1. World Fit for Children: The European Response
UN-EURONET 2nd Annual Meeting
Florence, Italy – Nov 2006

2. Summit for Children → WFFC+5 The European Journey
1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child
1990 World Summit for Children
2000 Millennium Summit
2001 1st Intergovernmental Conference on Children in Europe and
Central Asia (Berlin)
2001 Global Movement for Children
2002 UN General Assembly Special Session on Children (UNGASS)
2004 2nd Intergovernmental Conference on Children in Europe and
Central Asia (Sarajevo)
2006 3rd Intergovernmental Conference on Children in Europe and
Central Asia (Palencia)
2007 UN General Assembly Commemorative Session World Fit for
Children +5 (WFFC+5)
UNICEF

3. WFFC: The UN Special Session on Children :2002
Two years of consensus-building leading up to the Summit
Adoption by 180 nations of outcome document - 'A World Fit for Children‘
1st time that member delegations to the General Assembly officially included children
UNICEF

4. WFFC: WFFC Plan of Action
4 Key Priorities and 21 Specific Goals and Targets for the next decade
Promoting healthy lives
Providing quality education for all
Protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence
Combating HIV/AIDS
3 Necessary Outcomes
The Best Possible Start In Life For Children
Access to a Quality Basic Education, Including Free and Compulsory Primary Education
Ample Opportunity for Children And Adolescents to Develop their Individual capacities
Strong calls to support families, eliminate discrimination and tackle poverty
Implementation by a wide range of actors and partners
Links to UN Millennium Summit
UNICEF

5. WFFC: Implementation & Follow Up
National and regional Plans of Action
Strengthening national planning, coordinating, implementation and resource allocation
Establishing or strengthening national bodies for children’s rights
Regular monitoring
Annual reports by the UN Secretary General
Summarising developments in each region, including Europe
UNICEF

6. WFFC: Sarajevo 2004 The Sarajevo Commitment Investing in children
Children moving across borders
Combating exclusion in education
Violence against children
Cities fit for Children
Cross-cutting Themes:
Children’s participation
Monitoring mechanisms
UNICEF

7. WFFC: Palencia 2006 The Palencia Statement
National measuring, monitoring & accountability for children’s rights, developing new methods and indicators
Enhancing children’s participation in decision making and follow-up
Enhancing social inclusion and reducing child poverty
Eliminating child labour
Addressing violence against children
UNICEF

8. WFFC +5: Where Do We Stand Globally?
From the Secretary General’s 2006 Follow-Up Report (A/61/150)
177 countries have engaged in follow-up activities -- National Plans of Action or integrating children’s goals into mainstream national plans
But - weak links with budgeting
Convergence with MDG goals is important
But - lack of attention to child protection is a major concern
But – need to make sure it does not result in decreased visibility of children’s issues
UNICEF

9. WFFC +5: Where Do We Stand Globally?
From the Secretary General’s 2006 Follow-Up Report (A/61/150)
Impetus of child participation being sustained
Ex: UN Study on Violence Against Children, involvement in global campaign – Unite for Children, Unite against HIV/AIDS, Children’s G8
But – children still not routinely involved in implementation or monitoring
Progress being monitored by a variety of countries & statistical capacity improving
But – need more disaggregated data + focus on disadvantaged families and children
UNICEF

10. WFFC +5: Europe’s Journey
National Action Plans
“Excellent progress” in CEE/CIS & Baltics
Governmental children’s rights bodies
Striking rise in the number of ombudspersons and independent institutions for the rights of the child
Parliamentary action
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Inter-Parliamentary Union meetings on children’s rights
Intergovernmental Action
Council of Europe programme on children
European Community Communication on Children
UNICEF

11. WFFC +5: Europe’s Journey
What Challenges Remain in the Region?
Concern about gap between legal framework and reality experienced by children
Challenging the false notion that economic development and rising prosperity will automatically help all children
Continuing exclusion and discrimination
Continuing violence, abuse and exploitation
Improvements in monitoring and reporting still required
UNICEF

12. WFFC +5: New York 2007 Focus of the review: Stock-taking
Analyse and draw attention to challenges
Mobilise partners
Provide a global assessment of progress
UNICEF

13. WFFC +5: New York 2007
Countries are asked to prepare self contained reports or an identified part of a report on the MDG’s.
GA Resolution calls for civil society participation in the review
Shared with UNICEF by December.
SG will present this report to the Commerative Plenary Session of the GA
UNICEF

14. A Region Fit for Children