Children from Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province and South China's Hong Kong sing songs to celebrate World Children's Day at a lighting ceremony in Shenzhen, Nov. 20, 2021.Photo:Xinhua

Every child has a right to realize the human potential, said Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Director Yasmine Sherif on Sunday in her World Children's Day statement.

"Nothing is more precious, more priceless than a child growing toward that potential. And nothing is more despicable than to ignore the innocence and learning needs of a child in the process of becoming," said Sherif.

The child's brain is in constant flux and growth and can move in either direction. The education the child receives from day one onward will determine the outcome and prospects for achievement in life, she said.

"Children have a right to early childhood development and a right to attend formal school. This is our promise to them as we bring them into the world," she said. 

"Not only are they our world, they are our hope for a better world. They are our promise in materializing all human rights and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals."

As the UN global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, the ECW is working to deliver on their 222 million dreams, she said, noting that the ECW high-level financing conference in February 2023 in Geneva will provide world leaders and public and private sector donors with the opportunity to fund the ECW substantively.

"Children are both the present and the future. They must be heard and they must be seen. Their rights must be honored and their potentials realized. They must be put front and center in our global agenda for sustainable development and our global promise to ensure universal human rights, peace and security," she said.

AFP