What’s so special about the Special Session?

The United Nations Special Session on Children is truly special because it represents a series of historic firsts.

The Special Session will be the first time that the General Assembly of the UN formally meets to consider the situation of children and young people under the age of 18. The Special Session also represents the first time that young people will be part of Government delegations and will present their case themselves to the General Assembly. Many young people will also be participating in the supporting events at the Special Session.

Before the Special Session begins, a Children’s Forum of young delegates, numbering around 350, will take place. The discussions at the Forum, largely closed to adults, will culminate in a statement to be read by young delegates chosen by their peers at the Forum, at the opening of the Special Session on May 8 – another first for the UN.

Leaders from across the world

The Special Session on Children, which will review the progress made for children since the 1990 World Summit for Children, will be one of the UN’s most highly attended conferences. More than 60 heads of State or Government and 170 high-level delegations are expected to attend. Religious leaders, more than 200 parliamentarians from 77 countries, plus more than 2,000 delegates representing NGOs will fill the meeting rooms. Leaders of private foundations and businesses are expected to commit to new educational and health care initiatives for children and young people.

Millions ‘Say Yes for Children’

Worldwide, some 92 million people have said “Yes for Children” by pledging support for the 10 points of the Rallying Call for the Global Movement for Children, which will form part of the Special Session’s outcome document. The 10 points include pledges to protect children from HIV/AIDS, war, poverty and exploitation and to educate all children. Ninety-one million of the ‘Say Yes’ respondents also said they would like to get involved in the Global Movement for Children to help translate the Rallying Call into action. Never before in the history of the United Nations has such a tangible measure of consensus on the rights and needs of children been presented to member states.

The Special Session’s outcome document, titled “A World Fit for Children,” will also contain a Declaration and a Plan of Action to guide initiatives for children during the next decade. The Plan of Action addresses four major areas of concern – health, education, child protection and HIV/AIDS – and contains provisions for fostering partnerships, mobilizing resources and monitoring implementation

More information is available in Child Rights in Action.