General Assembly postpones special session on children

In the aftermath of Tuesday's terrorist attacks against the United States, the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday decided to postpone its upcoming special session on children.

In a unanimously adopted resolution on the matter, the Assembly did not set a new date for the session, which was to have convened September 19 to 21 with the expected participation of more than 70 heads of State or government.

Reacting to the decision, the Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Carol Bellamy, issued a statement pledging to help the world's neediest children "with deepened resolve."

"We are all touched by the events that struck New York and the US on Tuesday," she said. "The City of New York needs to focus its energy on more urgent matters right now."

"We regret the awful circumstances that have caused this summit to be postponed, but if this tragedy makes anything clear, it is that creating and defending a world that is fit for children is hard, hard work," she said, adding, "On days like today, it seems harder."

Her call for re-dedicated efforts on behalf of children was echoed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who urged the Assembly to keep young people's concerns high on its agenda. "The issue is still very much with us," he said. "I think we should stay the course and adopt a concrete agenda for action for this decade."