NEW YORK, 15 April – UNICEF will launch the new Voices of Youth (VOY) website, upgraded and redesigned with new interactive features, on 19 April at the International Forum for Adolescents, taking place in conjunction with the 4th World Summit on Media for Children and Adolescents in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The new VOY represents a unique opportunity to ensure that children and adolescents can make their voices heard and that UNICEF is well positioned to hear them.

Supporting the empowerment of young people through information, awareness and skill building, VOY offers a safe space for children and adolescents, in both developing and developed countries, to collaborate with peers and decision makers, and discuss issues impacting them and their communities. The comprehensive and interactive learning modules and state-of-the-art discussion boards will also offer tools for community, leadership and capacity building, and contribute to knowledge and awareness of child rights and development related issues among youth globally.

With the Internet projected to reach 77 million young people globally by 2005, VOY represents a critical tool in the world’s effort to reach out to young people and create a world fit for children. VOY will be available in English, French and  Spanish to ensure the active participation of children and adolescents from a multitude of regions.

VOY regards adolescents globally as its primary audience, but VOY also recognizes the long term value and impact of facilitating substantive and consistent communication between young people and decision makers who impact the lives of young people. Thus, VOY makes fostering intergenerational dialogue a primary focus of its programming aims.

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Voices of Youth has provided young people around the globe with an opportunity to explore, discuss and take action on complex human rights and development issues since 1995. Its mission has consistently focused on exploring the educational and community building potential of the Internet to facilitate the active and substantive participation of young people.

Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Voices of Youth draws strength from Articles 12, 13 and 29, which articulate young people’s rights to participate in decision-making processes, to express opinions freely and to be equipped with the knowledge and skills that will empower them to bring about change in their own lives and in their communities.

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For further information, please contact:

Seeta Persaud, UNICEF NY, 212-326-7412

ANTANANARIVO, 13 May 2004 -  In a first for Madagascar, 90 students from schools in Fianarantsoa and Antananarivo, two of the country’s six provinces, arrived at the National Assembly this morning to present their “dossiers” to both the President and Deputies of the National Assembly.

“This was an incredibly novel experience for me, ” said a student from a rural village in Fianarantsoa. ”I never thought that we would actually be able to present our problems and solutions to the Deputies. I couldn’t believe such a scenario would ever be possible for a poor boy like myself from a village so far away from this city. But this experience has built my confidence and made me forget that I am poor because I feel that at least someone has listened to me.”

This initiative – to build the participation of children and foster civic education in society – is part of a broader effort, supported by both UNICEF and PACT with several Government Ministries, most notably the Ministry of Education. It works on several approaches – including the promotion of civic education skills amongst teachers and students as well as the improvement of teaching and learning methods to make schooling more relevant to children’s everyday lives and help builds their confidence as active members of society.

“PACT would like to congratulate the Government for its strong commitment for this initiative, most notably the village chiefs, the mayors, the parents and particularly the teachers — who helped give these students a sense of what it means to study a problem, identify solutions and then present it for action by decision-makers.” said Yvon Rakotonarivo from PACT.

“Participation encourages children to assume responsibilities, to act as active members of society, to learn tolerance and to understand democratic values,” said Barbara Bentein, UNICEF Representative to Madagascar. “Both UNICEF and PACT hope that this is the first of many such initiatives and that we can continue to collaborate together to find other ways to involve children in decision making, thereby building a world that is truly fit for children.”

For additional information, please contact:
Misbah M. Sheikh
Communication Officer
UNICEF Madagascar
Tel: (261-20) 22 626 45/46

MEXICO CITY / BRUSSELS, 11 December 2002 - Asserting that tens of millions of children around the world feel disconnected from political institutions and lack trust in their governments, UNICEF said today that children must be given more of a voice and more ways to participate in decisions affecting their lives.

“In a world wounded by conflict and divided by poverty it is absolutely essential that children be embraced, listened to, and given a role in crafting a better future for themselves,” said Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF. “Enabling children and adolescents to participate constructively in their communities and nations is crucial to nurturing their inherent optimism and preparing them for a constructive and meaningful adulthood.”

