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Rights > UN General Assembly Special Session on Children
A World Fit for Children
On 11-13 December 2007, a United Nations General Assembly High-Level Plenary meeting was held in New York to evaluate progress in the global implementation of "A World Fit for Children".
Background
The United Nations General Assembly holds ‘Special Sessions’ –
formal meetings of delegates from United Nations
member countries. They are held to discuss a topic that is believed to
be of such importance that it requires special action by the
international community.
In June 2002, the General Assembly held a Special Session on Children,
the first such Session devoted exclusively to children and the first to
include them as official delegates.
Out of this session came an action plan titled A World Fit for Children
- a Declaration and Plan of Action setting out a range of goals and
targets relating to four action areas of health, education, child
protection and HIV/AIDS.
In 2004 it was
included as an item on Government’s UNCROC Five-Year Work Programme
2004-2008.
2007 Meeting in New York
On 11-13 December 2007, a United Nations General Assembly High-Level
Plenary meeting was held in New York to evaluate progress made to date
in the global implementation of "A World Fit for Children".
The meeting was attended by representatives of United Nations Member
States, inter- and non-government organisations, and youth delegates.
New Zealand’s official delegates to the meeting were:
- Rosemary Banks, New Zealand’s representative to the United Nations
- Ruth Palmer, General Manager, Child, Family and Community Policy (Ministry of Social Development)
- Dr Cindy Kiro, Children’s Commissioner
- Te Kerei Moka (youth delegate, aged 23)
- Jessica Dewan (youth delegate, aged 18).
Discussion at the meeting was based around the United
Nations Secretary General’s report on progress achieved and challenges
remaining in implementing the commitments set out in “A World Fit for
Children”, which was compiled as a result of participating nations sending in individual country reports.
A four-day Children’s Forum was held as part of the event in order
to facilitate the participation of youth delegates. There were also a
number of other side events run by inter- and non-government
organisations.
New Zealand's youth delegates
 Both Jessica Dewan and Te Kerei Moka were selected to
attend the 2002 Special Session and it was recommended by event organisers that they attend the 2007 event too.
New Zealand’s two youth delegates played a very active
role in the 2007 event.
Te Kerei was one of only a handful of youth delegates to
present a personal address to the United Nations General Assembly.
His speech emphasised the role that education had played in allowing
him to make a contribution to his family and community despite very
difficult circumstances. His speech was greeted by spontaneous and
sustained applause, as well as congratulations from other delegations.
Te Kerei's speech can be downloaded at the bottom of the page.
You can see footage of Te Kerei's speech by clicking here,
then scrolling down to the 12 December 2007 box entitled "General
Assembly: Afternoon session of the commemorative High-level Plenary
Meeting Devoted to the Follow-up to the Outcome of the Special Session
on Children". If you then select 'archived video', and slide the rule
along to 3 hours 17 mins and wait, the speech appears in full.
Jessica was instrumental in the development of
the Children’s statement read at the United Nations General Assembly.
More Information
See 'Related Links' and 'Related Documents' at the bottom of the page for more information about the 2002 and 2007 sessions.
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to download PDF files.
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