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

UNICEF has repeatedly called on governments to ensure basic services for children and this includes providing food where the need exists.

Corporate partners help UNICEF fund our programmes for children, advocate with us on their behalf, or facilitate our work through logistical, technical, research or supply support.

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

We must ensure that while eliminating child labor in the export industry, we are also eliminating their labour from the informal sector, which is more invisible to public scrutiny - and thus leaves the children more open to abuse and exploitation.

By ratifying the Convention, governments become legally bound to implement the rights therein.

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.