection, that is and activists who will gather in New their birthright. children York carry with them an accountabil- We know far more than we have ity to all those who are a part of the ever known before about how to When Princess Lalla Fatima Global Movement for Children. make this happen. As a global com- Zohra of Morocco spoke Every individual who has said ‘Yes’ munity, we have more resources than publicly about AIDS earlier for children, whether in the moun- we have ever had before that can be this year, she broke one of tains of Afghanistan or the jungles of put to work to bring it about. her country’s taboos. The Peru, the cities of Germany or the It is already late for Ayodele and number of AIDS cases in townships of South Africa, has other children of the 1990s, for all Morocco quadrupled last pledged in support of a 10-point plan those who were born around the time year to 20,000 and the to change the world – a plan that will of the World Summit for Children. region is on the verge of continue to play out in daily lives But the decisions made in September an epidemic. Princess Lalla long after the Special Session ends. 2001 and the action taken in the Fatima is ensuring that Now it is the turn of those who years ahead could change the fate of silence and denial won’t hold political power and the public the next generation. be another factor in the trust – those with the greatest oppor- In our hands rests the opportunity spread of the virus. tunity and the greatest responsibility – to consign neglect, abuse and exploita- to bring about change. The millions of tion of children to the history books people in every country of the world and to write our own new page. If we who have pledged their support to the squander this new opportunity, our cause of children’s rights will be children will judge us harshly and we watching more closely than they have will have again betrayed a most ever watched before. Those who sacred trust. The promises we make would call themselves leaders must now are the promises we must keep. give all that is needed – no less will This time there is no excuse. The do – to create a world fit for children. task is set and the road is clear. Let’s go to work. Birthright and promise The idea of birthright is an ancient one that occurs in all cultures and religions. With our feet still fresh on

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 73 References

Birth and broken promises 12 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Afghanistan 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 1 Ayodele is a fictional character based on many Kabul, December 2000, pp. 9, 10, 30. similar girls encountered in rural areas of West Africa. 13 Piot, Peter, ‘Politicizing AIDS: Interview with Peter Piot’, Africa-on-Line, p. 2 2 The figure is 315 million people (232 million in [www.afrol.com/Categories/Health/health045_piot_interview.htm]. industrialized countries, 83 million in developing countries). ‘Numbering cyberspace’, International 14 Annan, op. cit., pp. 27-29. Telecommunication Union [www.itu.int/journal/200102/E/html/indicat.htm]. 15 United Nations, ‘Special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS’, Report of the Secretary- 3 Public Broadcasting System General, A/55/779, 16 February 2001, p. 19. [www.pbs.org/spacestation/station/issfactsheet.htm]; NASA [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov./station/assembly]. 16 United Nations Special Session on HIV/AIDS, Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, ‘Global 4 United Nations Development Programme, Crisis–Global Action’, 25-27 June 2001, New York. ‘Globalization with a Human Face’, Human Development Report 1999, Oxford University 17 Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Press, New York, 1999, p. 1. Report of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic – June 2000, UNAIDS, Geneva, p. 132. 5 Annan, Kofi A., Secretary-General of the United Nations, ‘We the Peoples’: The Role of the United 18 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Botswana Nations in the 21st Century, United Nations 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, Department of Public Information, New York, December 2000, pp. 12, 14. 2000, p. 7. 19 Nelson, Kenrad E., et al., ‘Changes in Sexual 6 Nyerere, Julius, interview by Charlayne Hunter- Behavior and a Decline in HIV Infection among Gault, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer; Public Young Men in Thailand’, The New Journal of Broadcasting System, 27 December 1996 Medicine, 1 August 1996, vol. 335: 297-303, no. 5. [www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/december96/nyerere_12-27.html]. 20 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Mauritius 7 Bunting, Ikaweba, ‘The Heart of Africa. Interview 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, with Julius Nyerere on Anti-Colonialism’, New December 2000, pp. 5, 12, 19. Internationalist, issue 309, January-February 1999 [www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/30/049.html]. 21 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Malawi 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 8 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Somalia 2000, pp. 8, 9, 14. 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, pp. 13, 15, 27-28, 35. 22 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF China 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, 9 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Namibia p. 5; United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Lao 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, People’s Democratic Republic 2000 Annual Report December 2000. (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, p. 1.

10 Bounds, Andrew, ‘Bull by the horns’, New 23 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Cambodia Internationalist, issue 330, December 2000, p. 22. 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, pp. 11, 14. 11 Ibid., p. 23. 24 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Jamaica 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, p. 3.

74 REFERENCES 25 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Venezuela To change the world with children 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, pp. 1, 3. 38 Interview with Marie Staunton at PLAN International’s headquarters in Woking, England, 26 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Cap-Vert on 5 March 2001. 2000 Rapport Annuel (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, p. 3. 39 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Caribbean Area Office 2000 Annual Report (internal 27 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Cambodia publication), UNICEF, 2000, para. 86. 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, December 2000, p. 14. 40 Lansdown, Gerison, Promoting Children’s Participation in Democratic Decision-Making, 28 Wren, Christopher S., ‘Ex-Diplomat To Lead Group UNICEF, Innocenti Insight, Innocenti Research In AIDS Battle’, , 20 June 2001, Centre, , Italy. p. A8. 41 ‘Young Voices Design a Program: The BRAC 29 Rosenberg, Tina, ‘The world’s AIDS crisis is Experience’, BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement solvable – Look at Brazil’, The New York Times, Committee) paper submitted to UNICEF, 28 March Sunday Magazine, 28 January 2001, p. 29. 2001.

30 McNeil, Donald G. Jr., ‘Money Isn’t Everything’, The 42 Information provided by UNICEF Bangladesh, New York Times, 24 June 2001, Section 4, p. 2. 25 May 2001, internal communique.

31 Zimmerman, Rachel, ‘Glaxo Unveils Another Price 43 United Nations, ‘We the Children: End-decade Cut for AIDS Drugs to Poor Countries’, The Wall review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Street Journal, 11 June 2001. Children’, Report of the Secretary-General, A/S- 27/3, United Nations, New York 4 May, 2001, 32 Nessman, Ravi, ‘Drug Companies Drop S. Africa pp. 110-111. Suit’, , 19 April 2001. 44 Fontaine, Nicole, President of the European 33 Nokia, Corporate Citizenship Program Parliament, Preface to Gerison Lansdown’s paper [www.nokia.com/insight/social/corp_citizen.html]. for Euronet (the European Children’s Network), ‘Challenging Discrimination against Children in 34 Information supplied by Hiba Frankoul, Private the EU’, November 2000. Sector Division, UNICEF, 5 April 2001, internal communique. 45 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Bolivia 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 35 From comments by UNICEF Bangladesh, 25 May December 2000, p. 19. 2001, internal communique. 46 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Moldova 36 Website [www.tatasteel.com/tataorg/rural.htm]. 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000. 37 Mandela, Nelson, and Graça Machel, ‘At the service of the children of the world’, letter presented to 47 United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Azerbaijan UNICEF on 6 May 2000. 2000 Annual Report (internal publication), UNICEF, 2000, p. 2.

48 Part of an agreed statement submitted to the Prepcom for the UN Special Session by a broad group of children and young people representing NGOs from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and .

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 75 Actions that can change the world 57 Birdsall, Nancy, and Augusto de la Torre with Rachel Menezes, Washington Contentious: Economic 49 World Bank, The East Asia Miracle: Economic growth Policies for Social Equity in Latin America, Carnegie and public policy, Policy Research Report, World Endowment for International Peace and Inter- Bank/Oxford University Press, 1993, pp. 46-47. American Dialogue, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 6-7. 50 Mehrotra, Santosh, and , eds., Development with a Human Face, Clarendon Press, 58 World Bank, ‘Making Markets Work Better for Poor Oxford, 1997, pp. 46, 47. People’, chapter 4 in World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking poverty, World Bank/Oxford 51 United Nations Children’s Fund, Poverty Reduction University Press, Washington, D.C, 2001, pp. 61-76. Begins with Children, UNICEF, New York, March 2000, p. 31. 59 United Nations Children’s Fund, Poverty Reduction Begins with Children, UNICEF, New York, March 52 Vandemoortele, Jan, ‘Absorbing social shocks, 2000, p. 33. protecting children and reducing poverty: The role of basic social services’, UNICEF Staff Working 60 Köhler, Horst, ‘Breaking the Cycle of World Poverty’, Papers, Evaluation, Policy and Planning Series, speech on behalf of the IMF to the International Number EPP-00-001, UNICEF, New York, 2000, Action Against Child Poverty Conference in London, pp. 21-23. 26 February 2001 [www.imf.org/external/pp/speeches/2001/022601.htm]. 53 Young, Mary Eming, Early Child Development: Investing in the future, World Bank, Washington, 61 Ibid. D.C., 1996, pp. 10-11. 62 Programme on International Policy Attitudes, 54 Lockheed, Marlaine E., Dean Jamison and Lawrence ‘Americans on Foreign Aid and World Hunger: A J. Lau, ‘Farmer Education and Farm Efficiency: Study of US Public Attitudes’, University of A survey’, Economic Development and Cultural Maryland, February 2001 Change, University of Chicago, October 1980, pp. [www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/BFW/questionnaire.html]. 37-76, cited in Colclough, Christopher, with Keith Lewin, Educating All the Children: Strategies for 63 Brown, Gordon, speech to the International Action primary schooling in the South, Clarendon Press, Against Child Poverty Conference, London, Oxford, 1993, p. 30. 26 February 2001 [www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/docs/2001/child_poverty/chxspeech.html]. 55 United Nations Children’s Fund, Poverty Reduction Begins with Children, UNICEF, New York, March 64 Visco, Vincenzo, speech on behalf of the Italian 2000, pp. 15, 28. Government to the International Action Against Child Poverty Conference in London, 26 February 56 Summers, Lawrence H., Investing in All The People, 2001. Quad-i-Azam Lecture at the Eighth Annual General Meeting of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists, held in Islamabad, January 1992, Policy Research Working Paper Series, World Bank, Washington, D.C., May 1992, p. 1.

