child

Ruud Lubbers

Head of UN refugee agency denounces child abuse in camps

1 March 2002
Distressed by reports of child abuse occurring in West African refugee camps, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, announced that remedial measures are being put in place to address the problem. UNHCR is participating in the UN investigation into the allegations.
Olara Otunnu

Possible exploitation of refugee children denounced by UN envoy

1 March 2002
The United Nations special envoy for children and armed conflict, Olara Otunnu, today added his voice to those who have denounced alleged sexual abuse of children in refugee camps in West Africa.

Sierra Leone: UN mission disturbed by report of child abuse in refugee camps

28 February 2002
Expressing grave concern about a recent report of widespread abuse of children in West African refugee camps, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) today said that protection of children’s rights was a top priority for UN peacekeepers.

Annan, UNICEF shocked at reports of child abuse in West Africa refugee camps

27 February 2002
The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the head of UNICEF, the UN’s children agency, voiced their outrage today at reports of possible widespread sexual abuse of children in West African refugee camps.
Olara Otunnu

UN officials hail entry into force of ‘milestone’ accord on child soldiers

12 February 2002
The entry into force of a new international legal instrument banning the use of children as soldiers was hailed as a milestone today by two senior United Nations officials concerned with children’s rights -- Olara Otunnu, Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, and Carol Bellamy, the Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

UN labour agency to launch new soccer-themed campaign against child labour

16 January 2002
Capitalizing on the worldwide popularity of soccer, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) is set to launch its latest campaign against exploitative child labour practices this week with the start of the 2002 African Cup of Nations tournament Saturday in Bamako, Mali.

Anti-measles drive in Afghanistan launched by UN Children's Fund

31 December 2001
The United Nations today announced the launch of a large-scale measles vaccination campaign in Afghanistan, where poverty and the country’s devastated health infrastructure combine to make the disease a major killer of children.

Yokohama forum renews commitment to combat sexual exploitation of children

20 December 2001
The Second World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children concluded its work in Yokohama today after approving a key document, which reinforced pledges made five years ago to undertake concrete initiatives in the fight against the global trade in child sex.

Youngsters forced into sex trade especially vulnerable to AIDS, UNICEF warns

19 December 2001
UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, has warned that youngsters forced into the sex trade are especially vulnerable to contracting the HIV virus.

UNICEF hails upcoming entry into force of key treaty on children's rights

23 October 2001
Welcoming the upcoming entry into force of a treaty on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today the event would be a major step forward in the protection of children from exploitation, trafficking and sexual abuse.