PRESS CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY GREECE
Press Briefing
PRESS CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY GREECE
19961211
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
Singer and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador Nana Mouskouri told correspondents this afternoon that children were the first to suffer in war and from other atrocities and needed special support and encouragement. In a Headquarters press conference sponsored by Greece, Ms. Mouskouri described herself as a "war child", having grown up in a country that suffered a violent civil war. She discovered first hand the horrors experienced by children caught in the midst of violent conflict. She would soon be making her first visit for UNICEF to Viet Nam to observe that country's facilities and programmes for children. In response to a correspondent's question concerning how UNICEF dealt with the problem of child labour, Ms. Mouskouri said that special attention had been given to this problem during the past year. It was a social problem, and its solution required the cooperation of governments, unions and the families of the children. What was the highlight of her position as UNICEF Ambassador during the past year? a correspondent asked. She said her visits to the field were the most important aspect of her position, where she saw the progress and importance of UNICEF programmes and witnessed the hope those programmes inspired. When asked if artists from Greece and Turkey could help bring the two countries together, Ms. Mouskouri said that it was her dream for artists to make that contribution. The arts were at the root of culture and helped reveal common interests and concerns. In response to a correspondent's question concerning how the culture of the West, such as film and music, affected children, Ms. Mouskouri said music offered a reflection of the world, and today's world, like its music, was aggressive. The music did not reflect the hope it once did. However, education could help change that situation. What do children ask her when she travels around the world? a correspondent asked. Ms. Mouskouri said that many children asked her to describe what a war was. A child could not believe what it was. Asked where she had meet the happiest children, she replied that the happiest children were those that felt loved. In Santiago, Chile, for example, she saw children that felt free, played with other children and were loved by their families. Replying to a correspondent's question concerning how UNICEF might help the plight of children in Viet Nam, Ms. Mouskouri said the improvement of the situation for children in Viet Nam had been very rapid, and she looked forward to seeing it first hand.
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