76 REFERENCES Maps

Pictorial representations of findings from end-decade reviews in more than 130 countries that assessed the implementation of the 1990 World Summit for Children goals. The selected indices capture both gains and future challenges for the well-being of children.

Maps

1. PROGRESS SINCE THE WORLD SUMMIT FOR CHILDREN ...... PAGE 78

2. PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVES AND QUALITY EDUCATION...... PAGE 80

3. PROTECTING CHILDREN AND COMBATING HIV/AIDS ...... PAGE 82

GENERAL NOTES ON MAPS ...... PAGE 84

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 77 Niger 2% Progress since the Guinea worm Other 3% Burkina Faso 3% disease Ghana 10% Distribution of World Summit for Children reported cases 1990–2000 Nigeria 10% Source: WHO. Sudan 73% Household surveys

Household surveys conducted at the end of the decade 623,844 75,223 total reported cases total reported cases 1990 2000 Use of vitamin A supplements 70% or more of children under 5 received at least one vitamin A supplement in 1999

Use of iodized salt

90%–100% of households used iodized salt 1997–2000

Source: UNICEF, for developing countries.

At the 1990 World Summit for Children, world leaders committed to meet 27 goals for children by the year 2000. In an end-decade review, over 130 countries reported their progress towards these goals.

• Today, 43 developing countries 46% provide vitamin A supplements Trends in to 70% or more of under-fives. This may have prevented 39% exclusive 1 million child deaths between breastfeeding Of children aged 1998 and 2000. 0-3 months in the developing world • Some 72% of households in the Source: UNICEF. developing world are using iodized salt, compared to less than 20% a decade ago.

• Exclusive breastfeeding for infants aged 0-3 months in the developing world increased from 39% to 46% between 1989 and 1999.

This map does not reflect a position by UNICEF • Guinea worm disease is now on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers. Dotted line eliminated except in one country represents approximately the Line of Control in in the Middle East and parts of Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Percentage Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir sub-Saharan Africa. change = 18% has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. 1989 1999 Produced for UNICEF by Myriad Editions Limited Copyright © UNICEF, 2001

78 MAPS THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 79 Promoting healthy lives and quality education

Use of oral rehydration therapy To control diarrhoeal disease in children under 5 1995–2000

More than 60%

40%–59%

20%–39%

Under 20%

No data Malnourished children

More than 25% of children under 5 years old are underweight 1995–2000 Under-educated children

Less than 60% of children are enrolled in or attend primary school 1994–2000 Actions are needed to complete the unfinished agenda of the 1990 Source: UNESCO/UNICEF. World Summit for Children. During the next decade, two priorities will be to promote healthy lives and provide quality education.

• Oral rehydration therapy reduces Children of primary school age dehydration due to diarrhoeal not in school 1,100 diseases – one of the major By region 1998 causes of death among children. Source: UNICEF.

CEE/CIS and Industrialized • 149 million children are still Baltic States countries malnourished, two thirds of them East Asia 2% 2% in Asia. The absolute number of and Pacific 6% Middle East and malnourished children has Maternal mortality Latin America North Africa increased in Africa. Maternal deaths per and Caribbean 8% 100,000 live births 5% • Although primary school 430 1995 Source: UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO. Sub-Saharan enrolment has increased, more 360 Africa than 100 million primary school South Asia 39% Lifetime chance of dying age children remain out of 38% 190 school, nearly 60% of them girls. in pregnancy or childbirth: 140 Least developed countries 1 in 16 55 Industrialized countries 1 in 4,085 • 515,000 women still die every year as a result of This map does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or pregnancy and childbirth, CEE/CIS East Asia Latin America Middle East South Sub-Saharan the delimitation of any frontiers. Dotted line nearly half of them in and and and and Asia Africa represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and sub-Saharan Africa. Baltic States Pacific Caribbean North Africa Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. Boys Girls 43% 57% Produced for UNICEF by Myriad Editions Limited Copyright © UNICEF, 2001

80 MAPS THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 81 AIDS and child mortality Protecting children and in selected African countries combating HIV/AIDS Percentage of under-5 child mortality Countries that have ratified: due to AIDS projected 1) CEDAW 2000–2005 2) Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No. 182 3) Convention to ban anti-personnel landmines 50% and over All three conventions 30%–49% 1 and 2 10%–29% 1 and 3 Source: UN Population Division, 1999. 2 and 3

1 only

2 only

3 only

None of the conventions

No data

Signed either one or both of the two Optional Protocols to the CRC

Leadership at all levels is needed Sources: UN website, 18 June 2001; ILO website, 18 June 2001. to protect children against abuse, 2000 25,300,000 exploitation and violence and to combat HIV/AIDS.

•International conventions are legally binding instruments that set standards and obligations for 7,000,000

national governments. Those 6,400,000 shown on this map, together with the Convention on the Rights of Estimated number the Child (CRC), are the 6,400,000 Eastern & of people living foundation for protecting Southern Africa with HIV/AIDS children and women. By region 1990–2000 AIDS orphans •Of the estimated 36 million Numbers of children under 15 1990 people living with HIV/AIDS, 95% who lost their mother or of whom are in developing both parents to AIDS 2000 countries, 16.4 million are selected regions women and 1.4 million are 1990–2000 Source: UNAIDS/WHO. Source: UNAIDS/UNICEF. children under 15. 1,800,000 1,500,000 •At least 10.4 million children Eastern & Southern Africa 3,000,000 1,300,000 780,000 West & currently under 15 have lost their 700,000 830,000 West & Central Africa Central Africa 550,000 mother or both parents to AIDS, 400,000 This map does not reflect a position by UNICEF 360,000 100,000 90% of them in sub-Saharan 1990 5,000 on the legal status of any country or territory or South Asia the delimitation of any frontiers. Dotted line Africa. In 2000, some 2.3 million 39,000 Highly Middle East Eastern Europe Sub-Saharan Southern Latin America represents approximately the Line of Control in children under 15 became AIDS Latin America & Caribbean industrialized and and Africa and and Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and 15,000 650,000 South Asia countries North Africa Central Asia Eastern Asia Caribbean Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir orphans – one every 14 seconds. has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. East Asia & Pacific 160,000 Latin America & Caribbean

Produced for UNICEF by Myriad Editions Limited Copyright © UNICEF, 2001 UNICEF, © Copyright Limited byMyriad Editions UNICEF Produced for less than 100 140,000 East Asia & Pacific

82 MAPS THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 83 General notes The maps are based on data from the Map 3. Protecting children and combat- on maps United Nations Secretary-General’s report ing HIV/AIDS: The full titles of the Conven- ‘We the Children: End-decade review of tions shown on the map are as follows: the follow-up to the World Summit for CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of Children’. Updated statistical data from All Forms of Discrimination against Women; national end-decade reviews will be Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention included in a statistical annex to the No. 182: Convention concerning the Secretary-General’s report that will be Prohibition and Immediate Action for the available at the United Nations Special Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Session on Children in September 2001. Labour; Convention to ban anti-personnel Data sources for illustrations are given landmines: Convention on the Prohibi- on each map. As many countries as space tion of the Use, Stockpiling, Production allows have been included. Some island and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and nations are surrounded by a box if an in- on their Destruction; CRC: Convention on dicator may not otherwise be seen easily. the Rights of the Child; two Optional An interactive version of these maps is Protocols to the CRC: Optional Protocol to accessible on UNICEF’s website at: the Convention on the Rights of the Child . on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and Optional Protocol to the Map 1. Progress since the World Summit Convention on the Rights of the Child on for Children: No special note. the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Map 2. Promoting healthy lives and qual- Signature of a convention by a State ity education: The maternal mortality ratio constitutes a preliminary and general en- (annual maternal deaths per 100,000 live dorsement and creates an obligation of births) is a measure of the risk of death a good faith to refrain from acts that would woman faces each time she becomes defeat the object and the purpose of the pregnant. Lifetime risk of death mea- convention. Ratification of a convention sures the cumulative risk of death from means that the State Party agrees to be motherhood across a woman’s reproduc- legally bound by the terms of the conven- tive years, taking into account both the tion. The two Optional Protocols to the average number of births per woman and Convention on the Rights of the Child the probability of dying as a result of were opened for signature in May 2000 childbearing. and their ratification has started. The oral rehydration therapy data for The data for AIDS orphans are broken Belize, China, Costa Rica, Mexico, Namibia, down into UNICEF geographic regions. Sri Lanka and Syria are from 1990–1995, The data for people living with HIV/AIDS and that for Thailand and Trinidad and are analysed by UNAIDS/WHO regions. Tobago are from 1987. The data of mal- The two regional breakdowns are not nourished children in Namibia are from comparable. 1992.

84 GENERAL NOTES ON MAPS Balance Sheets

A summary of the goals, gains and unfinished business of the 1990-2000 decade as included in the Report of the Secretary-General, 'We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children'.

1. CHILD HEALTH ...... PAGE 86

2. NUTRITION ...... PAGE 87

3. WOMEN’S HEALTH ...... PAGE 88

4. WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION ...... PAGE 89

5. EDUCATION ...... PAGE 90

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 85 BALANCE SHEET Child health (1990-2000)

GOAL GAINS UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Infant and under-five mortality: reduction More than 60 countries achieved the U5MR rates increased in 14 countries by one third in infant mortality and goal of U5MR. (9 of them in sub-Saharan Africa) and U5MR were unchanged in 11 others. At the global level, U5MR declined by 14 per cent. Serious disparities remain in U5MR within countries: by income level, urban vs. rural, and among minority groups.

