Arab, African States Called to Grant Priority to Children
Regional, Culture, 5/24/2001

The conference of Arab and African finance ministers, convened in Marrakesh May 21-23, has called on Arab and African states to grant priority to childhood when devising their budgets.

In a reported adopted Wednesday at the closing session, participants recommended the setting up of an Arab-African observatory for children's rights which will conduct sociological and economic studies on children and run, jointly with the UNICEF, a solidarity fund for Africa.

Participants also called for the consolidation of south-south cooperation through exchange of expertise and called international and regional organizations and donor countries to back triangular cooperation and help identify needs and means of satisfying these needs.

They urged developed countries to honor their commitment to earmark 0.7 percent of their GDP to public assistance to development, while making sure that 20 percent of this assistance actually go to basic social services.

The Marrakesh conference called for the cancellation of the debts of least developed countries and recommended the setting up of a national childhood committee to serve as an efficient lobby to defend children's interests. They also recommended that available resources destined to children oriented programs be used rationally, efficiently and in transparency.

Participants called for an enhanced partnership between public authorities, the private sector, local communities and non-governmental organizations to mobilize resources and address children related issues and to encourage the actions conducted by NGOs.

In a closing address, Princess Lalla Meryem, Chairwoman of the National Observatory for Children's Rights, called for further efforts to identify a strategy and set up mechanisms for an efficient and rational management of financial resources.

She also called for mobilization to implement decisions made in favor of children and to struggle against the plagues that are still affecting children in many Arab and African states.

The conference, held under the topic "resources and financing of the child's cause," was attended by several Arab and African finance ministers and senior officials from several international organizations and specialized agencies active in child protection and promotion. Several African heads of state attended the conference opening session that was chaired by King Mohammed VI.

Previous Stories:
  Arab-African ministers of finance meet in Marrakesh to prepare for world child summit   (5/21/2001)
  Cairo to host pan-african forum on future of children   (5/19/2001)
  Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak talks about African child's hopes on may 28   (5/19/2001)

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