NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS GRACA MACHEL TO BRIEF WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL FORUM 12 NOVEMBER

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS GRACA MACHEL TO BRIEF WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL FORUM 12 NOVEMBER

The Secretary-General's Expert on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, Graça Machel, will brief the Women's International Forum on the rights of children in armed conflict at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, 12 November, in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium.

Ms. Machel, a long-time educator and grass roots advocate and currently President of the Foundation of Community Development in Maputo, Mozambique, was appointed in June 1994 by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to chair a study on the impact of armed conflict on children. She presented her report at a Headquarters Press Conference on Friday, 8 November, and the report was then introduced in the General Assembly's Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) (see Press Release GA/SHC/3382 of 8 November).

Ms. Machel is recognized for her dedication to educating the people of Mozambique and for her leadership in organizations devoted to the children of her country. She has been a major force in increasing literacy and schooling and has spoken of the needs and rights of children, families and community throughout the world. Ms. Machel participated in the armed struggle in her country's war of independence from Portugal and, following independence, became Chairperson of the National Organization of Children of Mozambique to address the devastating effects the war had on the country's children.

As Minister of Education in Mozambique until 1989, Ms. Machel worked to implement the goal of universal education. In the decade from 1975 to 1985, the number of students enrolled in primary and secondary schools in Mozambique rose to more than 90 per cent for males and 75 per cent for females. Ms. Machel has also participated in many international forums, among them the 1988 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, and as a member of the international steering committee of the 1990 World Conference on Education for All.

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