Say Yes, February 2002: In This Issue

TURKEY IS POLIO-FREE!

Turkey expects to be certified Polio-free by June 2002. In fact, due to the efforts of public health workers and volunteers, the country has been polio-free since the 26th of November, 1998 although supplementary immunisation activities may be necessary for another two years. A report on the polio-free status of the country was prepared by the National Certification Committee and submitted to the Regional Certification Commission in September, 2001.

Read Early Childcare.

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

UNICEF and the Ministry of National Education (MONE) are working on a long term plan to strengthen Turkey’s educational system by:

• including Children’s Rights Education in primary schools and in-service training of teachers;
• establishing School Councils;
• the provision of Open Primary Education Learning Centres for Girls;
• the promotion of Interactive Learning and Teaching methods;
• Implementation of the Family and Child Training Programme (FACT).

Read Education.

UPGRADING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

Concerned by the rising numbers of juveniles involved with the law, either as victims or offenders, the Ministry of Justice is coordinating an inter-sectoral partnership to ensure changes in policy and practice which will improve the handling of under-age crime.

Grant-funded by the European Commission, the partnership which involves UNICEF aims to upgrade the juvenile justice system. There are four strands to the project:

• to strengthen the legislative framework of the juvenile justice system;
• to establish new service models and to strengthen those which are already in place for Children in Need of Special Protection Measures (CINSPM);
• to build capacity and training;
• to establish a databank network related to CINSPM.

Read Security for Children.

DON'T FORGET!

Since the HIV/AIDS virus is prevalent in most of the countries around Turkey, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and UNICEF considered the issue of HIV/AIDS awareness to be of sufficient urgency to merit a public information campaign. A leaflet entitled Unutmayın! was developed. In cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, it will be distributed at passport checkpoints.

Read Teenagers Taking Care.

THE SECOND CHILDREN'S FORUM

The Second Children’s Forum was held in Ankara on the 20th of November, 2001. This was the ideal opportunity to build momentum for Say Yes for Children in Turkey with the active involvement of Turkish children.

Child delegates from all eighty-one provinces gathered to discuss the ten imperatives of the campaign and visited the President to submit their declaration of expectations regarding these. A half a million pledges of support from their respective provinces were also submitted.

Read The Second Children's Forum.

THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN: NEW DATES

In 1990, the World Summit for Children (WSC) inspired support for meeting the needs of children on a global scale. At the WSC, governments pledged a better life and a more promising future for every child. All present signed the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and a Plan of Action for implementing the same.

Participating governments also outlined those areas of children’s lives most in need of attention during the subsequent decade, including health, nutrition and education and set goals for the year 2000.

Eleven years after the WSC, world leaders were scheduled to meet again in New York,in 2001, at the United Nations Special Session on Children (UNSSC) in order to review the progress which has been made since the declaration was first expressed. However, the meeting did not take place owing to the events of September 11th.

New dates have been set and the UNSSC will now take place between the 8th and 10th of May. Since it is an official United Nations meeting, it will be attended for the most part by Heads of State and Government. Turkey will be represented by a delegation composed of government officials, representatives of non-governmental organisations and two child delegates. Those leaders present will have the opportunity to commit their countries to the creation of A World Fit for Children within the next generation.

The goals of the UNSSC will be:

• to take a look at what has been done during the past decade to improve the lives and to protect the rights of children and young people;
• to come away with commitments that all children will get the best possible start in life, a quality education and the skills they need to become full and active participants in the world around them.
• to agree on what should be done next to improve the quality of life for children and young people;

Many other individuals and groups have been invited to attend both the UNSSC itself and the preliminary planning meetings. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), children’s organisations, advocates for children’s rights and of course adolescents and children, themselves, are expected.

Read Say Yes for Children.

LEGAL REFORMS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

There is good news that significant legal reforms are to raise the status of women and children in Turkey. Changes to the Civil Code will allow for greater equality between couples in the sharing of family wealth and property which has been acquired during marriage. The Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) has prepared a draft regulation which will accord rights of association to children who are 15 years old, or older.

The EU requires legislative reform and harmonisation of laws among many conditions of membership and these reforms are an example of the adaptation process which the Turkish Government has been following.

Read Education.

THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL ADOLESCENCE CONGRESS

In addition to health issues, the Fifth International Adolescence Congress gave working groups the opportunity to discuss the social and cultural problems of the Turkish adolescent. It was concluded that although perception of adolescent problems was obscured by a lack of inter-sectoral communication, links and associations established during the Congress would improve dialogue and collaboration between sectors in the future.

Read Teenagers Taking Care.