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Media Advisory

"CHILDREN'S FORUM" TO INVOLVE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, NELSON MANDELA,
AND OTHERS

WHAT: The Children's Forum, a meeting of more than 350 young delegates to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children. The young people will debate substantive issues on child rights and development and draft a joint statement to be presented to the General Assembly on Wednesday. The Children's Forum will open and close with colorful ceremonies involving international dignitaries.

WHO: More than 350 child delegates from around the world
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General
Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director
Patricia Durrant, Chair, Preparatory Committee, Special Session on Children
Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel, inspirational leaders of the Global Movement for Children

WHEN: The Children's Forum begins Sunday 5 May and runs through Tuesday 7 May. On Wednesday 8 May, two child delegates will address the General Assembly.

WHERE: Sunday's events will take place at the United Nations complex on 1st Avenue.
Monday and Tuesday's meetings will be conducted at the Manhattan Center,
311 W. 34th Street. See attached schedule for details.

Background: The Children's Forum is an unprecedented gathering of children who are official delegates to the 8-10 May Special Session on Children, the first time so many young people have actively participated in a United Nations conference. To date, 237 official youth delegates will be attending from 132 governments. Over a three-day period, they will participate in a smaller version of the Special Session itself, with discussions on the major issues impacting children, such as health, education and protection.

The young delegates will draft a joint response to the Special Session's Outcome Document, which contains a series of goals for the development of children over the next decade, as well as suggested follow-up action. Then, on 8 May, two youth delegates, who will be chosen by their peers at the Forum, will present their statement to the UN General Assembly at the opening of the Special Session. This will be a historic event - the first time young people will address the General Assembly on a substantive issue.

Although the children will have limited time for interviews during their working sessions, the media will have several opportunities to cover this unique gathering. Events open to the media are listed below. Specific interview requests are being handled by the Special Session media team. For more information on the Children's Forum please go to UNICEF's Special Session website -- the Under-18 Zone at: http://www.unicef.org/specialsession/under-18/index.html

* * *

For more information and to request interviews with child delegates, please contact:
Mitchie Topper, UNICEF Media, (212)303-7910, mtopper@unicef.org
Marsha Zeesman, UNICEF Media, (212)824-6949, mzeesman@unicef.org
Marian Rivman, UNICEF Media, (212)326-7055, mrivman@unicef.org

B-roll covering Special Session themes is also available: View and order at http://www.unicef.org/broadcast/brolls/specialsession/

A satellite news feed will be available twice daily during the Special Session.
Learn more at http://www.unicef.org/broadcast/feeds/

CHILDREN'S FORUM MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

DAY 1: Sunday, 5 May (09:30 - 17:00)
Venue: Conference Room #4 United Nations Secretariat

09:30 - 10:30 OPENING CEREMONY: Includes an address from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Unicef Executive Director Carol Bellamy, Ambassador Patricia Durrant of Jamaica, young delegates, performances by a youth chorus, dance & rap groups.

DAY 2: Monday, 6 May
Venue: Manhattan Center, 311 W 34th Street & 8th Ave. *Bus to/from UN provided for media.

12:30 - 13:45 PRESS BRIEFING by Children's Forum spokespeople. ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS available. Box lunches available for media. *A bus will leave First Avenue between 45-46th Street (east side of the street) to go to Manhattan Center at 11:40 a.m. Will return to the UN at approx. 14:00.

Day 3: Tues, 7 May
Venue: Manhattan Center, 311 W 34th Street. *Bus to/from UN provided twice during the day for media.

12:30 - 14:00 PRESS BRIEFING by Children's Forum spokespeople. ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS with youth available. Box lunches available for media. *A bus will leave First Avenue between 45-46th (east side of the street) to go to Manhattan Center at 11:40 a.m. Will return to the UN at approx. 14:15.

17:00 - 17:30 CLOSING CEREMONY - Children's Forum delegates will design the production themselves. Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel and Carol Bellamy are expected to attend. *A bus will leave First Avenue at 44th at 16:00. Will return to UN at approx.18:30 p.m.

17:35 - 18:00 HANDOVER & PHOTO-OP: "Say Yes for Children" Global Pledges - 91 million so far: Children will present to Mandela and Machel strings of pledges from the 193 countries around the world. "Say Yes for Children" is a global social mobilization campaign for people of all ages to pledge their support for action for children. (same location)
For more info. on Say Yes please go to: http://www.unicef.org/say_yes/

18:00 - 18:15 Press Conference on Children's Forum outcomes by young spokespeople. (same location)