Launching UNICEF’s flagship annual report, “The State of the World’s Children 2003,” Bellamy said surveys carried out on four continents over the past three years with a base sample of 40,000 children had made clear that millions have doubts about the usefulness of voting as a method of improving their lives and do not see government leaders as role models. (read the polls)

“Through these findings, children have told us something very important about the values they are growing up with,” Bellamy said. “Our first response must be simply to listen to what they’re saying, because in fact what they’re saying is that we do not listen enough. Our second response must be to engage children and adolescents, give them a positive role in issues affecting them, and seize their special insights as well as their eagerness to help in creating positive change.”

Bellamy said the recent surveys, coupled with UNICEF’s positive experience involving children in its programs, had led the organization to devote its flagship report to the subject. The State of the World’s Children 2003 examines the largely unexplored issue of “child participation” - that is, the degree to which children and young people are enabled to constructively engage in issues that affect their lives. The report asserts that participation of children is essential to preparing them for the responsibilities they will assume as adults, as well as to more cohesive societies.

“Through participation at early ages in issues that concern them - far from promoting anarchy or disrespect for authority, or undermining parental authority - we see a generation of young people who are more respectful and concerned about their rights and the rights of others,” the report states.

The report also asserts that there is a serious downside to leaving children out. It cautions that when children are excluded from the process of decision-making and are provided few opportunities to engage constructively in matters that directly affect their lives as they mature, they fail to develop vital skills, including the to ability express themselves, negotiate differences, make responsible life choices, engage in positive dialogue or assume responsibility for self, family, and community.

What Children Add

Beyond the long-term benefits to children themselves and the societies they grow to lead, State of the World’s Children 2003 finds that when children are given an appropriate way to participate in adult decisions and action, those decisions and actions tend to be more positive, more creative, more energetic, and more fruitful.

“Children and adolescents have proved that when they are involved, they can make a difference in the world around them. They have ideas, experiences and insights that enrich adult understanding and make a positive contribution to adult actions,” the report states.

It cites numerous examples of how children, when listened to and given a chance to act, have been able to bring positive change in their communities. Examples:

· In the province of Baluchistan, Pakistan, where the female literacy rate is 2 percent, local boy scout troops began lobbying education officials to allow girls to attend their schools. Their efforts resulted in 2,500 new girls enrolling in school in the first year.

· In the Abia state of Nigeria, students from a local high school organized a door-to-door campaign to educate the region’s 25,000 Afugiri population about the importance of immunization. As a result, hundreds of Afugiri woman who would not otherwise not have been fully aware of the benefits of immunization took their children to the local health clinics for care. Theses efforts likely saved hundreds of lives.

“I think society gains from young people and children’s participation because of the freshness that children and young people bring to issues,” Bellamy said. “They might not have the most feasible solutions all the time, but they rarely just assume that it’s business as usual. So there are more opportunities, broader ideas thrown on to the table. And from those opportunities more success is possible.”

Reaching the Millennium Goals

Bellamy noted that of the eight major goals adopted by the nations of the world in 2000 - known as the Millennium Development Goals - six pertain to children and will require sustained investment in children’s well-being. She said that listening to children, understanding their unique perspectives, and involving them in efforts to reach the Millennium Goals is crucial to success. Most of the goals are set for 2015. But one, pertaining to improving educational opportunity for girls, is set for 2005.

The UNICEF report argues that world leaders must tap young people and recognize them as important resources. And it calls on governments to begin teaching children democratic values in early childhood by expanding children’s access to education and participation in civil society and government.

“If we fail to promote child participation from an early age, we are missing an amazing opportunity to deepen democracy and human dignity around the world,” Bellamy said. “That failure leaves young people with a sense of powerlessness and exclusion from society - and that can carry a great cost.”

The UNICEF report points out 150 million children still suffer from malnutrition, that 120 million school school-age children are not in school (the majority girls), and that 6,000 children and young people are infected with HIV every day. The report argues that engaging children and young people and including them in the decision-making processes and in the prevention effort that affect their lives is essential to addressing these problems.

