wfn.org | U.N. Leaders Call on Civil Society to Help End Poverty, Child Labor

[BeckettJ@gc.adventist.org]

Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
November 28, 2000
----------------------
U.N. Leaders Call on Civil Society to Help End Poverty, Child Labor
Geneva, Switzerland .... [ANN Staff]
-------------------------------------------------------
At a top-level briefing, leaders of the United Nations Office in Geneva
called for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help end poverty and
child labor. 

Vladimir Petrovsky, director-general of the United Nations Office in Geneva
expressed his "key interest in NGOs," and his appreciation for the fact that
the number of such organizations in consultative status with the UN was
increasing considerably.

"You play a significant role, and you are more and more involved in decision
making at the U.N.," he told the 150 attendees at the briefing. "We look to
you for support in the areas of human rights, development aid, peace,
security, disarmament and the environment."

Robert SanGeorge, a child labor specialist at the U.N.-sponsored
International Labor Organization, called for a worldwide movement to end
child labor. 

"It's estimated that there are 240 million children around the world, with
50 percent of them in full-time labor," said SanGeorge. "Between 60 and 80
million are caught up in the worst forms of child labor such as
prostitution, drug smuggling, and the trafficking of children. We call on
governments, trade unions and employers' groups, NGOs and religious
organizations to help eradicate this modern slavery of children."

Jonathan Gallagher, U.N. liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist
Church, said on behalf of the church's delegation attending the briefing
that he was appalled at such statistics and that the Adventist Church is
dedicated to ending poverty and child labor in all its forms. 

"This situation is simply unacceptable," said Gallagher, "and we will
continue to work to help end poverty and the exploitation of children. Not
only are we concerned with the lack of material aspects of poverty, but also
the damage done to the dignity and spiritual side of humanity. Most of all
we want to restore to all children a true childhood of innocence in a loving
home.  This is fundamental to the beliefs we value most, reflecting our
trust in a loving heavenly Father."
----------------------
Contact Information: 
Communication Department
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600

Phone: 301-680-6300
e-mail: adventistnews@compuserve.com
web: http://www.adventist.org/