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: Tuesday 7 May 2002

Today was very pleasant. It was the last day of the Children's Forum, so we had a lot of work to do. The session began with a performance by Raffi, a singer and advocate for children. After that, it was the same as the first day -- the participants divided into groups. These included groups on:

1. Intergenerational dialogue between children and leaders
2. Children and war
3. Plenary
4. Mayors and children
5. Parliamentarians' Forum
6. Yokohama, the Second World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

The aim of these groups was to ensure that all the children got a chance to speak.

After this, the groups prepared comments and gave them to the rapporteurs, who had been selected on the second day of the Forum. Then the rapporteurs wrote a draft outcome document. The children's views and words that were included in the document were very brilliant. It was my first experience of hearing a document based on the voices of children, including my own voice. After listening to it, I thought, "Children can change the world if they are given a chance. We have to fight for that chance."

After that, some children from the closing ceremony committee welcomed Nelson Mandela to the ceremony. They presented a multicultural dance and singing performance. Then there was a briefing about the 'Say Yes for Children' campaign, in which almost 95 million people, including Nelson Mandela, pledged to 'Say Yes'. I am so impressed by this that, on behalf of my 20,000 fellow scouts in Baluchistan, I pledge to 'Say Yes for Children'.

After some more entertainment, the Children's Forum came to an end, with hope for a world fit for children.

It was the first time in history that roughly 400 children from all over the world participated in such a programme, were heard at such a high level and made their own recommendations on how to solve their problems. I cannot express in words how happy I was to see the children of the world working together in such a good Forum - like one big family - on their problems and their solutions.

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.