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: Thursday 9 May 2002

The day started in a pleasant mode. It was a beautiful, cold, rainy day.

Our first event to attend was Pakistan Voluntary Health and Nutrition Association, but when we reached there nobody was there. I was so sad because this was the only event of any Pakistani organization.

After this, we went to the Parliamentarians' Forum in which I had to represent the views of the children of the Children's Forum, but some problems did not allow me to do it. There also I saw that the children are in full fight for their rights. They said that they (leaders) should create a law to assess the rights of children, that children should be part of decision-making and that countries who have not signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child should sign it today.

I became very happy to see that children are not only participating but they are trying to motivate adults for [children's] rights. Trust us.

After this I had a small trip to the UN studio. I saw the workers busy in their work to carry on the recording of the Special Session on Children. After this, I went to the Plenary in the General Assembly (GA) Hall. I can't express how happy I am to sit in the GA Hall and listen to the leaders of the world.

When they were speaking I saw small things that satisfied me about the rights of children - that a girl was given a chance to speak. Here I saw that the leaders were not simply sitting but they had made up their minds to care for children.

After this, we went to the First Spouses' event. We heard the First Ladies of the world speaking about the work they had done in their countries for the children.

Today I am happy to see children becoming change-makers. And they will change the world. Inshallah.

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.