Ahead of World Children’s Day Armenia lit up in blue iconic buildings to highlight what children need to grow happy and healthy

YEREVAN, 20 November 2022: To mark World Children’s Day and show support for the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Armenia joined other countries to light buildings, monuments and landmarks in blue with a revamped concept. The ferris wheel and Mother Armenia statue in Victory Park, Matenadaran – Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, and Margaryan maternity hospital were lighted in blue to symbolize what children need to grow up happy and healthy – fun and entertainment, protection and peace, education and culture, as well as health and nutrition in a family environment.

To show their support for World Children's Day, buildings, monuments and landmarks across the globe light up blue on November 20. In past years, notable landmarks included the Sydney Opera House, the Acropolis in Greece, the Pyramids of Giza, ‘The Water Cube' in China, Petra in Jordan, Rashtrapati Bhavan Presidential Residence in India, the African Renaissance Monument in Senegal, the Empire State Building in New York, and many more. All turned blue in support of child rights.

“This World Children’s Day, Armenia’s Light it Up Blue initiative highlights landmarks in Yerevan which represent what children need to become self-fulfilling and resourceful adults – the future of Armenia,” noted Christine Weigand, UNICEF Representative in Armenia. “The CRC recognizes that childhood is a special time in need of protection. The Convention is proof that the world can take bold and decisive action in support of a better future for all. Thirty years later, while there has been progress, many children are still not able to enjoy all their rights. And this is why we must work together to ensure that the Convention remains a living document and becomes a guiding light for every country, community and family.”

In 2021, the ruins of the ancient Zvartnots Cathedral near Yerevan went UNICEF blue to represent UNICEF Armenia's mandate to stand for the rights of every child wherever she/he lives. Built in the middle of the 7th century CE, Zvartnots Cathedral is the oldest and largest aisled tetraconch church in historical Armenia, included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2000.