The Hindu : Charting a course for children

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 29, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Charting a course for children

By Savita Varde-Naqvi

Bang in the middle of political uncertainty sweeping across the world, a debilitating economic recession that refuses to wane, and a generally restive atmosphere that mocks its own quest for peace, there comes a glimmer of hope that could yet retrieve for humanity its slipping smile. The countdown to a unique event concerning the world's 1.2 billion children has started. From May 8 - 10, more than 70 Heads of State or Government, parliamentarians, over 1,000 NGOs and 300 children from across the world will gather at the United Nations in New York. They will review the progress made in achieving the goals countries themselves set at the World Summit for Children in 1990 and renew commitment to chart a course for the well-being of the world's children within a time-bound framework. Even so, it must be admitted that there is a palpable "resolution fatigue" among people today — a kind of cynicism about international conferences where goals are perceived to be always set but rarely achieved.

"Not least, the World Summit for Children in 1990 catalysed political commitment behind the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is now the most widely embraced human rights instrument. The fact, that not all the goals and targets of the World Summit were fully achieved should now serve as a spur for greater political support, increased resources and more dynamic social mobilisation,'' the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has argued. And yet, the concept of child rights is rarely understood by all in the same way. In fact, cultural values and overtones tend to colour the interpretation of human rights — child rights being no exception. For example, there could well be several "indigenous" perceptions of a rights-based approach to survival, protection, development and participation, the four key areas covering the civil, political economic, social and cultural rights of the child.

In the past decade, when the world community was embracing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the end of the Cold War raised hopes of surplus defence funding being diverted to development. At the same time, globalisation was the new mantra being chanted to resurrect the world economy, create more jobs and increase consumer spending. However, with the attendant economic restructuring, globalisation also unleashed an unprecedented run on the international development funding. Industrialised countries are being prodded to give developing countries greater access to their home markets and step up overseas development assistance (ODA) from the current 0.22 per cent level to the accepted target of 0.7 per cent of their GNP. World Bank studies suggest that an additional $40 to $60 billion a year in aid will be needed to reach the goals of the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey, Mexico in March 2002. The Approach Paper to India's Tenth Five Year Plan that came into force earlier this month noted that the economy is currently in a decelerating phase. A reversal is all the more difficult because it has to take place in an environment where the world economy is slowing down, especially in the post September 11 scenario. The Tenth Five Year Plan (2003-2007) is set at an 8 per cent GDP growth target and projects expansion of social services.

If these goals were met, it would mean: a reduction in poverty by 5 percent by 2007; all children will be in school by 2003 and literacy rates will rise to 75 percent by 2007; a reduction in literacy gender gaps by 50 percent by 2007; a reduction of infant mortality to 45 per 1,000 live births by 2007.

Whether it has substantially changed the situation on the ground or not, it must be said in all fairness that the Government of India has shown commitment to the cause of children. Its development schemes usually incorporate lessons learned in India and elsewhere. The schemes are targeted to reach numbers that baffle all imagination.

The Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) serves 30 million children in the 0 — 6 age group, a child population greater than the combined population of the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Belgium! The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan aiming to provide free elementary education to all children by 2010 has a tough task ahead, considering that 43 million children, including 25 million girls, are not attending school. The National Nutrition Mission has been designed to combat chronic malnutrition through the inter-generational approach of focusing on the education of girls and young mothers. However, a quick glance at the situation of women and children in India today will help us comprehend the mammoth scale of the challenge ahead. The under-5 mortality rate has been hovering at 95 per 1000 live births.

Out of a total child population of 395 million, 47 per cent are victims of moderate to severe malnutrition, 51 per cent are not fully immunised, 74 per cent suffer from anaemia and 11 million are involved in labour. What is more, the growing menace of HIV/AIDS can quickly reverse the gains made in many, many years. The challenge is unprecedented and requires total commitment — not only from the Government but from all of us. All of us, because we were children once and now we are the parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts of young ones — their duty bearers. A General Assembly Special Session will mean little if all of us are not seized by a sense of urgency to put children at the heart of India's political and development agenda.

(The writer is Chief of Communication, UNICEF, India)

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