BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Today is Universal Children's Day. It is also the 20th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
To mark the occasion, Xinhua News Agency and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) jointly sponsored a large-scale public welfare campaign to have a 24-hour global live multimedia coverage of the event. Today, as the campaign known as the Global News Day For Children reached its climax, it has prompted the international community to set its eyes, with love and care, on children all over the world.
On this day, for the first time more than 800 world media organizations, regardless of their cultural and regional identities, simultaneously focused their attention on the lives of children across the globe.
It is the same blue logo, composed of sunshine, radio wave, meridian and parallel lines as well as spring bud that brings together media organizations of various forms to take their social responsibility and spread far and wide the solemn call to improve children's living conditions and ensure their healthy development.
"Too many children, they do not have access to even primary education. Too many children, they are exploited and abused. And still too many children are recruited as child soldiers. This is totally unacceptable," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a recent interview with Xinhua.
The results of a latest survey issued by Xinhua and leading global market research company, the Nielsen Company on the living conditions and development of children lent credence to UN chief's deep worries.
According to the survey, increasing child neglect cases and poverty-stricken child population, frequent occurrence of child abuse and drug uses, pregnancy among unmarried adolescents, teenage sex, Internet addiction, child obesity, food shortage, malnutrition and backward child health care are all among the issues of great concern over children.
The UN chief said world leaders should take primary consideration whenever they planned to do something. He urged them to ask themselves "What is in the best interest of our children?"
Today, more than 800 world media organizations offered their own answer to that question by launching a unprecedented public welfare campaign and the 24-hour global coverage of the event. They have taken as their social responsibility to present a true picture of children's sufferings and sorrows, to convey their wishes and aspirations and tell the world their pursuit and dream.
Let's take our responsibility to enhance public awareness of children's living conditions. The blue logo of the Global News Day for Children that appeared on TV screens, newspaper and web pages served to urge people to offer their love to all children.
Let's take our responsibility to lay bare the crimes of exploitation, abuse of and discrimination against children. As unveiled in media coverage, the scares of child soldiers, the sad eyes of child laborers and the painful memories of abducted children all seemed to tell the world to end these evils for all children.
Let's take our responsibility to help build a world fit for children. Through the life stories of so many children in various parts of the world about their different dreams, the world media are appealing to the international community to take quick actions for all children.
Today, the world media have taken their responsibility by joining this global public welfare campaign and the 24-hour live coverage, thus adding a significant new chapter to the annals of global endeavor to protect children's rights and promote media cooperation.
Let sunshine warm children's hearts.
Let meridian and parallel lines connect their dreams.
Let radio waves pass on their voices.
All spring buds will grow vigorously in a world of love.
Official Website of Global News Day for Children
Special report: Global News Day for Children
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BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Major media organizations in the world have launched a 24-hour relay broadcast for children's rights on Universal Children's Day, which falls on Friday. The global media campaign, also called the "Global News Day for Children" program, was initiated by Xinhua News Agency and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to highlight the international media's role in helping improve children's living environments and promoting their healthy development.
Starting from 8 a.m. (Beijing time) Friday, Xinhua has been working with all participating media organizations in launching 16hours of Chinese-language coverage and eight hours of English-language coverage of education, culture, globalization, environment protection, disability, sport, charity, conflict, and traditions that are closely connected to children's lives and development. Full story
Xinhua News Agency, UNICEF sign MOU in Beijing
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Xinhua News Agency Vice President Zhou Xisheng (L, front) shakes hands with Dr. Yin Yin Wei (R, front), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in China after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Beijing, capital of China, on Nov. 5, 2009. A large-scale global media campaign for children' rights co-sponsored by Xinhua News Agency and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was launched here Thursday in the run-up to Universal Children's Day, which falls on Nov. 20, in advance of a planned 24-hour global live multimedia coverage of events on the day. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
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Xinhua, UNICEF unveil logo, website for "Global News Day for Children"
BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's Xinhua News Agency and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday unveiled the logo for "Global News Day for Children" and launched an official website for the event.
"Global News Day for Children" is a global media campaign co-sponsored by Xinhua News Agency and the UNICEF, to mark the Universal Children's Day which falls on November 20th. Full story
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The message, written and signed by the UN secretary-general in English and Chinese, reads:" Children are our future. We must work for health, education, equality and protection for every child in the world." Full story
