Children: 'investments, not expenses'.

Over 2,600 delegates from 119 countries attended the United Nations Special Session on Children, which was held in New York from 8 to 10 May, to review the follow-up to the 1990 World Summit for Children. It brought together government leaders, non-governmental organizations, children's advocates and children themselves to investigate enduring obstacles to young people's welfare and development.

The Session featured high-level participation of children in an unprecedented number and helped to demonstrate General Assembly President Han Seung-Soo's statement that "progress for children depends on partnership between many players and on the participation of children and many young people themselves". Youth representatives addressed the delegates and voiced their concerns on a world that all too often marginalizes the needs and wants of children.

Audrey Chenynut, one of the youths who spoke during the assembly, said: "We are not expenses; we are investments". This statement was supported by the United Nations Children's Fund, which called poverty the result of the world's failure to invest adequately in young people.

Upon the conclusion of the Special Session, the General Assembly adopted the document "A World Fit for Children" without a vote. Twelve countries also adopted the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, while ten countries, the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

"A World Fit for Children" sets out the following main goals, which hope to promote children's rights in the twenty-first century.

Promoting healthy lives: Nations plan to reduce the infant mortality rate, maternal mortality ratio, the prevalence of child malnutrition, and the number of households without access to safe drinking water, all by one third. They also plan to develop and implement childhood development and health care programmes.

Providing quality education: Nations will expand and improve childhood education and reduce the number of children out of school by 50 per cent. They also agreed to eliminate gender disparity in education and provide access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes.

Protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence: Nations will protect children from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and the impact of armed conflict. They will also take immediate and effective measures to eliminate the worst forms of child labour and protect children from all forms of sexual exploitation.

Combating HIV/AIDS: Nations agreed to have established by 2003 national targets to achieve the prevention goal of reducing the prevalence of HIV in young people by 25 per cent. They also agreed to have reduced by 2005 the proportion of infants infected with HIV by 20 per cent, and to have developed policies by 2003 to provide supportive environments for boys and girls infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, and to have them implemented by 2005.