Polio: global eradication by 2000 More than 175 countries are polio-free. Polio is still endemic in 20 countries. Routine immunization: maintenance of Sustained routine immunization cov- Less than 50 per cent of children a high level of immunization coverage erage at 75 per cent (three doses of under one year of age in sub-Saharan combined diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus Africa are immunized against DPT3. vaccine (DPT3)).

Measles: reduction by 95 per cent in Worldwide reported measles incidence In more than 15 countries, measles measles deaths and 90 per cent in has declined by nearly two thirds vaccination coverage is less than 50 measles cases by 1995 as a major step between 1990 and 1999. per cent. to global eradication in the longer run

Neonatal tetanus: elimination by 1995 104 of 161 developing countries have 27 countries (18 in Africa) account for achieved the goal. 90 per cent of all remaining neonatal tetanus. Deaths caused by neonatal tetanus declined by 50 per cent between 1990 and 2000.

Deaths due to diarrhoea: reduce them This goal was achieved globally, Diarrhoea remains one of the major by 50 per cent according to World Health Organization causes of death among children. (WHO) estimates.

Acute respiratory infections (ARI): reduc- ARI case management has improved ARI remains one of the greatest causes tion of ARI deaths by one third in chil- at health centre level. of death among children. dren under five The effectiveness of Haemophilus Vertical, single-focus ARI programmes influenzae type b and pneumococcus seem to have had little global impact. vaccines is established.

Source: United Nations, ‘We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children’, Report of the Secretary-General, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001.

86 BALANCE SHEETS BALANCE SHEET Nutrition (1990-2000)

GOAL GAINS UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Malnutrition: reduction of severe and Malnutrition declined by 17 per cent 149 million children are still mal- moderate malnutrition among under- in developing countries. South America nourished, two thirds of them in Asia. five children by half achieved the goal with a 60 per cent The absolute number of malnourished reduction in underweight prevalence children has increased in Africa. over the decade.

Breastfeeding: empowerment of all Exclusive breastfeeding rates increased Only about half of all infants are women to breastfeed their children by nearly one fifth over the decade. exclusively breastfed for the first four exclusively for four to six months and to months of life. Gains were also made in timely com- continue breastfeeding, with comple- plementary feeding and continued mentary food, well into the second year breastfeeding into the second year of life of life.

Vitamin A deficiency: virtual elimination More than 40 countries are reaching As many countries are discontinuing by the year 2000 the large majority of their children national polio immunization days, a (over 70 per cent) with at least one new distribution system for vitamin A high-dose vitamin A supplement a will have to be found. year. UNICEF estimates that as many as one million child deaths may have been prevented in this way in the last three years alone.

Iodine deficiency disorders: virtual Some 72 per cent of households There are still 37 countries where less elimination in the developing world are using than half the households consume iodized salt, compared to less than iodized salt. 20 per cent at the beginning of the decade. As a result, 90 million new- borns are protected yearly from sig- nificant loss in learning ability.

Low birthweight: reduction of the rate of To date, 57 developing countries 11 million babies in South Asia and low birthweight (2.5 kilograms (kg) or have low-birthweight levels below 3.6 million babies in sub-Saharan less) to less than 10 per cent 10 per cent. Africa are born each year with low birthweight.

Growth monitoring: growth promotion A majority of developing countries Growth monitoring information is often and regular growth monitoring among have implemented growth monitoring not used as a basis for community, children to be institutionalized in all and promotion activities using various family or government action. countries by the end of the 1990s approaches.

Household : Dissemination The number of people in developing In sub-Saharan Africa, about one third of knowledge and supporting services to countries lacking sufficient calories in of the population lack sufficient food. increase food production their diets has decreased marginally.

Source: United Nations, ‘We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children’, Report of the Secretary-General, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 87 BALANCE SHEET Women’shealth (1990-2000)

GOAL GAINS UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Maternal mortality: reduction between There has been heightened aware- There is no evidence that maternal 1990 and the year 2000 of the maternal ness of causes leading to high MMR, death rates have declined significantly mortality ratio (MMR) by half but little tangible progress. over the last decade. 515,000 women still die every year as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. A woman in sub-Saharan Africa faces a 1 in 13 chance of dying during preg- nancy and childbirth.

Family planning: access by all couples Contraceptive prevalence increased Every year, adolescents give birth to to information and services to prevent by 10 per cent globally and doubled 15 million infants. pregnancies that are too early, too closely in the least developed countries. Only 23 per cent of women (married spaced, too late or too numerous The total fertility rate has declined or in union) in sub-Saharan Africa use from 3.2 to 2.8. contraceptives. Access to reproductive health educa- tion remains a challenge.

Childbirth care: access by all pregnant Modest gains were made in both Essential obstetric care services are women to prenatal care, trained atten- antenatal care and births assisted by lacking. dants during childbirth and referral a skilled health worker in all regions Coverage of delivery care is only 29 facilities for high-risk pregnancies and except sub-Saharan Africa. per cent in South Asia and 37 per cent obstetric emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Anaemia: reduction of iron deficiency Most developing countries have iron Available evidence shows little change anaemia in women by one third of 1990 supplementation measures for preg- during the 1990s in the prevalence of levels nant women. anaemia among pregnant women.

Source: United Nations, ‘We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children’, Report of the Secretary-General, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001.

88 BALANCE SHEETS BALANCE SHEET Water and environmental sanitation (1990-2000)

GOAL GAINS UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Water: universal access to safe drinking 816 million additional people obtained Some 1.1 billion people still lack water access to improved water supplies access. Global coverage increased by over the decade. only 3 per cent, to 82 per cent. Water quality problems have grown more severe in a number of countries during the decade. Coverage in low-income areas remains low, especially in informal settlements.

Sanitation: universal access to sanitary 747 million additional people utilized 2.4 billion people, including half of means of excreta disposal improved sanitation facilities. all Asians, lack access. Global cover- age increased by only 5 per cent, to 60 percent. 80 per cent of those lacking sanitation live in rural areas.

Guinea worm disease: elimination The number of reported cases has Momentum towards elimination of declined by 97 per cent. The disease guinea worm disease needs to be is now eliminated in all regions except maintained. one country in the Middle East and 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: United Nations, ‘We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children’, Report of the Secretary-General, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 89 BALANCE SHEET Education (1990-2000)

GOAL GAINS UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Early childhood develop- Enrolment of children in early childhood pro- Most progress has been among urban and ment: expansion of early grammes has kept pace with or exceeded elite populations and on formal pre-school childhood development population growth rates in most regions. programmes. (ECD) activities, including Countries in Central and Eastern Europe and appropriate low-cost fam- Central Asia have seen a virtual collapse of ily and community-based public provision of pre-school education. interventions Limited progress on comprehensive family- and community-based approaches.

Universal access to basic Net primary school enrolment has increased Over 100 million children of primary school education: achievement in all regions and reached 82 per cent globally. age remain out of school, especially working of primary education by Latin America has achieved its regional target children, children affected by HIV/AIDS, conflict at least 80 per cent of pri- of more than 70 per cent primary school and disability, children of the poor or ethnic mary school-age children achievement in urban areas. minorities and rural children. The World Education Forum (Dakar 2000) Millions are receiving an education of poor endorsed a comprehensive definition of edu- quality. cation quality. At least one third of the 190 million working Many countries have extended the period of children aged 10-14 in developing countries basic education to close the gap between have no access at all to basic education. end of compulsory schooling and minimum age for employment. Funding for education interventions in human- itarian crises remains a low priority. Humanitarian relief now includes education aspartofitsbasicpackage. Implementation of HIPC II has been slow. The HIPC II Initiative now links increased in- vestment in basic education to debt relief.

Gender disparities: re- The primary school enrolment gap between The gender gap has not changed over the duction of current dispar- girls and boys has narrowed globally from 8 decade in sub-Saharan Africa. ities between boys and percentage points to 6 percentage points. girls Among developing regions, CEE/CIS and Baltic States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and East Asia and the Pacific have the lowest gen- der gap (of 2 percentage points or less). Middle East and North African countries have halved the gender gap, to 8 percentage points. South Asia reduced the gender gap by nearly a fifth, to 14 percentage points.

Adult literacy: reduction of Adult illiteracy has declined from 25 per cent Absolute number of illiterate adults has adult illiteracy rate to at to 21 per cent. remained at about 880 million over the last least half its 1990 rate, decade worldwide, with numbers of illiterates with special emphasis on increasing in most regions. female literacy Illiteracy is increasingly concentrated among women, especially in South Asia and sub- Saharan Africa.

Knowledge, skills and Provision of education and training for young Young people, especially in Central and Eastern values for better living: people in skills formation is increasing, with Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, face massive increased acquisition by greater emphasis on life skills and livelihood unemployment and often displacement. individuals and families of skills. The majority of young people in sub-Saharan knowledge, skills and val- New partnerships have emerged among educa- Africa and Asia lack the skills to protect them- ues for better living, using tion providers, industry and community lead- selves from HIV/AIDS. all educational channels ers to promote relevant skills-based learning.

Source: United Nations, ‘We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children’, Report of the Secretary-General, A/S-27/3, United Nations, New York, 4 May 2001.

90 BALANCE SHEETS Regional Consultations

Excerpts from the regional, high-level-meetings that were held in 2000-2001 in preparation for the Special Session on Children.

