China to Host 5th East Asia, Pacific Conference on ChildrenThe 5th East Asia and Pacific Ministerial Consultation on Shaping the Future for Children will be held in Beijing from May 14 to 16.More than 300 delegates, including ministerial leaders and officials from 29 countries and regions in East Asia and Pacific, 12 donor countries outside the region, 15 international organizations, some non-governmental organizations, as well as children and young people, are expected to participate in the conference, which is sponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The 5th Ministerial Consultation will review progress towards achieving the World Summit Goals for Children over the past decade in the region, assess the experience in implementing and monitoring the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in protecting the development rights of children and young people, and exchange views on preparing for the General Assembly Special Session on Child Development to be held in September this year. The 5th Ministerial Consultation will identify priority plans and strategies for shaping the agenda for children at national and regional levels in the future, and recommend appropriate strategies for the future in relation to resource mobilization for child development. The conference will deliberate and finally adopt the Beijing Declaration to conduct the strategies for child development in the region in the coming decade. This will be the first time for China to host such a high-level international conference. The first ministerial consultation meeting was convened in Bangkok in 1991. The conference has now developed into an important consultation mechanism in the East Asia and Pacific region. |
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