PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR 2001 SPECIAL ASSEMBLY SESSION ON FOLLOW-UP TO WORLD CHILDREN"S SUMMIT CONCLUDES ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION

Press Release
HR/4462

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR 2001 SPECIAL ASSEMBLY SESSION ON FOLLOW-UP TO WORLD CHILDREN’S SUMMIT CONCLUDES ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION

The work of the Preparatory Committee for the 2001 special session of the General Assembly on the World Summit for Children should be open to the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) accredited with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and with major United Nations conferences and summits, provided they had started the process of application for consultative status, the Committee decided this afternoon as it concluded its organizational session.

The special session will be held to review the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Children, which took place at United Nations Headquarters on 29 and 30 September 1990. Seventy-one heads of State or government, and delegations from an additional 88 countries, took part in the Summit, which adopted the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and a detailed Plan of Action for Implementing the Declaration in the 1990s.

By the terms of the first of several decisions approved at the closing meeting of the organizational session today, the Committee further decided to invite other NGOs that were not accredited to the Economic and Social Council or UNICEF, but that collaborated with UNICEF under its mandate to obtain technical advice and assistance from NGOs with special interest in child and family welfare. It also encouraged governments to include representatives of civil society in their national and regional preparatory process and to defer any decision on accreditation and modalities for NGO participation in the special session for its future sessions.

A list of NGOs expressing interest in the review of the outcome of the Children’s Summit should be submitted to the Preparatory Committee by 31 March, the Committee decided. That list would be approved by the Committee on a “no objection” basis by 30 April 2000.

During the debate on NGO participation, several speakers expressed concern that the expansion of the list of NGOs participating in the special session would have a negative effect on the Committee’s substantive work. Regarding the participation of children in the work of the substantive session of the Committee, the representative of Mexico said that he would prefer a serious

Preparatory Committee - 2 - Press Release HR/4462 4th Meeting (PM) 8 February 2000

session to “a carnival for children”. As it had been proposed that children take part in the delegations at the first substantive session, several delegates wanted to know what criteria would be used to determine the age of children taking part in the proceedings.

Approving its report, the Committee also decided that its first substantive session, from 30 May to 2 June, would focus on identifying key issues and trends in conjunction with the implementation of the outcome of the Summit. Three panel discussions would be held during that session. The first would be devoted to review and assessment, including constraints encountered in implementing the goals of the Summit and lessons learned. The second and third panels would deal with emerging issues and future action for children.

Regarding arrangements for future sessions of the Preparatory Committee, it was decided that the dates would be discussed at the Committee’s first substantive session.

The report of the Committee was introduced by the Committee’s Rapporteur, Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Lidija Topic (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Speaking at the meeting were the representatives of Jamaica, Portugal (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Russian Federation, United States, Nigeria (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Algeria, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Egypt, and Syria. The observer for Palestine also addressed the meeting.

Making a presentation on the participation of children and youth in the preparatory process, Karin Sham Poo, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, said that they would take part in activities on the national and regional levels. The UNICEF had discussed ways to broaden the participation of many actors, including children. Additional events might be held in conjunction with the special session. This year, the Executive Board of UNICEF would consider the requirements and substantive issues of children’s and youth participation and leadership initiatives.

The first substantive session of the Preparatory Committee will begin on Tuesday, 30 May.

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