“Listening to the opinions of children does not mean simply endorsing their views,” the report notes. “Rather, engaging them in dialogue and exchange allows them to learn constructive ways of influencing the world around them. The social give and take of participation encourages children to assume increasing responsibilities as active, tolerant and democratic citizens in formation.”

About the international launch in Mexico City

Bellamy launched The State of the World’s Children 2003 in Mexico City today, where she also took part in an inter-generational dialogue that brought Mexican children to the table with national leaders, including President Vicente Fox.

Bellamy said that launching the report in the Americas was especially appropriate because the region has been a leader in recognizing and implementing child rights, including the right of children to participate in all matters affecting them.

“Latin America has shown outstanding leadership when it comes to listening to and respecting the views of children,” Bellamy said. “I am especially grateful to President Fox for his commitment to children’s rights and for showing his nation how important and valuable it can be to engage and involve children in building a better future.”

About the European launch in Brussels

In Brussels, the report was launched today in conjunction with UNICEF Belgium’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kul Gautam led a discussion on child participation with the help of young people from Benin, Congo, Italy, Namibia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and Belgium taking part. The children shared their perspectives and ideas at an event called, “Children, Actors of Change.” Also taking part were Vanessa Redgrave, UNICEF Special Representative for the Performing Arts, and leading political figures from Belgium and the European Parliament.
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See the complete State of the World’s Children report
and fully updated 2003 global statistical tables at
www.unicef.org

Broadcast media may order the SOWC video b-roll at:
http://www.unicef.org/broadcast/brolls/sowc2003/index.html
For additional information and interviews with UNICEF experts, please contact:

Alfred Ironside, UNICEF Media,
New York & Mexico City (212) 326-7261
Wivina Belmonte, UNICEF Media,
Geneva & Brussels (4179) 204-2345
Mitchie Topper, UNICEF Media,
New York (212) 303-7910
Monica Sayrols, UNICEF Media,
Mexico City (52-55) 5202-3233, ext. 207
Salvador Herencia, UNICEF Media, Panama City & Mexico City (507) 616-3159
Kate Donovan, UNICEF Media, New York (212) 824-6722

KINSHASA, 16 June 2003. UNICEF has announced that more than 1000 primary school children will be assisted to sit for their final examinations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s towns of Bunia and Beni, despite the violence plaguing the region.

Speaking from the capital Kinshasa, the UNICEF Representative to the DRC, Gianfranco Rotigliano, said that the children’s organization will support local educational authorities with the equipment necessary to ensure that the Sixth Grade students, more than half of whom are girls, complete their school year today.

He said that the decision to hold final exams was taken after consultations with parents, children and teachers, as well as discussions with UN peacekeepers and the multinational troops arriving in Bunia. Peace-keeping troops will secure the five centres in which examinations take place, and will support the distribution of UNICEF materials.

“Over and above the realisation of this fundamental right, this will contribute to the return to peace in this town which has been so deeply affected by conflict,”said Rotigliano. He added that UNICEF will provide the same assistance in Beni to children from Ituri displaced by the fighting.

UNICEF consistently advocates for the earliest possible return to school of children in conflicts areas. The organisation believes that school services provide a community with a semblance of routine, as well as a safe-haven for students during the day. Reports of sexual violence against girls in the DRC have been relentless and increasingly common.

The examinations will also coincide with the celebration of the Day of the African Child.
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For further information, please contact:
Damien Personnaz, UNICEF Media, Geneva, (41) 22 909 5517, dpersonnaz@unicef.org

Gordon Weiss, UNICEF Media, New York, (212) 326 726, jsedky@unicef.org

On anniversary of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Afghanistan’s children present their Manifesto to new leaders

KABUL, 18 November 2004 – On Saturday 20 November, the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Afghanistan’s children will ask their newly elected leaders to put child rights top of the agenda, with the presentation of a new Children’s Manifesto for Afghanistan.

