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Press Release

UNICEF to world leaders: 'Do what's best for children'

Tuesday, 5 September 2000: UNICEF today urged heads of state convening at the UN's Millennium Summit in New York to focus on the health, development and well-being of the world's children as the chief measuring stick of global progress.

"Children are the crucible of sustainable human development, there is no question about that," said Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF. "When we do what's good and right for children, we do what's good and right for all of us," she declared.

"I therefore call on the distinguished heads of state gathering here to enter every debate, every discussion, every ceremony of this Summit with the well-being of today's children, and the welfare of future generations, uppermost in your minds."

Ms. Bellamy said she hoped world leaders would take concrete steps to improve the lives of children in at least three crucial areas: education, the fight against HIV, and the scourge of conflict. She said they should commit themselves to bold action, such as:

· Ensuring by 2015 that all children complete primary school, with equal opportunities for girls at all levels of education;
· Cutting the incidence of HIV infection in young people by 25 per cent by 2010;
· Protecting children in war and conflict and seeing to it that those who commit gross violations of children's rights are brought to justice.

Ms. Bellamy also echoed a call made earlier by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, urging the heads of state attending the Summit to use the opportunity to sign and ratify various human rights treaties, especially those that protect children, including:

· Two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child -- one on the trafficking of children, child prostitution and child pornography; the other on the involvement of children in armed conflict;

· The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines, and on their Destruction;

· The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Ms. Bellamy said action on these issues was vital to the true renewal of the United Nations and would set the stage for the UN Special Session on Children in September 2001.

Please email media@unicef.org with comments or requests for more information, quoting CF/DOC/PR/2000/62

For detailed background information on the Web, visit:
www.un.org/millennium
www.waraffectedchildren.gc.ca
www.unicef.org/children_conflict
www.unicef.org/specialsession/speciale.pdf
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