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Ladies and Gentlemen,

Contest Participants,

Please allow me to address our young friends, whom we are honouring today in recognition of their special skills.

Young friends, with your pens, brushes, colours, music and much more, you have created something very special.  UNICEF, as always, is honoured to be with you as a supporter of this commendable Children’s Creativity Contest. 

Your participation and self-expression are key elements for the development of Jordan. Through your work, we adults, learn form you and gain a better understanding of how you view the world and what you think.

This contest is fifteen years old this year and for the first time in its history it has had 2,000 entries from all over the Kingdom. We are happy that we also have amongst us, and also for the first time, young friends from Karak, and the Southern Jordan Valley.

Countries have also committed themselves to you and have promised to put children first in their national agendas:  States made a promise to you when they signed a document called “The World Fit for Children” in 2002.  They promised you to listen to every one girl and boy to ensure your participation. You are capable of building a better future for all. We must respect your right to express yourselves and to participate in matters affecting you.

You are very lucky to be living in a country like Jordan that is paying so much attention to what you are saying.  Jordan’s leadership is continuously reaching out to you to ensure your participation in the fullest sense.

Jordan needs your help and that of all sectors of society, the private sector and civil society, to join forces to work for a better future.  Government alone can not take on the responsibility to ensure that you develop in a stimulating and creative environment.  We must all work together for you and with you.

The responsibility is also on you, my young friends, to grab every opportunity to express yourselves freely and have your opinions taken into account.

To you the adults I say, investing in children is quite simply the best investment.  No country has made the leap into meaningful and sustained development without doing so.

Thank you