The Children’s Manifesto is the result of a series of consultations and workshops with children from across Afghanistan, in a process that began in 2003. The Manifesto sets out the hopes, aspirations and demands of Afghan children as well as serving as a tangible reminder of both adults and children’s responsibilities in upholding children’s rights. The Manifesto is backed by a new Framework for Action, drawn up by leading child rights organizations working in Afghanistan, that sets out key actions and targets requested of the new President, his Government and its partners in the UN, NGO, donor and civil society communities to strive towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as they relate to children.

Both the Children’s Manifesto and the Framework for Action are amongst the first public requests to be placed on the new Government agenda, underlining the importance of children’s rights in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into being on 20 November 1989, is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history; Afghanistan ratified the Convention ten years ago, in 1994. The Convention sets out, in a series of Articles, the fundamental rights of all children and the expectations and obligations faced by Governments to uphold those rights.

The Afghanistan Children’s Manifesto places special emphasis on support for vulnerable and marginalized children, protection of children from abuse and exploitation, and the importance of providing adequate health care and educational opportunities for every child. The Manifesto draws upon the outcomes of consultations with children in Mazar, Kabul and Herat, as well as special conferences for street working children and other surveys and focus group discussions with children. The Framework for Action has been drafted by UNICEF, and NGOs Aschiana, Children in Crisis, Child Fund Afghanistan, EMDH and Save the Children Sweden and USA.

The Manifesto will be presented to His Excellency Vice President Amin Arsala by a group of children, alongside representatives of the child rights organizations, on Saturday 20 November, at the Vice President’s office (opposite Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in Kabul. Final timings will be confirmed shortly.

Embargoed copies of the Children’s Manifesto for Afghanistan, and the supporting Framework for Action, are available in English, Dari and Pashto.

For more information, please contact:

Edward Carwardine, UNICEF Media – Kabul : +93 (0)796 07400 ecarwardine@unicef.org

Mohammad Rafi, UNICEF Media – Kabul (Dari and Pashto): +93 (0)796 07403 mrafi@unicef.org

BAMAKO, 23 May 2005 - Mr. Ezio Murzi, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, launched today in Bamako the new publication Adolescent Programming in Conflict and Post Conflict Situations. The publication provides a set of recommendations to encourage adolescent participation in community development and peace building during crises. Its conclusions are based on an analysis of good practice in eight unstable situations: Somalia, Angola, Colombia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Albania and Indonesia.  “Examples drawn from UNICEF’s experiences across the world show how, with proper guidance and support, adolescents can play a crucial role as peacemakers in their communities” said Murzi.

The document was launched prior to the opening of the two-day West and Central Africa Regional Consultation on the UN Study on Violence against Children, which begins tomorrow in Bamako. Twenty-three countries in the region will take part to the consultation, government representatives as well as NGOs involved in children’s issues, journalists, UN agencies, and children who have conducted research on violence in the region. Mrs Berthé Aïssata Bengaly, Minister for the Promotion of Women, Children and Families for Mali, will also be present.

The demographic realities of developing countries, particularly of post conflict countries, indicate a high number of young people compared to the rest of the population. For example, in West and Central Africa, 52% of the population is below 18 years and one third of the population is between the ages of 10 and 24. In Angola, the percentage of population under 24 years old reaches 75%. National development plans and policies cannot ignore the perceptions, aspirations and expectations of these high proportions of young people in post conflict countries.

The publication calls upon governments, community leaders and agencies to tap into this under-utilized source of energy and to give adolescents and young people a chance to contribute positively to the reconciliation and reconstruction of their communities.

Today, at least 50 countries are estimated to be in a state of complex emergency at any given time, and some 40% of UNICEF’s budget is spent on countries in crisis. In West and Central Africa, the list of countries in which armed conflicts occur is increasing each year. Adolescents – though still children – possess perspectives, skills and capabilities that often enable them, in difficult and conflict situations, to take on the roles of adults.

