The First Children’s Forum, 2000: Opening Speeches

Orçun Doğan was elected Coordinator for Turkey at the National Children’s Congress:

… All children hand-in-hand towards a better Turkey … Hand-in-hand means better days, hand-in-hand means unity, hand-in-hand means struggling, hand-in-hand means victory. Let’s hold hands. Let’s make Turkey’s star shine brighter.

Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) General Director, Mehmet Özdal:

… The purpose of the Rights of the Child Promotion Campaign is to show the public that many children in Turkey live under difficult conditions and do not benefit fully from education and health services. Another purpose is to ensure equal and fair distribution of national resources to all children and increasing awareness of, sensitivity to, and protection of children’s rights.

The right to participate defines children’s freedom to express their opinions and thoughts in every matter that concerns them …

UNICEF Turkey Representative, Philippe Heffinck:

… Children make up 27 million of Turkey’s population of 65 million. This is three times the population of my Country, Belgium … The Children’s Forum, which is fundamentally a Turkish national event, is, at the same time, part of the global movement for children … The United Nations Special Session on Children (UNSSC) will review in September 2001 the implementation of activity programs during the last decade and will define what needs to be done in the next decade … Turkey will assume a catalytic role in the global children’s movement with the celebration of the International Children’s Festival on the 23rd April next year. Over 45 countries will participate and a joint declaration will be issued. In addition, a song will be written, which we hope all the children of the world to be singing.

… I would like to thank Turkey for not limiting its attention to the conditions of its own children and assuming an internationally catalytic role for over 45 countries.

Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 1:

A child is recognised as a person under 18, unless national laws recognise the age of majority earlier.

Chairman of the Society for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Children from Abuse, Professor Doctor Oğuz Polat:

… The priority task of non-governmental organisations following the approval of children’s rights at the National Assembly was to expand the convention on a social basis and to publicise it … Many good things were being done in Turkey, but many good things were not being sustained. But today, I have great pleasure to say, an event that began last year is still going on today, and my young friends from last year are continuing their efforts with the same energy and with even greater enthusiasm. This fills us with great pride … The time has come for children, who are the direct owners of the Convention, to represent Turkey at future UNSSC meetings, alongside and perhaps even more actively than the usual adult delegates.

Ministry of National Education (MONE) Deputy Under-Secretary, Özcan Tekiner:

… The 2000-2001 academic year is under way in 58,000 schools in Turkey, with 550,000 teachers and 15,000,000 students … We are committed to using every means at our disposal to minimise gender-based and inter-regional inequities in education.

In addition to activities which expand the scope of primary education, efforts are continuing to increase the quality of education … Educational regions and councils were formed to ensure equal, effective and productive use of resources along the basic principles of National Education, and with the participation of all social groups in decisions related to education. The child now has a say in education.

Ministry of Health (MOH) Deputy Under-Secretary, Doctor Mevlüt Mercan:

… With the increased availability of quality maternal and child health services, much ground has been gained in reducing maternal and infant mortalities … Polio and smallpox have been eradicated as a result of vaccination … but malnutrition continues to be a silent, insidious peril … babies born with iodine deficiency disorder are doomed to disability throughout their lives … Another consequence of malnutrition is iron deficiency anaemia … which has adverse effects on the immune system and is a significant cause of maternal deaths.

… Respected members of the media, please continue to explain the consequences of the diseases and disabilities that malnutrition causes with greater space on your pages and on the television … Mothers, please nurse your children long enough to protect them from potential diseases in the future … Please protect them from cigarette smoke during pregnancy and after birth …

Minister Responsible for Women and Children’s Issues, Hasan Gemici:

… With the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), various obligations were placed on parents and states to ensure a healthy, happy, dignified childhood for children. The principal element of the same convention is the resolution to safeguard the child’s highest interests in all manner of decisions and actions regarding children.

… Here, I would like to share an observation of mine about the Congress on the 20th of April. This was truly an important event for Turkey. It was really exciting to see these commissions from 81 provinces of Turkey conduct work in their respective provinces and subsequently come together to compile this work into a national report. However, since the evening’s agenda was taken up by a European-league football match and the Presidential elections, this performance, this significant accomplishment of our children did not get the publicity it deserved … Unfortunately public opinion limits itself to a single-item agenda; we go after one specific issue each day and pay no attention to other events no matter how important they may be.

… We have a very young population; 40% of our population is under the age of 18. This means that 4 out of every 10 people are children. The way to creating a powerful Turkey that can compete with developed countries in the next millennium is through more affection for our children -- raising them well in a healthy environment, and meeting their physical, emotional, and social needs at the highest possible level.

Minister Responsible for Women and Children’s Issues, Hasan Gemici, spoke to UNICEF Turkey in the Spring issue of our quarterly newsletter, Say Yes.

Continue to the next section Tayfun Talipoğlu.

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This fully illustrated report from The First Children’s Forum, 2000 is also available for download in pdf format. [PDF 417KB]

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