Report on New Zealand children to be presented to United Nations

A major report highlighting serious issues facing New Zealand's children and young people will be presented to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on 12 June.

The report Children and Youth in Aotearoa 2003 highlights problems of child poverty, violence and discrimination, as well as a lack of Government action. 150 people from across the health, education, justice and social sectors contributed to the report which was prepared by the coalition Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa (ACYA).

The five person ACYA delegation will meet the United Nations Committee in Geneva on 12 June. The Committee will meet New Zealand Government representatives in September and produce a report and recommendations in October.

ACYA chairperson Dr Alison Blaiklock says child advocates are very disappointed that the Government's Agenda for Children report released a year ago promised to end child poverty, but there were only crumbs in the latest Government Budget.

12-year old Zarah Allport will present the UN Committee with a ten-minute video which gives the views of children and young people. This video will be released in New Zealand later in the year.

Members of the ACYA delegation are

· Alison Blaiklock, ACYA Chairperson and public health physician.

· Zarah Allport, member of the ACYA Youth Video Working Group.

· John Hancock, ACYA Committee member and solicitor with YouthLaw.

· Riripeti Haretuku, ACYA Committee member and director of the national Maori cot death prevention programme.

· Ben Taufua, ACYA Committee member and Pacific health manager in South Auckland.

More information about the ACYA report can be found at http://www.acya.org.nz/ngo_rept.html

ACYA meeting with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

Venue: Palais des Nations, Geneva

Date: Thursday 12 June 2003

Time: 10am -1pm Geneva Time; 8pm-11pm New Zealand Time

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