The global movement for children

“There can be no task nobler than giving every child a better future.”

(1)

More than 10 years ago, nations gathered at the World Summit for Children, September 29 to 30, 1990, New York, New York, and wrote the World Declaration on the Survival, Development and Protection of Children (1). One hundred ninety-two of 194 countries have since ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (2), written in 1989. Due to the unfortunate circumstances of September 11, the United Nations Special Session was postponed. However, as we watch the horrors of chilren crossing the landmine-ridden fields of Afghanistan, we realize that we have a long way to go. The upcoming United Nations Special Session on Children is expected to strengthen the United Nations’ role in addressing the needs of children and re-examining the achievements and failures of the past decade. Over 75 heads of state are expected to participate in this event.

Significant progress has been made, yet many countries have fallen short of the goals set at the World Summit. Some of the issues stem from a political reluctance to put children first, and declining international cooperation in improving the lives of the weakest and most vulnerable people in the world. Some basic goals are unfulfilled: reducing the mortality of infants and children under the age of five years; decreasing maternal mortality and improving female education; minimizing malnutrition, both macro- and micronutrient; increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation; strengthening basic primary education and reducing adult illiteracy; improving vaccination programs to reduce the occurrence of basic immunizable diseases; and protecting children in vulnerable situations (such as war, child labour and living in poverty).

Many positives have been seen over the past decade. Canada has been a leader in the field through Health Canada’s Community Action Plan for Children, which has contributed $53 million per year to improving children’s lives since 1997. Over 155 countries have national programs of action aimed at implementing the summit goals of 1990, and working on improving the well-being of children. Four new areas are being brought into question: deepening poverty and greater inequality; increasing conflict and violence; the rapid spread of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; and the continued discrimination against women and girls, particularly in the access to education. The new declaration and action plan will expand from ‘Survival, Development and Protection of Children’, and include ‘Participation’, implying a greater involvement of children and youth in their own decision-making to improve the lives of children around the world.

The early part of the preparatory process for the session has been marred by significant political debate and intervention. The third preparatory document, although clearer, fails to define specific goals for countries. The next month before the convention will see a flurry of ideas, language and debate over the commitments, goals and objectives that countries will attach to the new declaration.

Advocates of children must push their government, and governments around the world, to reaffirm their commitment to the new goals. In the end, it will be the commitment of individuals and champions of children’s rights that will convince governments, not only within their borders, but beyond their borders, that reaffirming the goals and action plans of the Declaration on Children will improve the lives of all children – a step in the right direction for the Global Movement for Children.