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Summary: May 13, 2002 - The chief of the
United Nations Children's Fund, Carol
Bellamy, has cautioned that the
success of last week's UN Special
Session on Children held in New York
will be measured by government
action in the months and years
following the landmark talks.
By Geeta Sharma, OneWorld South Asia
The chief of the United Nations Children's Fund, Carol Bellamy,
has cautioned that the success of last week's UN Special Session
on Children held in New York will be measured by government
action in the months and years following the landmark talks.
Government delegations from over 180 countries pledged to
tackle a range of problems affecting children around the world by
striving to meet 21 goals, which Bellamy described as "concrete
and time-bound," outlined in the session's final document 'A
World Fit For Children.'
"If leaders keep the promises they have made, we can bring
about enormous positive change in the world in less than a
generation," said Bellamy. "It will take committed and bold
leadership over the next few years if we are to meet the
standards we have set for ourselves."
Agreement on the document, reached just before midnight Friday,
was threatened by objections from the United States on sections
relating to reproductive rights and the international treaty to
protect children from abuse.
U.S. delegates--along with many from Islamic countries, and the
Vatican --had argued for a footnote excluding abortion from the
section on 'reproductive health services.' The reference was not
added, but the final agreement dropped the term "services."
"The summit began with fear that the U.S. would insert very
backward language," Adrienne Germain, president of the New
York-based International Women's Health Coalition, told the Inter
Press Service (IPS) news agency. But, she continued in the IPS
report, "They failed to deny adolescents access to legal abortion
and to full and accurate information about contraception and
sexual abuse."
The U.S. administration also opposed language stating that
performance on child rights around the world would be measured
against principles laid out in the 1989 Convention on the Rights
of the Child, which has been signed by over 190 countries, but
not the U.S.
Asked during the week if these sticking points would hold up
release of the action plan, Bellamy said she was optimistic that
an agreement was near. After the agreement was reached she
said the document had very strong language on key health,
education, and rights issues.
The document focuses on measures to promote healthy lives for
children, increase access to and completion of quality education,
improve protection of children from abuse, and help in combating
the exposure of children to the effects of the HIV/ AIDS pandemic.
A highlight of the session was the handing over by high-profile
figures Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel of 95 million 'Say Yes
for Children' pledges to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The
session was attended by more than 400 children, who
participated both as official delegates and observers, and who
addressed the UN General Assembly for the first time ever.
"It was heartening to see the child delegates tell the world
leaders that children should be seen as an investment and not
an expense, and that governments and the international
community should stop making pledges and act on their
promises," said Bellamy, reflecting on the outcomes of the
session.