World Summit for Children
Encyclopedia
The United Nations
World Summit for Children was held in New York
on 29-30 September 1990, bringing together the then-largest-ever gathering of heads of state and government to commit to a set of goals to improve the well-being of child
ren worldwide by the year 2000. The summit was the brain-child of James P. Grant
, then head of Unicef. It was the first time a UN conference had set a broad agenda for a wide range of goals in health
, education
, nutrition
and human rights
, and it set the stage for a series of UN conferences throughout the 1990s on population
, environment
, food
, human rights, social development and women's rights
.
On 30 September 1990, World Summit for Children adopted the "World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and Plan of Action", in order "to give every child a better future". Section 4 of the document, states that children "suffer immensely as casualties of war
and violence
; as victim of racial discrimination, apartheid, aggression, foreign occupation and annexation; as refugees and displaced children, forced to abandon their homes and their roots; as disabled; or as victims of neglect
, cruelty and exploitation
." Relatedly, Section II, para 46 of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
refers to this declaration.
A commemorative 3-ruble silver coin
was released in the USSR in 1990 to commemorate the event, 20,000 of them were minted.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Summit for Children was held in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 29-30 September 1990, bringing together the then-largest-ever gathering of heads of state and government to commit to a set of goals to improve the well-being of child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren worldwide by the year 2000. The summit was the brain-child of James P. Grant
James P. Grant
James P. "Jim" Grant was an American statesman and children's advocate. Grant served for 15 years as the third executive director of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund , with the rank of Under Secretary-General,Grant was born in Beijing as a Canadian citizen...
, then head of Unicef. It was the first time a UN conference had set a broad agenda for a wide range of goals in health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and it set the stage for a series of UN conferences throughout the 1990s on population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
, environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, human rights, social development and women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
.
On 30 September 1990, World Summit for Children adopted the "World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and Plan of Action", in order "to give every child a better future". Section 4 of the document, states that children "suffer immensely as casualties of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
; as victim of racial discrimination, apartheid, aggression, foreign occupation and annexation; as refugees and displaced children, forced to abandon their homes and their roots; as disabled; or as victims of neglect
Neglect
Neglect is a passive form of abuse in which a perpetrator is responsible to provide care for a victim who is unable to care for himself or herself, but fails to provide adequate care....
, cruelty and exploitation
Exploitation
This article discusses the term exploitation in the meaning of using something in an unjust or cruel manner.- As unjust benefit :In political economy, economics, and sociology, exploitation involves a persistent social relationship in which certain persons are being mistreated or unfairly used for...
." Relatedly, Section II, para 46 of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, also known as VDPA, is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993 in Vienna, Austria...
refers to this declaration.
A commemorative 3-ruble silver coin
Commemorative coins of the Soviet Union
Commemorative coins were released in the USSR between 1965 and 1991. Most of them were made of copper-nickel alloy, but there were also silver coins, gold coins, palladium coins and platinum coins. All of the coins were minted either by the Moscow Mint or by the Leningrad Mint...
was released in the USSR in 1990 to commemorate the event, 20,000 of them were minted.