WORLD NEWS
May 7, 2002
A World Conference Just for Kids
TFK News Team reporter Terrence Cheromcka covers the first-ever United Nations Special Session on Children
 Terrence poses in front of U.N. headquarters. |
On Sunday May 5th, I went to the United Nations headquarters in New York City to attend opening ceremonies for the U.N. Special Session on Children. This event took place as a follow-up to a conference 12 years ago where world leaders pledged to protect and promote the rights of all children.
This week, they are meeting again to discuss how far they've come and how much farther they must go in improving healthcare, education and basic human rights for kids. They are joined by 375 young people from around the world who are offering their views and suggestions at special meetings all week. The opening day of the session also kicked off The Children's Forum. Its goal was to highlight the needs of the more than 2.1 billion children around the world.
 |  Dancers perform for kids at the opening ceremonies of the U.N. Special Session on Children. |
A Warm Welcome to Kids of the World
During the opening ceremony, there were informative speeches delivered by top U.N. officials, kids from other countries and even the head of the U.N., Secretary General Kofi Annan. "So far, adults have called the shots, but now it's time to build the world with children," said Annan. "Your voices will be heard, I promise you." The audience was also treated to some singing and dancing by the Young People's Chorus of New York, a kid rap singer, and costumed performers from a New York City dance troupe who performed right in the aisles of the conference room!
|  Terrence introduces herself to Sanjog Thakuri, 16, of Nepal after the opening ceremonies. |
After the opening ceremony ended, I asked some kid delegates, or representatives, what the conference meant to them. I talked with young people from India, the Philippines, Nepal and Malaysia. In some cases, they couldn't speak English, so I got help from people who could translate.
"We hope to get kids closer to the government and making decisions," said 18-year-old Bala Subrayanya of India. Sixteen-year-old Sanjog Thakuri of Nepal agreed. "We hope that we can just raise our issues and get a better situation," he told me.
Behind the Scenes at the U.N.
Later in the afternoon I took a guided tour of the U.N. with a group of other visitors. We visited several conference rooms, some of which I'd seen on television many times. We first saw the Security Council's chambers, where representatives from 15 U.N. member nations help peacefully settle disputes between countries. This room was my favorite! I loved the way it was set up with all the seats divided into special sections for the media, U.N. reporters, speakers and other U.N. members.
|  Nabilah Kamaruddin, 14, of Malaysia talks to Terrence about her hopes for a better world for kids. |
The last major conference room we visited was the General Assembly's. That's where top representatives from every member country of the U.N. meet to promote friendship between countries, make recommendations on how to solve global problems such as lack of women's rights and child labor, and create a plan of action to tackle them. This room was huge! It had lots and lots of seats, colorful paintings and the famous U.N. emblem in the center of the room. Designed by an African, it showed a map of the world surrounded by olive branches, which symbolized peace.
An Emotional Exhibit
After our tour of the conference rooms, we saw an exhibit that showed unforgettable examples of what can happen when countries don't get along with each other. It displayed melted glass bottles and coins, along with charred school uniforms, from the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, toward the end of World War II. It was so devastating to see.
|  Terrence looks at a wall of hundreds of colorful tiles that feature artwork created by kids from around the world. |
We then talked about land mines and how they kill one person every 22 minutes in war-torn countries. We also saw large photos of child soldiers fighting wars in poor countries. Some joined the army because there were no opportunities for education, while others had no families. It really reminded me of why the U.N. is working so hard to help improve children's lives and why its mission is so important.
By the time my day at the U.N. was over, I had learned about different cultures and gained a lot of perspective, especially by meeting kids from other countries. Even though I only spoke with them for a few minutes, I realized we had a lot in common: We were all young people who wanted to set goals and improve kids' lives in the world.
