Carol Bellamy

Children have in the past and continue to influence policy makers.

The real solution is to improve the incomes of the poor and provide their children with decent education.

We must ensure that while eliminating child labor in the export industry, we are also eliminating their labour from the informal sector, which is more invisible to public scrutiny - and thus leaves the children more open to abuse and exploitation.

Thus the Convention is unequivocal in its call for children to be consulted, to have their opinions heard and to have their best interests considered when law and policies are being drafted.

The dream of the Convention was born from the that children and their needs were not been considered when policies were being made, laws passed or actions undertaken.

I came into a strong organization, and I hope I strengthened it more and expanded its capacity to deal with some of the challenges that might not have seemed as great 10 years ago, such as H.I.V., AIDS and children affected by war.