PHA-Exchange> UNICEF: The State of the World's Children 2006 (2)

[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

 from Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel at undp.org> -----

CHILDREN OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND, OUT OF REACH

Abused and Neglected, Millions of Children Have Become
Virtually Invisible

Today, UNICEF launches its annual
flagship publication – The State of the World’s Children
Report (SOWC) across the World. This years’ report: Excluded
and Invisible calls for accelerated action in the
implementation of the Millennium Declaration and the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Meeting the Goals and
implementing the Declaration by 2015 would transform the
lives of many children who would be spared illness and
premature death, escape poverty and malnutrition, gain
access to safe water and decent sanitation facilities and
complete primary schooling.

UNICEF expresses serious concerns in SOWC that not enough is
being done for children as hundreds of millions of children
are suffering from severe exploitation and discrimination
and have become virtually invisible to the world. These
children are growing up beyond the reach of development
campaigns and are often invisible in everything from public
debate and legislation, to statistics and news stories.

If the world continues as it is, if we go no further than
˜business as usual™, then we will fail to achieve the MDGs
for everyone, including the world’s children.  Based on
current rates of progress, we can see that we will fail
millions of children in the developing world”.

According to UNICEF’s projections, by 2015

170 million children will have missed-out access to adequate
sanitation;

80 million children of primary school age will not go to
school;

70 million children will lack access to an improved water
source and

50 million children under five years will not have enjoyed
adequate nutrition as promised by the MDG’s.

UNICEF proposes three strategic areas for worldwide action:

A massive push towards increased access of children and
their families to basic social services.

Longer-term initiatives that are rooted in a human
rights-based approach to development. This means building
the foundations of a child-friendly society through laws,
policies, strategies and plans of action that are based on
the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Deeper approaches that give special attention to the most
vulnerable children, such as children in need of special
protection or children from ethnic minorities.

The State of the World’s Children Report also points out the
critical situations that many children are confronted with
that make them vulnerable. For example:

Every year, 55% of all births in the developing world
(excluding China) - that is more than 50 million children -
are not registered. These children start their life without
an identity and run the risk of being excluded from basic
social services as they grow older.

More than 143 million children in the developing world are
orphans – that is 1 in every 13 children. Children who
suffer the death of their parents are denied their first
line of protection. Burdened by sudden responsibilities or
forced to fend for themselves, many drop out of school or
fall victims of exploitation.

One in every three girls in the developing world marries
before 18. Early marriage can put an end to their education
and can also lead to early death if the girl becomes
pregnant prematurely.

UNICEF calls upon the Governments of the World to step-up
their efforts to implement the Millennium Declaration and
the Millennium Development Goals and to put particular
emphasis on excluded and invisible children. This can be
achieved by concentrating on four key areas:

Research: worldwide we need better disaggregated data on
children as well as more qualitative and quantitative
research on causes of social exclusion, lack of protection
and marginalization of children.

Legislation: national legislation must be reformed in line
with international commitments to children.

Financing and capacity building: budget allocations by the
State must take children’s needs and rights into account
more strongly. The capacity of Government staff working for
children must be improved.

Social Services: barriers that hamper children’s access to
basic social and protection services should be removed and
good service packages for children in remote locations
should be developed.



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