Samarkand, Oct. 22 (Petra) -- The Samarkand Declaration on Investing in Children's Wellbeing was adopted Wednesday at the conclusion of a two-day world summit in Uzbekistan, calling for greater investment in children to promote sustainable and equitable development for future generations.
The summit, held on October 21-22 under the theme "Investing in Children's Wellbeing: A Path Toward Sustainable and Just Development for Future Generations," was organized by Uzbekistan in cooperation with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank.
It brought together first ladies, ministers responsible for social protection, health, education and finance, representatives of governments, international organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector, as well as children and young people.
The declaration reaffirmed participants' commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the principle of the best interests of the child. It emphasized that children account for one-third of the world's population and that investing in their wellbeing generates long-term benefits in health, education, productivity, social cohesion and peace.
Under the declaration, states pledged to work, in line with their national circumstances, priorities and capacities, to strengthen social protection systems and expand benefits for children and families, including during crises.
The commitments also include enhancing measures to protect children from violence, abuse and exploitation, including online; promoting early childhood development, inclusive education and healthcare, including efforts to combat childhood cancer; and supporting parents and caregivers to prevent unnecessary separation of children from their families.
The declaration further calls for preparing young people for the future economy by developing green and digital skills and promoting decent work opportunities, including for young people with disabilities.
On financing, participants stressed the need to steadily increase public investment in children and improve budget transparency and child-sensitive budgeting. They also called on international financial institutions, development partners, philanthropic organizations and the private sector to scale up funding, particularly for low- and middle-income countries and countries affected by conflict, climate change and natural disasters.
The declaration recognized children and adolescents as rights holders and agents of change, underscoring the importance of ensuring their safe and meaningful participation in decision-making, including in the declaration's implementation.
Implementation will be pursued through national policies and budgets, with countries setting their own timelines and providing regular progress reports. Participants also agreed to reconvene to assess progress, while the co-hosting organizations were invited to support countries in translating the declaration's commitments into action.
Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody summarized the summit's outcomes and presented Shahnoza Mirziyoyeva with a painting he had created himself.
Participants also expressed their gratitude to the people and government of Uzbekistan for hosting the summit in Samarkand, describing the historic city as a "crossroads of civilizations." //Petra// MF