“Many still continue to view young people as instigators of violence and instability, rather than instruments for bringing about change,” said Murzi. “The key lessons learned from the publication are that, despite their extreme vulnerability and against all odds, young people have great potential to contribute and to become involved in peace processes.”

One of the lessons learned from the publication is the efficiency of peer education among children and adolescents involved in armed conflict. In 1999 in Sierra Leone, a peace agreement was signed, ending an eight-year conflict. 7,000 child ex-combatants had to be demobilized. A demobilization and reintegration programme (DDR) was then created. Alhaji Baba Sawaneh, a former child soldier with the RUF (Revolutionary United Front), took part in the DDR programme.

“It is important for you to know that the journey I have made so far has been less difficult because of the DDR programme,” he said in an address to the Security Council in November 2001. “I did bad things in the bush and I saw very bad things done to both children and adults. Removing the gun from me was a vital step for me. The programme helped me feel natural and normal again. It helped me develop ways to fit into society again.” There is evidence that the children who have been reunited and have reconciled with their families and communities can provide peer-to-peer psychological support and encourage former child soldiers to participate in reintegration.

The publication provides other innovative strategies to engage adolescents during humanitarian crises. Adolescents can be involved in a range of programme activities, including media and advocacy, sports, HIV/AIDS awareness, truth and justice-seeking in post conflict reconstruction, disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration, as well as research on the impact of  war on children.

The document is the result of collaboration between the UNICEF country and regional offices, the Programme Division, EMOPS and the Innocent Research Centre, and the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children.

For further information please contact:

Allison Hickling, UNICEF New York, (212) 326 -7224 ahickling@unicef.org

Natalie Fol, UNICEF Dakar, (+221) 869-5858 nfol@unicef.org

HIV/AIDS Sensitization Campaign for young people between 13 and 18 years old in their meeting points offers an opportunity for about 8 million young people to improve preventive attitudes

LUANDA, 8 June 2006 – About 1,000 children and adolescents from 13 to 18 years old were enthusiastically crying “Enjoy Life with Safety” during a rally to launch a National AIDS Awareness Campaign for Youth on 7 June at the Independence Square in Luanda.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports, in partnership with the National Institute for Fighting Against AIDS, UNICEF and local NGOs are involved in reaching youth in discos, bars, car wash facilities, churches, juvenile and sports centres, local video facilities and other places were youth get together.  These places are meeting points for youth and will be targeted by the campaign.

“This 7th of June is a great day for all of us who came here to the Independence Square, because we are going to learn more about AIDS,” affirmed Rosita, a 16-year old student.  “We are happy because this event at this place means also that we have to be more responsible and make informed judgments about sex to live longer. Angola needs all of us healthy and happy for its development.  Also I like to see my favourite Angolan singer who is here today, Yannic.  I just love his music” she added.

Angola’s population is markedly young, where 70 per cent of the population is less than 24 years old.  Surveys consistently show that despite extensive information campaigns, the level of knowledge about HIV and AIDS prevention remains limited and the conversion into sustained behavioural change is low.  A study conducted in 2003, Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Urban Youth in Angola, revealed that 43 per cent of young people start their sexual life by 13 years of age and a significant number of youth had occasional unprotected sex.  Additional factors that increase the risk of contracting HIV include: sexual activity across generations and multiple partners (23 per cent of youth reported having two or more partners in the last three months), low condom use (55 per cent of young Angolans used a condom with their last casual partner, 37 per cent with a non-married ‘permanent partner’ and 19 per cent with a ‘marital partner’), and low perception of personal risk (only 9 per cent of youth classified themselves as being at high risk of contracting HIV).

“In the face of this evidence, we should use the campaign to mobilize once again all youth leaders at all levels, including young musicians and artists, journalists, athletes, members of youth organizations and others with the objective of disseminating knowledge about the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, all over the country,” said the Vice-Minister of Youth and Sports, Gonçalves Muandumba in the opening ceremony.

The campaign also will include activists with 18 NGOs, who will be deployed to youth meeting points in all 18 provinces of the country with information materials already designed and printed.

They will use videos, music, artistic activities and radio and TV programmes to launch appeals to young people in a creative manner.

