Origin of Project
The Summit was proposed in 1989 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada, President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, President Moussa Traore of Mali, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, and Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson of Sweden. These six leaders worked together "to bring attention and promote commitment, at the highest political level, to goals and strategies for ensuring the survival, protection and development of children as key elements in the socio-economic development of all countries and human society". The United Nations Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar adopted the project and gave the Summit the support of the UNICEF and other UN organizations. A total 159 governments were invited to the event. In attendance were heads of state from 72 different countries and representatives from 87 other countries.
The Summit agenda was highly endorsed by three main organizations- the World Health Assembly, Education for All (led by UNESCO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Board. UNICEF was the main contributor. Every year following the Summit, it conducted progress reports on the implementation of Summit goals and released them through its many publications.
The World Summit for Children was held at a moment when the world was just beginning to demonstrate united interest in children's survival and development. A year prior the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. It is a human rights treaty focused directly on the rights of children. The document had entered into force just a couple of weeks before the Summit was held.
Read more about this topic: World Summit For Children
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