1. THE AFRICAN COMMON POSITION ...... PAGE 92

2. BEIJING DECLARATION...... PAGE 93

3. THE BERLIN COMMITMENT ...... PAGE 94

4. KATHMANDU UNDERSTANDING ...... PAGE 95

5. THE KINGSTON CONSENSUS ...... PAGE 96

6. PANAMA DECLARATION ...... PAGE 97

7. THE RABAT DECLARATION ...... PAGE 98

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 91 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS The African Common Position as adopted by The Pan-African Forum for Children

As a contribution to the United Nations Special Session on Children, representatives from governments, civil society, youth groups and other institutions came together at the Pan-African Forum held in Egypt, 28 to 31 May 2001, and adopted a common position. The basic principles of their plan of action are excerpted below.

“The challenge now is to reaffirm our tion have added to the plight of Africa’s digms for tomorrow. We cannot afford commitment to ensure that the goals of children. Youth has been overlooked in to give up on another decade of African today are met. We recognize that the national and international action and children and youth. Africa’s children future of Africa lies with the well-being policy-making, and the links between need to enjoy their rights to health, of its children and youth. The prospect children and youth have been too long education and training now. At the for the socio-economic transformation neglected. But the energy and commit- same time, they must assume their of the continent rests with investing in ment of youth represent a formidable responsibilities. force for positive change. They will the young people of the continent. Today’s We submit that the special needs of determine which direction Africa takes investment in children is tomorrow’s Africa’s children have to date not been in the coming decades. The children and peace, stability, security, democracy and adequately reflected in international the youth are our greatest untapped sustainable development. We acknowl- policies and programmes. Africa’s chil- resource. edge that African children and youth dren and youth need and demand a represent more than half of the conti- We reaffirm that children have a right special place in all policy-making struc- nent’s population. But their views have to enjoy a healthy environment for the tures and in the forthcoming United not been sought concerning the press- realization of their physical, mental Nations General Assembly Special Ses- ing social, economic and human rights and spiritual well-being. Equally they sion on Children. This Forum is intended issues that directly affect them. Africa’s have a duty to participate in activities that to articulate those special needs: its young voices must not be ignored; they rehabilitate or protect the environment. recommendations must be specific and must be heard. relevant to Africa. The concerns of chil- We are deeply concerned that Africa dren and youth in Africa must be at the We affirm that responding to the needs continues to be plagued by war and centre of the global agenda. of Africa’s children is an imperative. armed conflicts which have an enor- Children should be at the core of prior- mous and disproportionate negative We stress that responsibility for realiz- ities for policy makers. Africa’s chil- impact on the civilian population, par- ing the Rights of the Child falls at all dren are indispensable actors for the ticularly children and women, a situa- levels, children, youth, on families, on present and future of our continent. tion in which the human rights of communities, on civil society, on the pri- We note that Africa’s children in many children can never be fully realized. vate sector, on national governments, on subregional and regional organi- ways are the most disadvantaged in the We reaffirm Africa’s commitments to zations and on the international com- world. Their lives are often too short peaceful co-existence and the settle- munity. The agenda of ‘Africa Fit for and their life-chances are too limited. ment of disputes through negotiations, Children’ must ignite real commitment, They are exposed to violence and dialogue and reconciliation as an es- sustained resolve and concrete action. HIV/AIDS infection; they are deprived of sential condition for the creation of a education; they are vulnerable to mal- child and youth friendly and conducive More than ten years after the historic nutrition and disease. The special needs environment for the protection, survival, World Summit for Children, and the and demands of Africa’s children and growth and development of children adoption of the World Declaration and youth require focused attention now and youth. Plan of Action that set specific goals and in the coming years. Africa’s chil- for child rights and welfare to be met We admit that although some progress dren need full support and commit- by 2000, we are in a position to evalu- has been achieved, the record of the ment and they need it now. ate progress. (See Annex.) Much has last eleven years is still unsatisfactory. been achieved, but many promises and We note further that Africa’s youth are Overall, Africa’s children have lost aspirations remain to be met. Some of facing a future affected by violence and another decade, and with the fore- the shortcomings have arisen from poverty, and all-too-often foreshort- seen but unprevented tragedy of the external factors, while others are our ened by HIV/AIDS, malaria and other HIV/AIDS , Africa stands in own responsibility. . We also note that natural danger of losing a generation. This and man-made disasters as well as the record compels us to recognize our We reaffirm the principle of the univer- negative impact of external debt servic- neglect of basic obligations, and chal- sality of the rights of children within the ing, globalization and trade liberaliza- lenges us to adopt alternative para- framework of positive cultural diversity.”

92 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS Beijing Declaration on Commitments for Children in the East Asia and Pacific Region for 2001 – 2010

Meeting at the Fifth East Asia and Pacific Ministerial Consultation held on 14 to 16 May 2001 in Beijing, delegates from 21 countries in the region unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration. The Declaration included the following set of principles and strategies as the basis for their actions in meeting their respon- sibilities to protect the rights of children.

“Support a global movement for chil- Expand the strategic alliances and part- also marginalized many poor coun- dren and a child friendly society through nerships for children at all levels for tries. Consequentially, it is necessary expanded community mobilization, the implementation of integrated, multi- to review trade policies and commit- including children and youth, in co- sectoral and multidisciplinary pro- ments which may have adverse effects operation with government, civil society grammes for children; on children and provide social safety nets and national protection mechanisms to and the private sector; Prevent and minimize the negative protect children and their families from Monitor and evaluate achievements in impact of man-made and natural dis- the negative effects of globalization; terms of the fulfillment of the provisions of asters through better preparation and the Convention on the Rights of the Child; strengthened social services including Harness the opportunities offered by the provision of safety nets for those the global information and communi- Mainstream children’s well-being at affected; cation revolution and use, in the most the centre of the national agenda, as effective way possible, new technolo- Strengthen mechanisms for the em- the most important indicator of national gies that can benefit children and powerment of children and adolescents economic and social progress, and women. At the same time protect chil- in the consideration of their concerns allocate sufficient resources for invest- dren from their harmful effects; ing in children; and in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of appropriate actions Ensure the best interest of the child in Promote and protect the best interests to address those concerns; all programmes and at all levels and of all children by focusing on critical sectors by ensuring Recognise and support parents and stages in the life of a child when inter- and transparency; ventions will have the greatest and families as the primary caretakers of most lasting effect. As such we will children and strengthen their capacity Build upon lessons learned and devel- ensure that all children have: to provide the optimum care, nurturing op a better understanding of the suc- and protection; cess factors that improve the efficacy The best start to life through optimal and efficiency of interventions and Strengthen the capacities of social early childhood care and develop- responses; ment, universal birth registration services providers and other care givers and the right to acquire a nationality; for the greater development, protection Develop a strong disaggregated infor- and care of children; mation base to help assess problems, A basic education of high quality; develop solutions, target interventions Welcome the sharing of the responsi- and monitor and evaluate results. The opportunity to develop fully their bility to ensure the well-being of children Recognise the value of measurable individual capacities and to partici- with communities; local governments; indicators and targets as benchmarks pate in and contribute to their soci- social, cultural, religious, business, of success or failure and; eties, especially during adolescence; local people’s and children’s organiza- Encourage the formulation and sub- tions; and civil society, including the Develop indicators and systems, with sequent implementation of national media. Within this, support the em- inputs from children and those con- plans of action for this decade with powerment of other organizations to cerned, for monitoring the situation and progress of poor and vulnerable inputs from children, parents and com- play a greater role in contributing to groups, down to the lowest administra- munities, consistent with the goals and the best interests of children; tive level.” targets of the forthcoming Special Ses- Give priority to developing sustainable sion on Children of the United Nations solutions and systems for improving General Assembly; the situation for children by fully in- volving children and their communities; Strengthen the capacity of national and sub-national institutions to implement Recognise that although globalization integrated national plans of action, has facilitated economic growth and within a decentralized system; development in many instances, it has

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 93 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS The Berlin Commitment for Children of Europe and Central Asia

Following a series of regional consultations, delegates from 52 European and Central Asian countries and the , met in Berlin, 16 to 18 May 2001 in a high-level meeting organized by the Governments of Germany and in preparation for the United Nations Special Session on Children. Their discussions resulted in 20 specific commitments for improving the lives of children and young people, the basis of which is excerpted below.

