Abigail's Diary: Saturday 4 May, 2002

I met a whole new bunch of people today, when the real action began for us.

At 6:40 a.m., all of us from the Philippines delegation were already dressed and ready for breakfast. We went down and had some hot chocolate and bagels at a nearby food shop. Then we walked over to the UNICEF headquarters for our orientation.

There, I met up with people from Lao and Thailand. We went up to the 22nd floor, where there were a lot more people to make friends with – from Viet Nam, China, Mongolia, East Timor and other Asian places. We also met other Filipino children. We were divided into groups for workshops, and we had a better chance of getting through to each other. It’s nice working with other children – we really make a great team!

After I got my identity pass for the Children’s Forum, I was interviewed by the UNICEF broadcast team. It feels nice to be on camera, but I don’t like the look of my face on screen! However, I had the opportunity to speak out for my ideas and for my experience as a child to be heard. I also found out that I am going to be interviewed by CNN.

We had hot dogs in buns for dinner, and then we went to bed early, because we were already quite exhausted. We were tired but fulfilled by the day’s activities.

My hopes:

• That everything we say will truly be taken seriously.
• That with these efforts exerted, more eyes will be opened about children’s rights.
• That every child in every part of the globe will be empowered. That everyone will have the courage to speak for themselves and demand their rights.
• That the outputs of this Special Session will not just remain pieces of paper but will be translated into action.

My expectations:

• That everyone will have an equal chance to be heard, regardless of gender, age and nationality.
• That there will be no such thing as a “small country” and “minor problems” that need less attention. Everything counts.
• That language will not be a barrier to teamwork and interaction.
• That years from now, because of all our efforts, the world will really be fit for children.

UNICEF supports the right of every child to be heard, and therefore provides this opportunity for children to voice their views and impressions of the United Nations Special Session on Children. The report above reflects the opinions of an individual child delegate to the Special Session and does not represent the policies or positions of UNICEF.