by the Children's Forum.

The following message was drafted, debated, and agreed to by more than 300 delegates of the Children's Forum held in conjunction with the United Nations Special Session on Children. Representatives of the forum delivered the message to world leaders at the UN General Assembly on May 8th, 2002.

We are the world's children.

We are the victims of exploitation and abuse.

We are street children.

We are the children of war.

We are the victims and orphans of HIV/AIDS.

We are denied good-quality education and health care.

We are victims of political, economic, cultural, religious, and environmental discrimination.

We are children whose voices are not being heard; it is time we are taken into account.

We want a world fit for children, because a world fit for us is a world fit for everyone.

In this world,

We see respect for the rights of the child:

• Governments and adults having a real and effective commitment to the principle of children's rights and applying the Convention on the Rights of the Child to all children;
• Safe, secure, and healthy environments for children in families, communities, and nations.

We see an end to exploitation, abuse and violence:

• Laws that protect children from exploitation and abuse being implemented and respected by all;
• Centers and programs that help to rebuild the lives of victimized children.

We see an end to war:

• World leaders resolving conflict through peaceful dialogue instead of by using force;
• Child refugees and child victims of war protected in every way and having the same opportunities as all other children;
• Disarmament, elimination of the arms trade, and an end to the use of child soldiers.

We see the provision of health care:

• Affordable and accessible lifesaving drugs and treatment for all children;
• Strong and accountable partnerships established among all to promote better health for children.

We see the eradication of HIV/AIDS:

• Educational systems that include HIV prevention programs;
• Free testing and counseling centers;
• Information about HIV/AIDS freely available to the public;
• Orphans of AIDS and children living with HIV/AIDS cared for and enjoying the same opportunities as all other children.

We see the protection of the environment:

• Conservation and rescue of natural resources;
• Awareness of the need to live in environments that are healthy and favorable to our development;
• Accessible surroundings for children with special needs.

We see an end to the vicious cycle of poverty:

• Anti-poverty committees that bring about transparency in expenditure and give attention to the needs of all children;
• Cancellation of the debt that impedes progress for children.

We see the provision of education:

• Equal opportunities and access to quality education that is free and compulsory;
• School environments in which children feel happy about learning;
• Education for life that goes beyond the academic and includes lessons in understanding, human rights, peace, acceptance, and active citizenship.

We see the active participation of children:

• Raised awareness and respect among people of all ages about every child's right to full and meaningful participation, in the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• Children actively involved in decision-making at all levels and in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating all matters affecting the rights of the child.

We pledge an equal partnership in this fight for children's rights. And while we promise to support the actions you take on behalf of children, we also ask for your commitment and support in the actions we are taking -- because the children of the world are misunderstood.

We are not the sources of problems; we are the resources that are needed to solve them.

We are not expenses; we are investments.

We are not just young people; we are people and citizens of this world.

Until others accept their responsibility to us, we will fight for our rights.

We have the will, the knowledge, the sensitivity, and the dedication.

We promise that as adults we will defend children's rights with the same passion that we have now as children.

We promise to treat each other with dignity and respect. We promise to be open and sensitive to our differences.

We are the children of the world, and despite our different backgrounds, we share a common reality.

We are united by our struggle to make the world a better place for all.

You call us the future, but we are also the present.

The message from the Children's Forum was reprinted from the UNICEF website, http://www.unicefusa.org/ssc/index.html.

Recommended book: The State of the World's Children 2002 : Leadership (State of the World's Children, 2002). Publisher: United Nations Publications.

Info/Order this book.

About the Authors

The three-day Children's Forum involved about 350 young people from around the world ? including members of governmental and non-governmental delegations to the Special Session itself ? who lent their vision to the proceedings. (Photo: United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and several children pledge their support for 'Say Yes for Children' at UN headquarters in New York.)