“Recognising that progress has been right to grow up in a healthy, safe and Also aware of the increasing numbers achieved during the past decade in ful- supportive family and community envi- of children of Europe and Central Asia filling the rights of the child throughout ronment which results in growing at risk of all forms of abuse and vio- Europe and Central Asia, in particular numbers of children at risk of social lence, such as corporal punishment, with regard to commitments taken at exclusion, in significant increases in sexual and economic exploitation, the the 1990 World Summit for Children morbidity, stunting of growth and child worst forms of child labour, trafficking and the obligations under the Con- development delay as a consequence and , vention on the Rights of the Child, uni- of poor quality of care as well as in Concerned that armed conflicts and versally ratified by countries of Europe reduced numbers of children partici- natural disasters continue to affect and and Central Asia, pating in basic education programmes destroy the lives of children in Europe and increased rates of juvenile delin- Welcoming the important contribution and Central Asia and in this regard quency, accidents and suicides, of civil society, non-governmental organ- stressing the need for a growing aware- isations, the private sector, and regional Recognising that much still needs to be ness of protecting children’s rights in and international organisations, espe- done to improve the health and social conflict situations as well as the impor- cially the UN System, the Council of environment for children as well as the tance of protecting children from envi- Europe, the OSCE, the European Union quality and relevance of educational ronmental threats such as chemical and the Commonwealth of Independent programmes, and that low and/or de- contamination and nuclear pollution and States, to the implementation of the clining public expenditure in the coun- of ensuring that children grow up and Convention on the Rights of the Child, tries in transition caused by overall live in an environment that is conducive Also welcoming that children through- financial constraints and other factors, to the highest attainable level of health, continues to affect the provision of social out Europe and Central Asia are Aware of the fact that children belong- services for children and their access to increasingly acknowledged as subjects ing to minorities, internally displaced, quality education and health care, of human rights and that government refugee and migrant children, state- strategies and legal frameworks, ad- Stressing the need to ensure support, less children, children with disabilities ministrative policies and practices pro- including through the restructuring of and children infected with HIV and gressively respect the right of the child national budgets, international aid suffering from AIDS are at special risk to participate in social life and to par- flows, and appropriate foreign invest- of being victims of discrimination, take in the decision-making processes ments, for the implementation of social and are in need of, and have the right which affect their lives, reforms and programmes aimed at to, special protection, inclusion and Bearing in mind our responsibility towards promoting and protecting the rights of participation, the child in the countries of Europe and future generations, which implies, inter Taking note of the results of regional Central Asia, particularly in the coun- alia, that any action undertaken today, and sub-regional preparatory confer- tries in transition, must not endanger the enjoyment by ences and consultations, including the our children of their human rights, Concerned at the rise in tuberculosis, proposals submitted by young people Recognising that poverty and eco- malaria, sexually transmitted diseases, and civil society organisations working nomic and social disparities, including anaemia and iodine deficiency dis- for children’s rights, and welcoming the growing income inequalities especially orders in the countries in transition Political Message from the Committee in the countries in transition, lack of and noting with concern that HIV/AIDS of Ministers of the Council of Europe for opportunities for leisure and recreation continues to spread in many countries communication to the Special Session, of Europe and Central Asia, greatly and changes in family structures limit Aiming to contribute in collaboration affecting those under 18 years of age the chances of children of fully devel- with the UN System, civil society and and increasingly girls, oping their personalities, mental and children themselves to the prepara- physical abilities, and of growing into Aware of the negative impact of an tions for the United Nations General a fulfilled adulthood, increasing level of substance abuse, Assembly Special Session on Children Concerned that a growing number of including alcohol, tobacco and illicit and to further the development and children, particularly in the countries in drugs, on children’s and young people’s implementation of actions for children transition, are being deprived of their physical and mental health, in the next decade.”

94 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS Kathmandu Understanding Investing in Children in South Asia

In May 2001, delegations from seven South Asian countries, including ministers of finance and planning, corporate leaders and young activists known as the ‘Change Makers’, met together in the South Asia High Level Meeting on Investing in Children. They issued the Kathmandu Understanding as an outcome of the meeting, part of which is excerpted below.

“WE agree that children are the future of ship to ensure adequate, timely and pro- them in decisions that affect them at all our nations and, therefore, investing in ductive investments in fulfilling the rights levels; children should be a national priority…. and achieving the well-being of all chil- Recognise the importance of partner- dren in South Asia, and in strategies ships between government, private and WE affirm, therefore, that investing in towards poverty alleviation. corporate sector, civil society organi- children is a priority issue and that poverty sations, communities, individuals, chil- reduction should begin with children. WE call upon the international community dren, international organisations and to create a supportive environment for media; WE affirm, once again, that there is no the survival, development and protection greater investment than laying a stable of children and promote a non-violent, Call for the sharing of national experi- foundation for every child by ensuring non-exploitative international order. We ences and best practices, and common the fulfilment of rights as enshrined in urge the donor countries to meet all their strategies, which reach families and the Convention on the Rights of the Child commitments under the Convention on communities at the grassroots level for (CRC). It is our obligation to allocate the the Rights of the Child, implement mea- fulfilling the rights of children; required financial resources and take all sures for debt relief, assess and monitor Recognise the importance of regular requisite actions towards the survival and the impact of sanctions on children and monitoring and review of progress as development of all children in South Asia. ensure humanitarian exemptions that are part of the accountability for results; This covers good health and nutrition of child focused to address the possible the populations, especially infants, ado- adverse effects of the sanctions. We also Propose that this Kathmandu Under- lescents and women, quality education for urge donor countries to earmark a higher standing be brought to the attention of girls and boys, improved drinking water percentage of their Official Development UN General Assembly Special Session and environmental sanitation, and protec- Assistance for the welfare of children under and the Third Special Session of the Standing Committee of SAARC which tion of children from all forms of discrim- the 20/20 Initiative. We urge UNICEF and will meet in Colombo 8-9 June 2001, ination, exploitation, violence and abuse, our development partners to reaffirm, in which provides another opportunity for trafficking, and hazardous and exploita- spirit and in actions, the need for struc- a common position to be taken by our tive forms of child labour. We recognise tural adjustment with a human face, and countries to the UN Special Session. the urgent need to protect adolescents trade and tariff arrangements for prefer- and young people from HIV/AIDS and ential access to markets. children affected by armed conflict. WE pledge to work towards the imple- mentation of this Understanding.” Noting the situation of children in South WE recognise that universal access to Asia we: quality education is the critical founda- Reaffirm our commitments to accelerate tion for economic growth. However, the progress to achieve the goals for chil- quality of education and learning avail- able to the majority of our children is a dren agreed at the World Summit for matter of great concern. We strongly Children in 1990 and the 1996 SAARC affirm that South Asia cannot afford dis- Ministerial Conference on Children; parities in education between boys and Support and call for increasingly greater girls. Efforts, therefore, must be intensi- investment in children; fied to achieve in access Urge our development partners to and learning. enhance their aid and assistance to support higher investment in children WE recognise that governments, the cor- in South Asia; porate sector, civil society, communities, young people, international organisa- Recognise the need to listen to children tions and media need to work in partner- and actively explore ways of involving

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 95 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS The Kingston Consensus Fifth Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy in the Americas

Ministers and government representatives met in Kingston, Jamaica, on 9-13 October 2000 for the Fifth Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy in the Americas. The Kingston meeting was the first of the regional consultations held in preparation for the Special Session on Children. The following is excerpted from the Consensus statement.

“(We) are determined to: dards for child protection. Further, to children, adolescents, and adults who take such steps as are needed to pro- have not benefited from formal educa- Make every necessary effort so that vide training in human rights and in tion or have dropped out of school. children and adolescents have oppor- the administration of justice for chil- Special attention should be given to tunities to fully develop their physical, dren and adolescents, to all those disadvantaged children and adoles- mental, spiritual, moral, and social involved with children and adolescents cents, such as those with disabilities, capacities and to guarantee and pro- in conflict with the law. those living with and affected by mote respect for human rights. HIV/AIDS, adolescent mothers, and Ensure the rights of children and ado- those in conflict with the law. Develop and implement integrated lescents with different abilities, including policies and actions aimed at breaking those with disabilities, to appropriate Urge all countries to consider signing, the inter-generational cycles of poverty, services, attention, and education ade- ratifying and implementing all interna- and eradicating exclusion, discrimination quate to their capacities. Similarly, to tional legal instruments relating to the and lack of respect for human rights. create mechanisms to support their rights of children, in particular, … These Promote actions and mechanisms to families and/or caregivers and their legal instruments represent major ad- maximize the participation of children full integration into the society. vances in the international effort to strengthen and enforce legal norms and and adolescents in decision-making in Encourage the partnership between national plans of action for the protec- all matters that directly and indirectly governments and civil society to assist tion of the most vulnerable children. affect them. children and adolescents to develop Support the creation of mechanisms values that promote human rights and Call on donor and creditor countries that facilitate the participation of civil equality, peace, tolerance, justice, soli- and international financial institutions society in all matters that affect children darity and equitable gender relations. to consider accelerating the adoption of concrete ways to relieve the public and adolescents. Continue progress towards universal ac- debt burden.… Promote actions to eliminate discrimi- cess to comprehensive health services, nation and exclusion of ethnic groups, including effective prevention, early Reaffirm the implementation of the religious groups, linguistic or other intervention, treatment and rehabilita- 20/20 Initiative.… tion strategies. Also, increase knowledge minorities or indigenous peoples, and Increase horizontal technical coopera- of adolescents and children about sex- to strengthen their diverse cultural tion between countries in order to share ual and reproductive health, with spe- identities. positive experiences and strategies cial emphasis on HIV/AIDS and other which can help to accelerate the pro- Ensure the protection of children and sexually transmitted infections. adolescents from all forms of abuse, in- cesses necessary for achieving the cluding injury, violence, neglect, sexual Progress toward universal high quality agreed goals.… early childhood and primary education abuse, commercial exploitation, sale and Recognize that equitable sustainable in an environment that promotes the traffic, forced labour, and from forced human development could be facili- full development of children and ado- or compulsory recruitment for armed tated if the rights and well-being of lescents, instills respect for human conflicts.… children are promoted and protected. rights, and prepares them for respon- The individual development of children Ensure the protection of children and sible life in society. adolescents from all forms of discrimi- is intrinsically connected to the devel- nation and harm, and support policies, Increase resources, based on availabil- opment of the human society, thus plans and programmes to advance ity, for comprehensive early childhood shaping the future of the world. care and development to ensure better equality and respect for them. Respond to the unexpected challenges learning outcomes, reduce inequali- Ensure that every child and adolescent which will arise, that this Consensus ties, and ensure fulfillment of human in conflict with the law has due process does not address. In all such cases, rights. Cooperate with civil society and and is treated in accordance with the decisions will be based on the princi- families to support proper health, relevant principles and provisions of ples of non-discrimination, best inter- nutrition, and education. the Convention on the Rights of the ests of the child, maximum survival Child and other international and Develop and implement programmes and development, and participation of national legal instruments and stan- geared to creating opportunities for children and adolescents.”

96 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS Panama Declaration United for Children and Adolescents, on the Basis of Justice and Equity in the New Millennium

Heads of State and Government of the 21 Ibero-American countries met in at the Tenth Ibero- American Summit from 17 to 18 November 2000 and issued a call for renewed efforts to protect the rights of children. Their extended Declaration was based on the following preamble.

