This page is background information, last updated in May 2002 and still available for reference. For the latest on the Special Session on Children, please go to the Special Session index.

Jehanzeb's Diary: Saturday 4 May and Sunday 5 May 2002

I am Jehanzeb Khan from Baluchistan, Pakistan, and I am here representing the 'Brothers Join Meena' project. That is a joint project between UNICEF and the Baluchistan Boy Scout Association (BBSA) that works on girls' education, immunization of children under one year of age, and hygiene. I worked in a large area with my fellow scouts on motivating parents to educate their children (especially girls), immunize their children and pay attention to hygiene. We, the scouts, and our teachers and supporters motivated them so well that we succeeded in getting about 75-80 per cent of the girls in certain areas enrolled in primary schools!

The Children's Forum of the UN Special Session started on 5 May. After the opening ceremony, the Forum was a closed event in which only children participated - all adults were asked to leave. We felt that we, the children of the world, were like one big family.

Groups were formed according to regions and languages. We were given tasks based on our discussion of our problems and what we want to achieve from the Children's Forum. Every group made its own presentation. Three committees were formed, for media, evaluation and the closing ceremony.

At the end of the day, I felt very happy that I had made so many friends and gotten the chance to share my views with my brothers and sisters from other countries. I felt that the world's children are one, and nobody can separate them.

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.