Official Website of Global News Day for Children
 |
|
Xinhua News Agency Vice President Zhou Xisheng attends the launch ceremony of the State of the World's Children Report (Chinese-Edition) in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2009.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>> |
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Xinhua News Agency Friday launched in Beijing the Chinese-version Report on the State of World's Children to mark the Universal Children's Day and the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The launch was also part of Friday's Global News Day for Children aiming at raising public awareness on children's living environments and their development.
The CRC, adopted on Nov. 20, 1989, was the first legally binding international agreement on the protection of children's rights. Its core principles are non-discrimination, devotion to the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of the child.
 |
|
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) China Officer-in-Charge and Chief of Social Policy and Economic Analysis Hana Brixi (3rd L) and Xinhua News Agency Vice-President Zhou Xisheng (3rd R) unveil the State of the the World's Children Report (Chinese-Edition), during the launch ceremony in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2009. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Photo Gallery>>> |
At the launch Friday, a video of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's interview with Xinhua was played, in which Ban said, "The well-being of our children is of utmost importance to the United Nations and to the whole world."
Ban said more than 8.8 million children were still dying every year from preventable diseases, like pneumonia, diarrhea and malnutrition.
"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," he said.
Xinhua President Li Congjun said in a video played at the ceremony that it should be human nature to protect and care for children.
"However, it is an affront to our humanity that today, in the 21st Century, children in many parts of the world still live in the shadows of war, violence, poverty, exploitation, violation, fear and discrimination," Li said.
"It is children who are most prone to the harm of natural and man-made disasters."
The report, a Chinese-version special edition of the UNICEF series on "The State of the World's Children," details worldwide progress in protecting children's rights in the past two decades and the challenges that still exist, including the global economic downturn, humanitarian crises and climate change.
 |
|
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) China Officer-in-Charge and Chief of Social Policy and Economic Analysis Hana Brixi (L) and Xinhua News Agency Vice President Zhou Xisheng attend the launch ceremony of the State of the World's Children Report (Chinese-Edition) in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2009. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)
Photo Gallery>>> |
It gives a general picture of children's rights protection in both developed and developing countries, including China, Egypt, India, Mexico and South Africa.
Ann M. Veneman, executive director of UNICEF, wrote in the preface of the report that "much has been achieved during the past 20 years," but "the agenda for children's rights is far from complete."
The annual number of under-5 deaths had fallen from around 12.5 million in 1990 to below 9 million in 2008, she said.
"Globally, around 84 percent of primary-school-age children are attending school, and gender gaps in primary-school enrolment are shrinking across the developing world."
However, she said, the continued effort in the next 20 years was to build on the progress achieved and work together to reach children who were still being denied their rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
The report states that the CRC, adopted by the UN on Nov. 20, 1989, has changed the way people look at and treat children worldwide, and widely affected international and national legislation, policies, public institutions, families, communities and individuals.
It also includes opinions from 13 representative figures related to children rights as to what the CRC means to them and the key problems facing the CRC in the 21st Century.
Xinhua Vice-President Zhou Xisheng and officials with the UNICEF China attended the launch ceremony.
Special report: Global News Day for Children
Official Website of Global News Day for Children
World media launch 24-hour global broadcast on Universal Children's Day
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. Full story
UN child rights convention well incorporated into national laws: report
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has been well incorporated into national laws across the world, showed a report issued here Friday by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Xinhua News Agency. Full story
World sees progress on survival, development rights of children
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The world has seen marked progress in child survival, disease control and education, according to a report issued here Friday by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Xinhua News Agency. Full story
Xinhua News Agency, UNICEF sign MOU in Beijing
 |
|
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. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
Photo Gallery>>> |