“We, the Heads of State and Government Convinced that the expansion of inter- revealed by a number of indicators, call of the 21 Ibero-American countries meet- national trade is vitally important to the for a renewed collective effort to consoli- ing in Panama City on the occasion of the prosperity of our countries, we reiterate date positive trends and guarantee effec- Tenth Ibero-American Summit, on 17 and our individual and collective commitment tive observance of the rights of children 18 November 2000, and convinced that to develop a multilateral trade system that and adolescents. in order to achieve sustainable human is free, open, non-discriminatory, secure development, democratic consolidation, and transparent; regional integration; We also wish to stress that the infant and equity, and social justice, based on the open regionalism, and the deepening of adolescent population constitutes an age principles of the universality, indivisibil- economic relations between the different group that is, by its very nature, particu- ity, and interdependence of human rights, regions of the world, under conditions of larly affected by negative socio-economic it is essential that special attention be equity. factors, which must be dealt with deci- devoted to children and adolescents, have sively, in order to eliminate or significantly once again decided to consider together In consequence, we vigorously reject reduce the damaging effects of the weak- the situation of the children and ado- any extraterritorial application of national ening of the social and family fabric lescents of Ibero-America, with a view to laws or unilateral measures implemented caused by circumstances such as family formulating policies and promoting pro- in contravention of , the abandonment, irresponsible fatherhood, grammes and actions designed to ensure United Nations Charter, or the prevailing and conflicts with the law. the respect of their rights, well-being and laws of international trade. We therefore overall development. reiterate the urgent need to abolish such We recognize the fundamental impor- measures and once more urge the United tance of children and adolescents as We welcome the progress made since our States of America to end its implemen- holders of rights in our societies, and the first Summit, held in Guadalajara, Mexico, tation of the Helms-Burton Act, in accor- guiding regulatory role of the State in the and note with satisfaction the deep af- dance with the pertinent resolutions of design and execution of social policies finities that unite and consolidate the the United Nations General Assembly. that are intended for the benefit of chil- Ibero-American community of nations, as dren and adolescents and serve to guar- a privileged forum for political dialogue We also wish to stress that the total antee their rights, and we reiterate our and solidarity, which plays an increas- population of all our countries will soon determination to build the foundations ingly active and influential role on the reach six hundred million people, and for the full development of their potential international stage. that children and adolescents make up and social integration, in the light of the the majority of our people and are a opportunities and challenges offered by We reaffirm our commitment to the pro- source of creativity, energy, dynamism, today’s global marketplace. motion and defence of democracy and initiative and social renewal. the state of law; political pluralism and We therefore reaffirm our commitment to cultural identity; and human rights in We are delighted that most of our coun- the principles and goals enshrined in the their civil, political, economic, social and tries have succeeded in reducing mortal- United Nations Convention on the Rights cultural aspects, including the right to ity rates among infants and children of the Child and in other conventions, dec- development, respect for the principles of under 5, and in eradicating certain im- larations and international instruments, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non- munopreventible diseases, as well as in both universal and regional, through intervention, the non-use of force, and of increasing enrolment and graduation which our Governments undertake to the threat to use force, in international rates in primary education and in reduc- guarantee respect for the rights of chil- relations, the peaceful resolution of dis- ing illiteracy. However, the persistence of dren and adolescents, their access to a putes, and the right of all peoples to con- high rates of poverty and extreme pover- higher standard of well-being, and their struct their political systems freely, under ty, of situations of social exclusion and effective participation in comprehensive conditions of peace, stability and justice. socio-economic inequality, and of inade- development programmes.” These principles are part of our legacy to quate sanitation and health services, and Ibero-American children and adolescents. the shortcomings and backwardness

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 97 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS The Rabat Declaration Arab Regional Civil Society Forum on Children

The Arab Regional Civil Society Forum on Children brought together in Rabat, Morocco, 15-19 February 2001, some 250 participants from 21 countries, representing NGOs, parliamentarians, media, and young people. The meeting was convened by four parties: the Arab Council for Childhood and Development, the Arab Institute for Human Rights, the Moroccan Observatory for the Rights of the Child and UNICEF. It discussed 27 papers covering the themes of the situation of children in the region, building a culture of child rights, early childhood, education, access to IT, adolescence, conflict, poverty, child labour, and the roles of civil society members in the Global Movement for Children. The Forum issued the Rabat Declaration.

“Whereas World leaders assembled at into partnerships at both the regional combined will coincides with the will of the United Nations Headquarters more and international levels; the international community; than a decade ago, in 1990, and adopted Based on the belief that the future of That they shall call upon regional and the World Declaration on the Survival, children depends on the realisation of international organisations, as well Protection and Development of Chil- their aspirations to live in a world fit for as States, Governments and leaders dren and a Plan of Action for imple- children, one that embraces their views world-wide, to be closely bound by the menting the Declaration in the 1990s; and abilities and their strong and rich Convention and to draw economic and Whereas the Arab States, were among wills as citizens with rights and opinions, developmental policies for the benefit those in the international community thus predicating their participation in of children and their lives, their safety who committed themselves to the political, economic and social decisions; and their dignity in a world of complete Declaration and pledged to implement equality, free from wars, sanctions and Whereas the survival and development its provisions and activate its princi- diseases; of children is a moral humanitarian pur- ples in order to ensure better condi- suit and a responsibility that falls on all That they shall make child participation tions for children’s present and future; parties of society, hence necessitating and contribution one of their objec- Whereas the Convention on the Rights the enhancement of partnerships, the tives, based on the firmly-established of the Child (CRC) aims to protect chil- establishment of inter-country rela- conviction that building the future of dren in the areas of health and educa- tions among non-governmental organ- children can only be achieved through tion and to fulfil nourishing conditions isations, and the optimum utilisation and with children themselves; within the child’s family in an environ- of all available human and financial That they shall leave no stone unturned ment of well-being and stability, far resources for the promotion of eco- in urging Arab Governments to rise to from all fanaticism or hate, and in an nomic policies vis-à-vis children’s pro- their duty of safeguarding and guaran- atmosphere that protects children grams in various fields, with the aim of teeing the rights of children, adoles- against the tragedies of violence, mur- bridging disparities and alleviating cents and youth and of providing all der or wars; poverty in order to achieve a new world the facilities and mechanisms neces- order that serves childhood, instead Whereas Governments in the Arab sary for building children’s capacities one that aggravates the misfortunes of region are committed to taking the ini- and responding to their needs. In this children and accelerates their demise; tiatives and steps required for facilitat- context, the Arab Governments shall be ing the implementation of the spirit of The Arab and Regional non-governmental urged to ensure that national legisla- the Convention and for adopting effec- organisations and civil society repre- tion conform with the spirit and con- tive approaches to change the state of sentatives, meeting in Rabat between tents of the Convention on the Rights of childhood and to provide all the oppor- 15 and 19 February 2001, at the invita- the Child; to endorse all human rights tunities for children to live in a world fit tion of the Arab Council for Childhood protocol and to lift their reservations for children and free from discrimination; and Development, the Arab Institute vis-à-vis these conventions; to enhance for Human Rights, Morocco’s National the realm of basic freedoms and to Recognising the important role of Civil Observatory for Child Rights and respect opposing views in a democratic Society Organisations in designing, UNICEF, emphasise the following: manner in a State built on a foundation managing and following-up of the of rights and the law; implementation of the Convention, or That they shall work in coordination and in terms of drawing the attention of, partnership with each other to employ That they shall renew their commitment proposing to, or pressuring political all their efforts, experiences and capa- to working towards lifting sanctions leaderships, Governments, the private bilities for the best interest of child- and boycotts, advocating the cessation sector and parliaments to adopt strate- hood throughout the world in general, of wars, armed conflicts and occupation gies for advancing the situation of chil- and in the Arab World in particular, in and alleviating their devastating effects dren, developing suitable approaches order to activate the values inherent in on victimised children in Palestine, , and passing laws for that purpose, in the Convention on the Rights of the Sudan, Libya, Somalia, the Occupied addition to coordinating and entering Child as a minimum upon which their Golan Heights and elsewhere.”

