World Day of the Child

Today, on 20 November the World Child's Day is celebrated, KZ-today correspondent informs.

On 20 November, 1959, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was passed. On the same day, but in 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which obliges all countries to provide good life for the children. The Convention came into force on 2 September, 1990. In RoK the convention was ratified in 1994.

In some countries the World Day of the Child is celebrated on 20 September. However, 129 UN member countries celebrate this day on 20 November.

According to a number of international organisations in the whole world 250 million 5-14-year old children are forced to work to survive. More than 60 millions are subject to slave labour, forced to prostitute themselves, sell drugs or participate in the armed struggles.

In the Southern part of Africa around half million lost their parents because of AIDS. Children in the Middle East are in the plight as well. UNICEF called Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from violence against children and teenagers. According to UNICEF, since September 2000 on the Western bank of Jordan river and in Gaza sector more than 300 children died. More than 7 thousand Palestinian children have been seriously wounded. In Israel as a result of Palestinian terrorist acts more than 70 children and teenagers died.