“It is important to prioritize actions towards young people, especially on prevention.  Youth represent a window of opportunity to revert the HIV incidence rates, especially if they have the knowledge to make educated choices before they assume a risky behaviour,” stated Dr. Ducelina Serrano, Director of the National AIDS Institute.

At this moment, when the country is glued to the screen due to Angola´s participation at the FIFA World Cup, some key players like Mantorras, Akwá, Lebo Lebo and Jamba offered to promote important messages on HIV/AIDS prevention. In addition, musicians such us Yannic, Yuri da Cunha Dog Murras and Kelly Silva are contributing.  A popular weekly TV programme ‘Estrelas ao Placo’ is also opening its doors to the young activists.

“If the world learns something about AIDS, it is that young people have the power to change the situation because they are flexible, energetic and absorb new ideas more easily than other people.  Thus, it is important to involve them fully in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Akhil Iyer, UNICEF Angola’s Senior Programme Officer.

The HIV/AIDS sensitization campaign to reach youth at their meeting points offers an opportunity for about 8 million young people to dialogue and emphasize the theme of HIV/AIDS, to exchange information, to improve preventive attitudes based on informed knowledge about the disease and to promote solidarity in attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS.

Since 5 September 2005, a nationwide initiative engaging all 600,000 secondary school students began Angola’s response to global campaign Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS, which is supported by UNICEF.

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About UNICEF
For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working on the ground in 155 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information please contact:
José Luís Mendonça, UNICEF Information Officer, Tel. +244 912 653 013, jlmendonca@unicef.org

UNICEF says missing data mean missing children; urges states in Europe and Central Asia to gather and analyse data on children

PALENCIA/MADRID, 19 June 2006 - UNICEF says poverty, violence and exclusion still dominate the lives of millions of children in Europe and Central Asia, despite progress on legal and institutional reforms.

“Too often, we see that legislation is on the books but that many children remain on the margins of society - not registered at birth, not in school, too poor to see a doctor and, for that, all the more vulnerable to violence and abuse,” said Rima Salah, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF.

“The main challenge now is to fast-forward on these reforms and make them a reality for every child,” added Marta Santos Pais, Director of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre in Florence.  “This can only be done by having children involved from the beginning and listening to what they have to say.”

To this effect, the Spanish Government has generously agreed to host the III Intergovernmental Conference on a Europe and Central Asia Fit for Children in Palencia, to reaffirm commitments made at the UN Special Session on Children in May 2002 and to move the process into top gear.

The Conference runs from 19-20 June, during which governments from all over the region will exchange experiences and cement partnerships to deliver change on the ground for children from Ireland to Kyrgyzstan and from Russia to Turkey.

The three areas of discussion in Palencia are:

• Child Poverty and Social Exclusion
• Violence Against Children
• Monitoring Mechanisms for Children’s rights

Violence against Children is the subject of a benchmark report commissioned by the UN General Assembly, which the Secretary General, Kofi Annan, will present in October this year.

A chronic lack of reliable, comparable data, broken down by income, gender, age, ethnic and social origin, and place of residence is a crucial challenge.  Without data of this kind, it is difficult to take appropriate action and to measure progress on children’s rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

UNICEF urges States to make the disaggregation of data a priority.

“Often data on children are missing.  Children are therefore invisible and their fundamental rights are denied,” said Maria Calivis, Regional Director of UNICEF in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Problems also arise when financial resources are not directed to children.

“Every day decisions are taken that neglect children in budgetary allocations.  This means teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers are not adequately trained to interact with children nor have they the means to do so. This is false economy,” noted Philip O’Brien, Regional Director of UNICEF’s Office for Europe.

“Children deserve to see the same passion that rightly goes into World Cup goals, directed towards goals for them.  A goal for children is not short-lived like the goals of the Word Cup; a goal for children lasts a lifetime and can change a generation,” said Calivis.

