FOCUS: Children & Islam - The Big Picture

The 600 million children living throughout the Islamic world can and should be the focal point for Islamic governments in their drive for greater unity and solidarity. Addressing the needs and guaranteeing the rights of these children - who account for more than 40 percent of the Muslim population -- will in large part determine whether the world succeeds in reaching global development targets and building a more peaceful future.

Living in countries as diverse as Indonesia, Niger and Saudi Arabia, the children of the Islamic world account for more than one quarter of the global child population. While some live in wealthy countries, many live in the poorest countries in the world and face enormous barriers to survival, including high rates of child and maternal mortality, severe poverty and disease, including HIV/AIDS.

Making a positive and lasting difference for these children requires active partnerships among the governments of Muslim countries, as well as with regional and international financial institutions and the private sector to provide the necessary funding and technical expertise. The flow of development assistance needs to be increased, with the wealthier Muslim countries assuming their responsibility towards the poorer, and channeled more deliberately to address the needs of children.

Investing in Islamic children is essential to realizing the Millennium Development Goals and delivering on the world's promises to the poorest children.

HOME THE BIG PICTURE > - Investing in Islamic Children - Facts & Figures EVENTS & CONFERENCES NEWS RESOURCES
	INVESTING IN ISLAMIC CHILDREN © UNICEF/ HQ95-0969/ Johannes The 600 million children living throughout the Islamic world can and should be the focal point for Islamic governments in their drive for greater unity and solidarity. Addressing the needs and guaranteeing the rights of these children - who account for more than 40 percent of the Muslim population -- will in large part determine whether the world succeeds in reaching global development targets and building a more peaceful future. Living in countries as diverse as Indonesia, Niger and Saudi Arabia, the children of the Islamic world account for more than one quarter of the global child population. While some live in wealthy countries, many live in the poorest countries in the world and face enormous barriers to survival, including high rates of child and maternal mortality, severe poverty and disease, including HIV/AIDS. Making a positive and lasting difference for these children requires active partnerships among the governments of Muslim countries, as well as with regional and international financial institutions and the private sector to provide the necessary funding and technical expertise. The flow of development assistance needs to be increased, with the wealthier Muslim countries assuming their responsibility towards the poorer, and channeled more deliberately to address the needs of children. Investing in Islamic children is essential to realizing the Millennium Development Goals and delivering on the world's promises to the poorest children.	INTERVIEW: UNICEF Special Adviser Sadig Rasheed talks about the strong central message of the report 'Investing in the Children of the Islamic World.' Low \| High bandwidth (Real player) Journalists: Broadcast-quality video on demand from The Newsmarket.