Media Release by The Hon Larry Anthony MP

Anthony leads delegation to UN

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Larry Anthony will lead the Australian delegation attending the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children in New York between 8-10 May.

“The Session will involve delegations from 170 countries, including 73 Heads of State from around the world.

“The Session will gives us the chance to discuss a range of issues and to see how other countries tackle problems like child abuse and neglect, drugs and alcohol abuse, emerging health issues and better parenting.

“Australia can be proud of the environment we provide for our children, but there are areas of concern, such as:

  • Childhood obesity – a recent study shows that 20% of our children have a weight problem and obesity rates doubling in the past ten years;
  • Indigenous children – indigenous mothers are 2-3 times more likely to give birth to a baby that has a lower birth weight than babies of other Australian mothers. This leads to a greater risk of premature death or developing disabilities; and,
  • Children and disease – there is an increasing rates of some diseases in our children like asthma and diabetes.

“Emily Simpson and Tim Goodwin will represent Australia us at the Children’s Forum that precedes the Session.

“The Children’s Forum will be attended by children and young people from around the world. World leaders will hear the views of young people on what they think needs to be done to make a better world for children.

“I believe both the Children’s Forum and the Special Session are great opportunities to showcase the work we do for children in this country. It will also enable us to learn from the experiences of other countries,” Mr Anthony said.

Mr Anthony will travel to Canada before the Session from 29 April to 3 May to meet with world leading experts in early childhood issues including Dr Fraser Mustard and Government Ministers and officials.