For many years, UNICEF has called for more consultation with children and more participation by children in the research, design and monitoring of policies and programmes relating to them.  Children, together with civil society groups, the media, parliamentarians and service providers will make the critical difference in bringing about a Europe and Central Asia that is truly fit for them.

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About UNICEF
For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working on the ground in 155 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information, please contact:

Elena Crego, Head of Communications, Spanish National Committee for UNICEF
Tel. +34 62 947 6380

Belen Barbero, Communication Officer, Spanish National Committee for UNICEF
Tel. +34 91 378 9558

Lynn Geldof, Regional Communication Advisor, UNICEF CEE/CIS
Tel. +41 79 431 1537

On the Web:

Spanish National Committee for UNICEF, www.unicef.es

UNICEF CEE/CIS, www.unicef.org/ceecis

UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, www.unicef-icdc.org

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 June 2006 - Young people in Malaysia can now log-on to www.whatareyoudoing.net to learn about drugs and why ‘using is for losers’.  The website is part of the ‘Keep the Music Clean’ campaign designed to engage, educate and empower young people to resist the temptation to experiment with drugs.

‘Keep the Music Clean’ is a communications partnership between Zouk Kuala Lumpur, Grey Global Group, Hitz.fm and UNICEF.  It carries anti-drug messages to the physical and virtual spaces frequented by young people such as night clubs, the radio and the Internet.  ‘Keep the Music Clean’ reminds us to create safe environments for young people so they can enjoy good music without the harm caused as a result of drug abuse.

“We know that ‘clubbing’ is part of contemporary social life for young people in many parts of the world, including in Malaysia, and we welcome ‘clubbing’ as a positive activity.  It brings young people together to socialise and express themselves.  We believe this shouldn’t be compromised by the threat of drug abuse,” said Gaye Phillips, UNICEF Representative to Malaysia.

Concerned about the increased availability of so-called ’feel good’ drugs such as amphetamines and ecstasy, Zouk Kuala Lumpur and UNICEF launched the ‘Keep the Music Clean’ campaign in 2005.  A host of activitie,s including a special event by anti-drug activist and world-renowned DJ Paul Van Dyk, resonated with young people.  A three-month long pledge drive resulted in approximately 2,000 club-goers signing on to commit to ‘Keep the Music Clean’.

“The 2005 ‘Keep the Music Clean’ campaign was so successful that we agreed to make it an annual event.  We are especially pleased with the response from club-goers to the pledge drive.  It is clear that, given the opportunity and the correct information, young people choose to act responsibly and not take part in risky behaviour,” said Phillips.

Possibly because of lack of information and lack of essential life skills to resist pressure, some young people find it hard to withstand the temptation to experiment with drugs.  Not all young people understand the link between their actions today and the consequences they may face tomorrow.  Aside from health risks such as personality disorders and respiratory problems, UNICEF is also concerned that young people under the influence of drugs may engage in other risky behaviour such as unprotected sex, and so increase their chances of contracting HIV, hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections.

The whatareyoudoing.net website is one way to talk directly to young people and help them see beyond the immediate ‘high’ of ‘feel-good’ drugs to understand the long term repercussions of drug abuse and the negative effect on relationships, appearance and their finances.  Created and managed by a young team of web designers from Grey Global Group in Malaysia, the website has four sections which are currently online:
• Event Information about ‘Keep the Music Clean’;
• Straight facts on the risks and effects of drugs, especially those popular with club-goers;
• The repercussions of drug use;
• Downloadable screensavers with anti-drug messages.

Future plans for the whatareyoudoing.net website include a Bahasa Malaysia version, interactive games to explore risky situations and a pledge wall to log a commitment to ‘Keep the Music Clean’. The website can also be accessed through Zouk and Hitz.fm websites, both of which are popular with young people.

‘Keep the Music Clean’ 2006 which will be launched at Zouk Kuala Lumpur on 1 July and supports UNICEF’s global campaign to ‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’.
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About UNICEF
For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working on the ground in 155 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information, please contact:
Indra Nadchatram, UNICEF Mayalsia, Tel. +603 2095 9157, inadchatram@unicef.org