98 REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS Index

A Better Parenting Project (Jordan), 54 children, sale of, 64, 69 Abdullayev, Namiq, 45 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 14, 23 Chile, 31, 45 abuse of children, 26, 64 birthright, 73 China, 2, 29 sexual, 37, 41, 61, 69 births Chomsky, Noam, 36 adolescents, 59, 61 official registration of, 13 Cisco Systems Inc., 29, 45 in Jamaica, 26-27 unregistered, 24 cloning, 17 juvenile justice programmes for, 28 Bitar, Hania, 36 Coca-Cola Company, 27 opinions of, 38, 41-43 blindness, 14, 15 COLIBRI (Peru), 11 Afghanistan, 21, 58 Bolivia, 39-40 Colombia, 42, 57 Africa Bonino, Emma, 21 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), 49, 90 children’s parliaments in, 41, 43 Botswana, 24, 25, 53 conflict Global Movement for Children in, 49, 73 Brazil, 17, 27-29, 35, 45 opinions of children on, 42 HIV/AIDS epidemic in, 25, 29, 56 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, 29 violence; warfare’s impact on African Girls’ Education Initiative, 57 Brown, Gordon, 67 see also children Agwanda, Caroline Awuor, 15 Bulgaria, 48 Convention on the Rights of the Child Bulnes, Mirna, 68 AIDS (acquired immune deficiency (1989), 11, 27, 31, 35, 39, 43, 55, 57, syndrome), 21, 23, 25 Burkina Faso, 48 58, 61, 62, 93-98 in Brazil, 27-29 on children’s opinions, 39 C child mortality from, 24 education as right under, 57 Cambodia, 26, 27, 45 children with, in South Africa, 40, 43 on education for girls, 57 Canada, Geoffrey, 23 education on, in Malawi, 56 influence of, 43 infant mortality and, 13 Candlelight for Health and Education (Somalia), 39 Optional Protocol to, on the involvement in Malawi, 56 of children in armed conflict, 62 Cape Verde, 27 in Morocco, 73 Optional Protocol to, on sale of children, Cardoso, Fernando Henrique, 29 opinions of children on, 38, 40 child prostitution and child Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), 38, 41, pornography, 64 Allende, Isabel, 31 49, 90, 94 responsibilities under, 61 Annan, Kofi, 23 Chadzamakono, Martha, 56 on rights of adolescents, 61 Arévalo, Carlos, 11 Change Makers, The (Nepal), 70 in Venezuela’s Constitution, 27 Aristide, Jean-Bertrand, 48 child abuse, 26, 33, 37, 55, 71, 94-96 corporal punishment, 28, 37, 94 Ariunaa, 48 sexual, 37, 41, 61, 64, 69 corporate leadership, 27, 70, 95 armed conflicts, children in, 42, 62 childbirth, maternal mortality during, 12, Costa Rica, 21, 52, 53 armed forces, children drafted into, 61, 62 88 Côte d’Ivoire, 45 Asinsaun, Henita, 13 child labour, 27, 57, 59, 61, 62, 64, 70, Cuba, 53 Azerbaijan, 25, 40, 41, 45 72, 94, 96 Azerbaijan Child to Child Peace Network, 25 child mortality, from AIDS, 13, 24 D child pornogaphy, 64 Dadashev, Farid, 25 B child prostitution, 52, 64 deaths Badakhshan (Afghanistan), 58 child rights, see rights of children child mortality from AIDS, 13, 24 Bangladesh, 29, 48 children infant mortality, 10, 13, 14, 19, 21, 26, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee discrimination against, 41, 43, 45 86 (BRAC), 37, 45 Global Movement for, 43, 49, 67, 69, 73, maternal mortality, 12, 17, 70, 88 Barang, Bun, 27 93, 98 debt relief, 61, 63, 65, 71, 95 Barbados, 53 importance of early years of, 53-55 Denmark, 65 Barros, Ambar de, 17 opinion polls of, 38 developing countries basic social services, 53, 63, 71 participating in United Nations Special economic aid to, 63, 65, 67, 69 Battacharya, Kuheli, 19 Session on Children, 43, 70 malnutrition in, 15, 16 Belgium, 45, 65 participation by, 39, 41 Berlin (Germany), 70 polling opinions of, 40, 41

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 99 need for leadership on behalf of children G I in, 53 Galeano, Eduardo, 31 I Am Your Child Foundation, 57 responsibilities of, 61, 63 García Marquez, Gabriel, 31 Ibero-American Summit (Panama), 70 UNICEF study of, 53 Gayoom, H.E. Maumoon Abdul, 19 immunizations, 10, 14, 15 Diallo, Aminata, 27 Gbagbo, 45 in Afghanistan, 21 diarrhoea, 13, 14, 15, 86 Germany, 29, 30, 65 national campaigns for, 26 Diawara, Demba, 20 Ghana, 48 in Senegal, 27 discrimination girls indebtedness, 63, 65, 67 against children, 39, 41, 43 as adolescents, 59, 61 India, 13, 19, 29-31, 52-72 against women and girls, opinions of in Bangladesh, 37 ECD programmes in, 55, 57 children on, 52 discrimination against, 52 Kerala state in, 53 opinions of children on, 52 education of, 57 Nagaland in, 34 , 37, 38 education of, in Afghanistan, 58 industrialized countries E female genital mutilation (FGM) of, economic aid to poorer countries from, 19-21, 55 63, 65, 67 early childhood development (ECD), 53,55, 56, 57 GlaxoSmithKline (firm), 29 HIV/AIDS epidemic in, 21 in Jordan, 54 Global Alliance for Vaccines and infant mortality, 10, 13, 19 Immunization (GAVI), 14 earthquakes, 30, 66 Instituto Ethos (Brazil), 35 Global Business Council on HIV and AIDS, East Asia, 10, 12, 13, 18, 22, 38, 51 International Conference of the Red Cross 27 and Red Crescent, 62 East Timor, 38, 68 globalization, 63 International Labour Organization, 64 economic aid to poorer countries, 63-69 Global Movement for Children, 43-45, 71, International Space Station, 19 education 75 Internet, 17, 43, 64 of girls, during adolescence, 59, 61 Rallying call of, 34, 43, 49 iodine deficiency, 15, 87, 94 of girls, in Afghanistan, 58 Grajew, Oded, 35 iodized salt, 14, 15, 16, 87 on HIV/AIDS, in Malawi, 56 GrameenPhone (firm), 29 Iqui Balam (Guatemala), 39 leadership in, 17,19, 21 Guatemala, 35, 37, 39 Irianingsih, Sri, 67 in Malawi, 26 guinea worm disease, 15 Ismail, Shukri, 39 opinions of children on, 38, 72 Guyana, 63 Italy, 65 as right and investment, 57, 58, 59 Ito, Nenita, 14 teachers for, 60 H in UNICEF study of developing countries, Habash, Saleem, 36 J 53 Haemophilus Influenza type B (Hib) Jacha, Rodwell, 41 World Summit for Children goals for, 15, vaccine, 14 Jamaica, 26-27, 30, 48, 96 22 Haiti, 25, 48 Johnson, Nkosi, 40, 43 El Salvador, 21, 30, 66 health Jordan, 48, 52, 54 Ethiopia, 40, 42, 52, 72 AIDS and HIV, 13, 21-25, 29-31 juvenile justice programmes, 28 of women, 12, 17 F Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) K families, 54 Initiative, 63, 65 Kenya, 24, 52, 55, 63, 72 female genital mutilation (FGM), 19, 20, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), 13, 21, 55 21, 23, 25 Kerala (India), 53 Figueres, José, 21 corporate leadership in combating, 27-31 Köhler, Horst, 67 Fontaine, Nicole, 39 education on, in Malawi, 53, 56 Korea, Republic of, 53 former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 49 among girls, 56, 59, 61 Kufuor, John Agyekum, 48 Fuentes, Carlos, 31 opinions of children on, 38 L Fundação Abrinq (Brazil), 35 Honduras, 48 Lagos Escobar, Ricardo, 45 Hubble Space Telescope, 17 Lagumdzija, Zlatko, 70 Hun Sen, 45

100 INDEX Lalla Fatima Zohra (princess, Morocco), 73 Moscoso, Mireya, 70 peace, opinions of children on, 25, 34, 36, Lalla Meryem (princess, Morocco), 48 mothers, maternal mortality of, 12, 17, 38, 42 Lancelotti, Júlio, 45 70, 88 Perry (magistrate), 28 Lao Peoples’ Democratic Republic, 26 Mozambique, 24, 31, 48, 60, 61, 65 Peru, 11, 30, 59, 73 Latin America Mseche, Teleza, 53 Pfizer (firm), 29 individual leadership in, 31 Museveni, Yoweri, 25 pharmaceutical companies, 14, 23, 29 polling opinions of children in, 38 Muuya, Leah, 55 Philippines, 14 poverty in, 63 My Future is My Choice (programme, Piot, Peter, 23 Namibia), 19 leadership PLAN International UK, 35, 37, 43 polio, 6, 13, 21, 26, 28, 86, 87 on behalf of children’s rights, 19, 21, N 26, 36, 51, 53 Poniatowska, Elena, 31 Nagaland (India), 34 corporate, 27, 29, 31 pornogaphy, 64 Namibia, 19, 24, 28, 52 in Global Movement for Children, 43-49 poverty, 6, 25, 33, 39, 43, 44, 57, 61, 63, National Immunization Days, 14, 21, 26 governmental, 19, 23, 28, 29, 53, 65, 67 64, 66, 67, 69, 70, 72, 92, 94, 95, 96, natural disasters, 66, 93, 94 97, 98 by individuals, 33, 39, 67, 68 neonatal tetanus, 6, 13, 26, 86 children in, increase in, 39 learning, see education Nepal, 70 environmental hazards tied to, 66 Lebanon, 70 Netaid.org, 30, 45 HIV/AIDS epidemic and, 25 Liberia, 24, 28, 30, 42 Netaid.org Foundation, 19, 43 opinions of children on, 72 life skills education, 21, 28, 56, 61, 63, 90 Netherlands, 36, 65 pregnant women M News Agency on Children’s Rights, (ANDI; AIDS education for, 25 Brazil), 17 Machel, Graça, 31 prenatal care for, 17, 54, 88 Nigeria, 49, 52 Madagascar, 48 prostitution, child, 52, 64 night-blindness, 14 Makednski Posti (firm, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), 49 Nokia (firm), 29 R Malawi, 26, 40, 53, 56 Norway, 58, 65 Ragab, Ahmed R.A., 19 Malaysia, 53 Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC), Rania Al-Abdullah (queen, Jordan), 48, 54 58 Maldives, 19 Ratsiraka, Didier, 48 nutrition Malewezi, Justin, 56 Reiner, Rob, 57 vitamin A deficiency (VAD), 14, 15, 87 malnutrition, 13, 15, 16, 25, 52, 87 rights of children, 11, 17, 19, 20, 21, 26, World Summit for Children goals for, 14, 27, 35, 36, 37, 39, 43, 47, 48, 54, 57, World Summit for Children goals for, 11, 15 59, 61, 62, 64, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 92, 13, 15 Nyerere, Julius, 19 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 Mandela, Nelson, 31, 67, 73 of adolescents, 61 Marín, Rosemberg, 66 O education as, 11, 29, 38, 43, 57, 58 maternal mortality, 12, 17, 70, 88 Oman, 26 leadership in, 17, 19, 21, 31, 35, 36, Mauritius, 26, 53 opinion polls, of children, 38, 39 37, 39, 48, 59, 63, 65, 73 measles, 13, 14, 25, 26, 86 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Roedy, William, 27 Melching, Molly, 20 Development (OECD), 59, 65, 67 Rojas, Agripina, 59 mental retardation, 15 Rosiati, Sri, 67 Mexico, 49, 71, 97 P Mfumuwaa, Akosua, 49 Pacific Island nations, 26 S Millennium Summit, 19, 23, 57, 61 Palestinians, 29, 36, 54, 98 Sábato, Ernesto, 31 Mkapa, Benjamin William, 49 Palestinian Youth Association for safe sex, 25, 40, 56 Leadership and Rights Activation MobiNil (firm), 29 Sall, Ourèye, 20 (PYALARA), 36 Moldova, 41 sanitation, 13, 15, 18, 53, 55, 89, 95, 97 parenting, 39, 43, 54, 55, 64 Mongolia, 48 Sarney, José, 27, 29 Pareyio, Agnes, 55 Moosa, Ali bin Mohammed bin, 26 Save the Children, 43, 44 Patterson, Percival J., 48 Morocco, 48, 70, 73, 98 Save the Children Alliance, 45

