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| Press Release
"The Berlin Commitment"
Pledging to create an environment fit for children
Press releases
from other May meetings for the September Special Session
on Children
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Berlin May 18 - In the belief that every child, without exception,
should be assured the right to dignity, security and self-fulfillment,
delegates from 51 countries across Europe and Central Asia and the
Holy See, concluded an extraordinary meeting in Berlin today with
a special commitment to creating an environment fit for children
in the region.
The "Berlin Commitment" outlines goals and focus for
further development of child-friendly policies in the different
States over the next 10 years. The conference is the culmination
of a series of consultations between governments, civil societies,
NGOs, young people, UNICEF, other UN agencies, the EU, the Council
of Europe, OSCE and other regional bodies, all dedicated to improving
the lives of children. The continued discussions in Berlin , in
additon to the "Berlin Commitment", will also result in
a detailed report outlining strategies and recommendations for action.
This is the first time that governments from Europe and Central
Asia come together and jointly commit themselves to further the
efforts of implementing the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
To ensure that all children are respected, without any discrimination,
the active collaboration with civil society will be sought.
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The "Berlin Commitment" recognizes that children
are:
- citizens in their own
right,
- must be consulted and
involved in issues concerning them, and that
- investing in their development
is the key to build a peaceful and prosperous society.
It focuses on the importance:
- to adjust national legislation,
- provide the necessary funding,
- monitor progress
- take other action necessary to realize
the rights of children.
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While acknowledging that progress on issues affecting children
in the region has been made over the past decade, participants admitted
that serious challenges still remain and committed themselves to
tackle them. The 20-point plan lists key undertakings to combat
and address poverty and social exclusion, violence and abuse, the
severe impact of transition in many countries, health and environmental
questions, intergenerational justice, the state of education and
the importance of ongoing participation of children and young people
in decisions that affect their lives.
The Conference on children in Europe and Central Asia, hosted by
the Foreign Ministries of Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina with
the support of UNICEF, serves as a regional prelude to the first
ever UN General Assembly Special Session on Children, scheduled
to take place this September in New York. There, UN member states
and their leaders will review progress on global goals made in 1990
during the World Summit for Children, and commit to a new agenda
for children and young people.
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Hans Olsen,
UNICEF Regional Office for Europe,
Tel +41 (22) 909 5517
Robert Cohen,
UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS and the Baltic States,
Tel + 41 (22) 909 5631 Mobile phone +41 (0) 79 431 1537
Frederike Seidel,
UNICEF Regional Office for Europe,
Tel +41 (22) 909 55 15 Mobile phone +49 (0) 162 549 2864
Rudi Tarneden,
German Committee for UNICEF,
+49 (221) 936 50 218
Wivina Belmonte,
UNICEF Regional Office for Europe,
Tel +41 (22) 909 55 09
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