Teen reporters to cover historic UN gathering in New York

Summary: Four young reporters from the
Children’s Express news agency will
provide specialist coverage of May’s
United Nations Special Session on
Children for the UK media.

Four young reporters from the Children’s Express news agency
will provide specialist coverage of May’s United Nations Special
Session on Children for the UK media.

The three-day Special Session (May 8-10), and the three day
Children’s Forum which precedes it (May 5-7) will review world
progress (and lack of it) on Children’s most fundamental rights –
to life, health, education, and protection from exploitation – since
the 1990 Children’s Summit. More than that, in a written
commitment to action entitled "A World Fit For Children" it will set
new targets for improving the lives of young people
educationally, economically and environmentally, in pursuit of
global stability and peace.

For the first time ever, two young people will address the United
Nations General Assembly itself, on the issues that under-18s
believe need to be settled. They will be selected from among the
several hundred children and teenagers from more than a
hundred countries – including the UK, Israel, Zimbabwe,
Palestine, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Pakistan – attending the Children’s
Forum and Special Session. Also present will be more than
seventy world leaders, and hundreds of government and non-
government delegates.

The British government’s official delegation includes two
teenagers from Northern Ireland and Scotland, as well as John
Denham MP (Minister for Children and Young People) and Hilary
Benn MP (Minister for International Development).

Children’s Express coverage
Four members, aged 15, 13 and 12, have been selected from the
six Children’s Express inner city bureaux to report on the United
Nations in New York. They will be interviewing some of the
extraordinary young people representing their nations’ youth,
and are able to file copy to newspapers and magazines from New
York. Commissions should be addressed to David Allison. (020
7833 2577, [email protected])

This unique opportunity is the latest in a string of firsts for
Children’s Express, which has established a reputation for
delivering a unique perspective on news and current affairs over
the past seven years. As the only press agency providing news
and comment by young people for mainstream media outlets, CE
has published and broadcast over 500 items in the local and
national press. Articles and columns have appeared in The Times,
Guardian and Independent newspapers, BBC radio and Sky
News, and a string of regional daily papers. A library of published
work is available on the Children's Express website.

As an educational charity, Children’s Express is grateful to The
British Council’s Connect Youth International project, the Emily
Hughes-Hallett Memorial Trust and Virgin Atlantic, without whose
generous support this project would not have been possible. We
must also thank the Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan for their kind
assistance.

Association: Children's Express

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