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Press CentreMedia AdvisoryMEDIA ADVISORY:WHY CHILDREN MUST BE HEARDBellamy in Mexico To Launch UNICEF Flagship Report: ‘The State of the World’s Children 2003’UNICEF Says Giving Young People A Constructive Role Is Essential
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NEW YORK, 6 December 2002 – UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy will launch UNICEF’s annual “State of the World’s Children” report in Mexico City this coming Wednesday, 11 December, asserting that children have a right to be heard in decisions that affect their lives. Mexican President Vicente Fox and First Lady Sahagún de Fox will lead a distinguished group of participants in the launch events, which will also include Latin American children. The key point of the report: At a time when uncertainty in the world is high and polls show that children lack confidence in governments, it is essential that adults listen to children and involve them in the decisions that will affect their lives both today and in the future. Such ‘child participation’ has important benefits – for the healthy development individual children and for their communities and countries as a whole. The report is embargoed until 1300 GMT, Wednesday 11 December 2002. The launch of SOWC 2003 will include the presentation of the report, an open dialogue between young people and adult leaders, and a Q&A with the international media. Here is the schedule: Presentation of The State of the World’s Children
Intergenerational Dialogue An open discussion, moderated by children, between children and adult leaders. Among the adult participants will be high-level representatives of the three branches of government, civil society, the academic community, and the media. The dialogue will build on topics discussed at the U.N. Special Session on Children in May 2002 and may include: education; the fight against poverty; violence; and other topics.
Additional Background on State of the World’s Children Among other things, the report argues that children must be given more of a voice and more ways to participate in decisions affecting their lives because:
They spoke passionately, honestly and with much hope of something only they could understand: the experience of being children and growing up in the 21st century. They demanded more input into decision-making, and increased action on the part of leaders for education, health care and protection. Governments, in turn, promised to work for and with children to build ‘a world fit for children’. Other events in which Carol Bellamy will participate during her visit to Mexico: Presentation of the Mexican National Programme of Action for Children.
Salvador Herencia, Communication
Chief, UNICEF Latin America Catherine Langevin, Communication
Chief, UNICEF Mexico City Wolfgang Friedl, UNICEF Mexico
City Monica Sayrols, UNICEF Mexico
City Kate Donovan, UNICEF Mexico
City Broadcasters: Order video b-roll: http://www.unicef.org/broadcast/brolls/sowc2003/index.html |
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