Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Samarkand Declaration on Investing in Child Wellbeing was adopted in Samarkand on 22 October.
The document concluded the two-day World Summit “Investing in Child Wellbeing: A Path to Sustainable and Equitable Development for Future Generations”, held on 21–22 October.
Uzbekistan organised the summit in cooperation with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
Participants included first ladies, ministers responsible for social protection, healthcare, education and finance, representatives of governments, international organisations, civil society, academia and business, as well as children and young people.
In the declaration, participants reaffirmed their commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the principle of the best interests of the child. They emphasised that children account for one-third of the world’s population and that investing in their wellbeing helps improve healthcare and education, increase labour productivity, strengthen social cohesion and promote peace.
The document identifies several priority areas for government policy. These include developing social protection systems and expanding benefits for children and families, including during crises, as well as strengthening measures to combat violence, abuse and exploitation of children, including online threats.
Participants also highlighted the need to support early childhood development and advance inclusive education and healthcare, including improving efforts to combat childhood cancer. Particular attention was given to supporting parents and guardians to prevent the unjustified separation of children from their families.
Another priority is preparing young people for the demands of the future economy. This includes developing digital and green skills and expanding opportunities for decent employment, including for young people with disabilities.
A separate section of the declaration addresses financing. Governments are encouraged to steadily increase public investment in children and improve the transparency of national budgets to ensure that children’s interests are taken into account.
International financial institutions, development partners, philanthropic foundations and the private sector were urged to increase funding for programmes benefiting children. Particular attention should be given to low- and middle-income countries and to states facing conflict, the effects of climate change and natural disasters.
The declaration recognises children and adolescents as full participants in public life and agents of change. Participants expressed their readiness to ensure that young people can take part safely and meaningfully in decision-making, including the implementation of the document itself.
Implementation is expected to take place through national strategies and budgets, with each country setting its own timelines and providing regular progress reports. Participants also agreed to reconvene to assess the results achieved. The summit organisers were invited to support countries in putting the declaration into practice.
Participants thanked the people and government of Uzbekistan for hosting the summit in Samarkand, describing the city as a “crossroads of civilisations”.
The summit was brought to a close by Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody, who also presented Shahnoza Mirziyoyeva with a painting he had created himself.
