At the outset, I would like to express my happiness to be here with you, and I also thank God who made us bring together today to discuss a very sensitive subject related to the future but life itself, as children are an extension of ourselves and the real proof to sustain life.

Dear friends,  

Each of us has a long list of concerns and causes, which he/she stands up for and believes in their justice. From my point of view, however, childhood remains one of the few causes that should invite us for unity, harmony and tolerance regardless of the difference in thoughts, affiliations, regions and cultures.

Childhood concerns all of us and therefore we have to stop ignoring it, as one of our most disastrous mistakes made in the past decades was to deal with childhood as subsidiary issue that is confined only to the concerned organizations, and doing so, of course, threatens security and safety of communities. We have to wonder what will remain of this or that country, of this or that society, if children financially and physically affected?

 

Dear friends, 

Some talk about large-scale projects for the future, thinking that this would enable them to do the task perfectly, but when we examine the nature of those projects, we find out they have to do with everything but human being. 

Making investment in construction, industry, tourism and other sectors are of course important. However, I believe - and you may share the same belief- investing in the future will have no tangible results unless a special attention is paid and large projects are allocated to childhood development and child care as well as providing appropriate conditions that make them live in healthy environment, which helps them to be creative and innovative. 

One gets really frustrated when large numbers of children in many places around the world are subjected to death as a result of armed conflicts that have recently increased and due to policies of many governments of the developing world, which ignore children. 

According to UNICEF, one in four of the world's children are stunted compared to their age. High rates of poverty often exist in small and vulnerable countries or in those affected by armed conflict. 

UNICEF also says that malnutrition causes deaths of 3.1 children annually, i.e. 45% of deaths in children under five. Moreover, one in four children worldwide suffers from stunted growth, and the rate may rise to one in three in developing countries. 

Some alarming facts in this context point out to the increase in child mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where one in four children under age five dies. Of course, the probability of death among children born in poor communities are twice as high as those being born in richer families. 

 

Dear friends,

About twenty-seven years ago, precisely on 20 November 1989, the Convention on children's rights was certified under the United Nations General Assembly's decision, and this agreement provides that every child has the inherent right to life, and all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures shall be taken to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse.

After all these years, we have to feel sad, as there has not been any positive change to any of the items contained in the Convention. Instead of reducing rates of violence against children to its lowest level, the proportion has increased so that we can say that wars and armed conflicts on the one hand, and wrong policies and practices on the other hand, mainly target children and women, a matter that does not help us to predict a good future for the world.

To make matter worse, the phenomenon of child soldiering extends and children are transformed into killers and dead bodies in flagrant violation of all treaties and laws that deny the recruitment of children under fifteen years. Armed groups and militias have resorted to recruiting as many children as possible and sending them to internal battles and conflicts, which have claimed the lives of a large number of them, while those who survived are suffering from severe psychological disorders.

Maybe there has been progress with regard to many countries’ obligation to refrain from recruiting any person who has not attained the age of fifteen into hostilities and take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by armed conflicts. It’s, however, a fragile progress because of the weakness in the work of many governments of the developing world as well as their legislative instability.

I emphasize the importance of what is stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially after raising the minimum age of recruitment to be eighteen years, which is the legal age to vote in many countries of the world. It was a paradox that children at the age of fifteen years are allowed to carry weapons to kill, but are allowed to vote only at the age of eighteen.

 

Dear friends,

I am not here to count all crimes and violations against children because they are too many and varied. But I and you are here to discuss possible ways for a safe childhood and to say children have social, economic and cultural rights that include the rights to live with dignity, access to education, have fun and play as well as providing all appropriate circumstances for a child to grow up normally. 

It is regrettable to see child rights in continuous decline primarily because most countries and governments have abandoned their responsibilities and obligations toward children, a matter that requires a review. Eventually, we will not be able to talk reassuringly about the future amid distorted childhood. 

The late US President John F. Kennedy was optimistic when he said a child who does not learn is a lost child. Today we realize such a fact more than ever before. A child who does not learn is a project to destroy themselves and others, especially when combined with poverty or any form of child abuse. 

 

Dear friends,

In my country, Yemen, conditions of children have not been good because of the ignorant regime, which ruled the country for decades and was not aware of child rights. Nonetheless, since the Houthi militia seized power in September 2014, the conditions of Yemen’s children have become worse. They have been subjected to abuse and exploitation in a way, which requires international investigation into all violations in order to punish those involved.

The worst thing the militia has committed is to recruit children and send them to its battles against the internationally recognized government. The militia's disrespect of children's safety has exceeded all limits and that must be clearly condemned.

Likewise, conditions of the children in Syria are not good. The Assad dictator regime is still abusing children as part of its punishment of his opponents from the Syrian people who are aspiring to freedom and salvation from tyranny. The Assad regime is arresting and abusing children in order to humiliate and blackmail their families, a matter that makes us be very sure that childhood in Syria will not heal over except after this tyrant regime falls. 

 

Dear friends,

While I am saying this about the regime, I can never ignore child abuses by armed groups in Syria, including forced child recruitment and violation of their childhood, which must be clearly condemned while perpetrators must be punished. 

It is obvious that conditions of the children in many countries are not perfect; thus, we should redouble our efforts to end this shame haunting all of us. Children must not be treated like rats and life is not a trap. I am confident that we all share the same feelings of solidarity with child rights. We should unite for our children, for the world's children. Yes, the world's children without any discrimination.