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 101 Say Yes for Children campaign (Global teachers, 19, 34, 37, 38, 43, 45, 54, 57, W Movement for Children), 43, 45, 46, 48, 49 58, 61, 68, 69, 72 Warfare’s impact on children, 42 schooling, 26, 57, 58, 59, 90 women as, in Afghanistan, 58 in Liberia, 28, 42 buildings for, 37 tetanus, 13, 15, 26, 86 in Nagaland (India), 34 Segura, Boris, 21 Thailand, 25, 26, 38, 70 Optional Protocol of Convention on the Senegal, 20, 27, 49 HIV/AIDS epidemic in, 25 Rights of the Child on, 62 Sengulane, Dinis, 61 immunization in, 26 Palestinians, 36 sexual abuse of children, 37, 41, 61, 69 international gathering of children in, 70 Washington Consensus, 63 child prostitution and pornography, 52, the former Yugoslav Republic of water, 13, 15, 18, 25, 53, 55, 89 64 Macedonia, 49 West Africa, 49 sexual activity, 24, 56, 64 Thomas, Zoe, 28 White, David, 28 sexual exploitation of children, 26, 59, 64, Tostan (NGO; Senegal), 20 Willie, Korlu, 28 70, 94, 96 Turkey, 49 Winterthur Insurance (firm), 23 social justice, children’s opinions on, 38 women social services, 31, 36, 53, 54, 63, 68, 71, U discrimination against, 52 93, 94, 96, 97 Uganda, 25, 29, 42, 65 female genital cutting (FGC) of, 19, 20, Somalia, 19, 39, 72, 98 UNICEF 21 Soriano, Cecilia, 14 Better Parenting Project created by, 54 female genital mutilation (FGM) of, 19, South Africa, 24, 28, 40, 48 developing countries studied by, 53 20, 21 children with AIDS in, 43 on educating girls, 57, 58 health of, 12, 17 Global Movement for Children in, 73 educational program in Liberia in Malawi, 26 Mandela’s leadership in, 31 sponsored by, 28 participation by, 39 Sullivan Principles on investing in, 65 on education for girls, in Afghanistan, 58 as teachers, in Afghanistan, 58 space exploration, 17 in Global Movement for Children, 43 World Education Forum, 57, 59, 84 Spain, 65, 67 opinions of children polled by, 38 World Health Organization (WHO), 14, 80 Special Session on Children, United United Kingdom, 26, 30, 65, 67 see World Summit for Children (New York, Nations Special Session on Children United Nations Development Programme, 1990), 9-12 Sri Lanka, 42, 53 29, 48 drinking water and sanitation goals of, Stoyanov, Petar, 45 United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, 57 15, 18 street children United Nations Global Compact, 29 education goals of, 15, 22 in Brazil, 17 United Nations Special Session on Children immunization goal of, 10, 13, 15 (September 2001), 29, 43, 45, 49, 69, in Ethiopia, 31 infant mortality goal of, 10, 13 70, 71, 73 in Indonesia, 67 malnutrition goals of, 15-16 goals for, 70-73 in Peru, 11 maternal mortality goal of, 12 participation of adolescents in, 61 sub-Saharan Africa, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, nutrition goals of, 16 22, 51, 82, 84, 86, 87, 88 United States, 29, 42, 57, 63, 65, 67 protection of children goal of, 24 HIV/AIDS epidemic in, 29 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 30, 35, 57 vitamin A supplementation goal of, immunization in, 15, 86 14-15 education as right under, 57 malnutrition in, 15, 87 World Vision, 43 Sullivan, Leon, 65 V Suriname, 37 vaccines, see also immunizations, 14, 21, Y Sweeden, 65 23, 26, 80 Yale University, 29 Syria, 27 Venezuela, 27 yellow fever, 14 Viet Nam, 40, 69 Youth Forum (Azerbaijan), 41 T violence, opinions of children on, 38, 42 youth parliaments, 41, 43 Taliban (Afghanistan), 58 vitamin A deficiency (VAD), 14, 15, 87 Z Tanzania, United Republic of, 19, 24, 49 voting, 38, 42 Zawadka, Lescek, 71 Tata Iron Company, 29 Vrcak, 49 Zimbabwe, 24, 41, 53

102 INDEX Glossary

AIDS HIPC-qualified acquired immune deficiency syndrome a poor country that carries an unsustainable debt burden, as defined by the World Bank and the IMF, that does not ANDI qualify for commercial loans and that can not bring its Agência de Notícias dos Direitos da Infância (News debt to a sustainable level even after the application of Agency on Children’s Rights) established debt relief mechanisms. ARI HIV acute respiratory infection human immunodeficiency virus AZT IMF the acronym used for the antiretroviral drug zidovudine International Monetary Fund BRAC NAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee Norwegian Afghanistan Committee CEE NGO Central and Eastern Europe non-governmental organization CIS MMR Commonwealth of Independent States maternal mortality ratio DPT3 MobiNil three doses of combined diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus Egyptian Company for Mobile Services vaccine MTCT ECD mother-to-child transmission (of HIV) early childhood development ODA EDC official development assistance especially difficult circumstances OECD FGC Organisation for Economic Co-operation and female genital cutting Development FGM PYALARA female genital mutilation Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights FOKUPERS Activation East Timorese Women’s Communication Forum SOLWODI G7 Solidarity with Women in Distress Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom STI and the United States sexually transmitted infection G8 Tostan G7 plus the Russian Federation A non-governmental organization based in Senegal. The GAVI name Tostan means ‘breakthrough’ in Wolof. Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization U5MR GNP under-five mortality rate gross national product VAD Hib vitamin A deficiency Haemophilus influenzae type b WHO HIPC World Health Organization Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2002 103 UNICEF Offices UNICEF The Americas and Caribbean Regional Office UNICEF Headquarters Clayton, Ciudad del Saber UNICEF House Edificio 131 3 United Nations Plaza Panama City, Panama New York, NY 10017, USA UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific UNICEF Regional Office for Europe Regional Office Palais des Nations P.O. Box 2-154 CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland 10200, Thailand

UNICEF Central and Eastern Europe, UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Commonwealth of Independent States Regional Office and Baltic States Regional Office P.O. Box 1551 Palais des Nations Amman 121821, Jordan CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland UNICEF South Asia Regional Office UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa P.O. Box 5815, Lekhnath Marg Regional Office Kathmandu, Nepal P.O. Box 44145 Nairobi, Kenya Further information is available at our website UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office P.O. Box 443 04, Côte d’Ivoire From “The State of the From children 2002 The State of the World’s Children World’s Children 2002” around the world

“Can there be a more sacred duty than our obliga- “We want a world where there is no discrimination tion to protect the rights of a child as vigilantly as between boys and girls, between the able and the we protect the rights of every other person? Can disabled, between the rich and the poor. We want a there be a greater test of leadership than the task healthy, safe and clean environment suitable for all. of ensuring these freedoms for every child, in every And we want a decent education and opportunities country, without exception?” for play, instead of having to work.” – Kofi A. Annan – The Change Makers Secretary-General, United Nations representing children from eight countries in South Asia

“Ensuring the rights and well-being of children is “… but I am also confident that everybody will the key to sustained development in a country and contribute to this change, and that we will all live to peace and security in the world. Meeting this one day in a country with better opportunities for responsibility, fully, consistently and at any cost, is social and economic progress.” the essence of leadership. Heads of State and – El Salvador Government hold the lion’s share of this responsibil- ity but commitment and action are also called for “But when the government officials come to listen across the board: from community activists and to us, they do most of the talking and don’t let us entrepreneurs, from artists and scientists, from speak enough. They should listen more and let us religious leaders and journalists – and from children ask difficult questions.” and adolescents themselves.” LEADERSHIP – Ethiopia “– Carol Bellamy Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund “Maybe they [families] want to listen and under- stand me, but they react so quickly to whatever I The State of the World’s Children 2002 “The future of our children lies in leadership and say that I decide to give up and next time not even the choices leaders make." start. So I tend to tell my problems to my friends, – Graça Machel and Nelson Mandela but they don’t have the experience to guide me.” The Global Movement for Children – Islamic Republic of Iran LEADERSHIP “We must move children to the centre of the world’s “I like to live, and with all the problems in my life I agenda. We must rewrite strategies to reduce pover- look forward to another new year.” ty so that investments in children are given priority.” – Sri Lanka – Nelson Mandela Former President of South Africa

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