MANILA, 5 April 2005 --- Carol Bellamy, outgoing Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund for the last 10 years, received the Order of the Golden Heart from Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a simple ceremony in Malacañang Palace.

President Arroyo conferred the award on Bellamy immediately following the latter's courtesy call to the Chief Executive.

The Order of the Golden Heart gives official recognition to foreign and local citizens who have rendered distinguished services or given noteworthy monetary or other material aid, encouragement to the campaign for the amelioration and improvement of the moral, social and economic conditions of the Filipino masses.

Bellamy said she was honored by the kind recognition of President Arrroyo but that the award is really a recognition of the Child-Friendly Movement in the Philippines: a six-year campaign – still going strong – that is galvanizing children, families, churches and governments in an effort to change the way we value children in the Philippines.

“We have seen a lot of progress in the Philippines in recent years, in child mortality, gradual expansion of early childhood care and many excellent projects in child protection,” she added, “However, there is so much still to do in the Philippines and I hope we can make much more progress, especially on the heartless exploitation of children in various forms.”

Bellamy is currently in Manila to launch a handbook for parliamentarians on combating child trafficking. She also spoke to delegates of the 112th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the major global threats to childhood today: poverty, armed conflict and HIV/AIDS.

Currently one out two children lives in poverty. In 55 out of the 59 wars since 1990, the majority of casualties have been women and children. Fifteen million children have lost parents to AIDS, 14 million in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Under Bellamy’s leadership UNICEF has become a champion of global investment in children, arguing that efforts to reduce poverty and build a more secure world can only be successful if they ensure that children have an opportunity to grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity. She has challenged leaders from all walks of life to recognize their moral, social, and economic responsibility to invest in children – and to shift national resources accordingly.

Bellamy has visited more than 100 countries, advocating for children and women with heads of state, cultural icons, corporate leaders, rebel commanders, and many others.

Bellamy completes her 10-year tenure at UNICEF at the end of April.