When the lives and the rights of children are at stake, there must be no silent witnesses.

The real solution is to improve the incomes of the poor and provide their children with decent education.

Here once again education is crucial, it enables children to be become more aware of their rights and to exercise them in a respectful manner which helps them shape their own future.

Creating a world that is truly fit for children does not imply simply the absence of war... It means having primary schools nearby that educate children, free of charge... It means building a world fit for children, where every child can grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity.

Children have in the past and continue to influence policy makers.

What is needed now are increased efforts to promote youth participation and commitment; more services aimed at youth; more parental involvement; more education and information, using schools and other sites; more protection for girls, orphaned children and young women;and more partnerships with people with HIV and AIDS.

When the lives and the rights of children are at stake, there must be no silent witnesses.