Future of world's children 'on knife-edge'
Millions of children still being denied access to basic rights 20 years after convention on the rights of the child
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Friday, 20, Nov 2009 01:23
By Matthew Champion.
The convention on the rights of the child is at a "pivotal" moment, 20 years to the day since it was first signed.
Every country in the world save the US and Somalia have signed the convention guaranteeing the rights of children, while 70 countries have incorporated it into their national laws.
In the last two decades the annual number of deaths of under-fives has fallen from 12.5 million to 8.8 million, while 84 per cent of primary-school-age children are in class.
Although the United Nations children's agency Unicef said the convention was "timeless", many problems remain unsolved.
"The challenge for the next 20 years is to build on the progress achieved, working together to reach those children who are still being denied their rights to survival, development, protection and participation," said Ann Veneman, Unicef executive director, as she unveiled a special edition of the state of the world's children report.
Read the full report.
Unicef is warning that hundreds of millions of children around the world are still deprived of food, shelter, clean water and healthcare.
The rights of girls are especially pressing, the agency said, with girls less likely to attend school or receive essential healthcare, but more likely to be the victims of sexual violence.
Ms Veneman added: "It is unacceptable that children are still dying from preventable causes, like pneumonia, malaria, measles and malnutrition.
"Many of the world's children will never see the inside of a school room, and millions lack protection against violence, abuse, exploitation, discrimination and neglect."