Feature Story

© UNICEF/HQ07-2010/Markisz
The declaration adopted by the General Assembly identified poverty eradication as the greatest global challenge facing children.

The commemorative high level plenary meeting devoted to the follow-up to the outcome of the United Nations special session held in 2002 has ended with the adoption of a new Declaration on Children which reaffirms the commitments laid out five years ago.

On 13 December 2007 more than 140 government delegations adopted the Declaration which addresses improving the lives of children.

In addition to Heads of State and government, some 130 high level national delegations gathered at United Nations Headquarters for the landmark conference to review progress on the ‘A World Fit for Children’ plan of action created by governments in 2002.

Twenty children participated in the plenary as members of their national delegations. Hundreds of NGOs also gathered in New York for discussions and advocacy on children’s issues.

© UNICEF/HQ07-1930/Susan Markisz
Ann M. Veneman (centre) with (left to right) Committee on the Rights of the Child Chair Dr. Yanhee Lee, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot, Professor Ernesto Schiefelbein and Plan International Regional Director Dr. Deepali Khanna.

The day before the opening of the plenary, UNICEF released a new report—‘Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review’—on how well the world is doing in meeting its commitments for the world.

This report analyses progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in four priority areas for children: promoting healthy lives, providing a quality education, responding to AIDS, and protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence.

“This is the most comprehensive ‘Progress for Children’ report to date,” UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman told participants in a Town Hall meeting at UNICEF House on 10 December.

The open forum featured a panel of experts, including UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot and Yanhee Lee of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Also present were representatives of over 50 non-governmental organizations, who were encouraged to comment on the report and share their experiences in working in a wide range of programmes for children. Young delegates to this week’s UNICEF-sponsored Youth Forum also joined the discussion.