SAMARKAND (Uzbekistan), Oct 22 (Bernama) — Countries participating in the World Summit on Investing in Children’s Wellbeing pledged on Thursday to prioritise and progressively increase public spending on children’s health, education and social protection under the newly adopted Samarkand Declaration.
Adopted at the conclusion of the two-day summit here, the declaration also commits participating countries to strengthening child protection systems, tackling violence and online threats, and improving access to essential services, particularly for vulnerable children.
First Deputy Director of Uzbekistan’s National Agency for Social Protection Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva announced the adoption, stressing that the international community must translate its commitments into meaningful action.
“Children expect concrete action from us, not promises,” she said in her closing address at the Silk Road Samarkand Congress Centre.
Under the declaration, participating countries agreed to safeguard essential services for children during periods of financial constraint.
They also committed to making national budgets more child-sensitive through greater transparency, accountability and more effective public spending, particularly in early childhood development.
The declaration calls for stronger social protection systems, including expanded child and family benefits, improved social insurance coverage, and greater support for parents and caregivers.
It places particular emphasis on protecting children from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, including online sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and other digital threats.
Countries further pledged to ensure children’s safety in digital environments while safeguarding their rights to privacy, freedom of expression and access to information.
In healthcare, the declaration calls for more equitable and resilient systems, improved access to essential medicines and diagnostic services, and stronger international cooperation to combat childhood cancer.
It also highlights the need to expand early detection, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care for children with cancer and other serious illnesses.
Mirziyoyeva said the summit had brought together international leaders and experts to exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships and identify practical solutions to improve children’s lives.
“Children want to feel love and attention, not tomorrow, but today,” she said.
She added that although the summit had concluded, efforts to ensure a better future for every child were only beginning.
The summit, held from Oct 21 to 22, was convened by Uzbekistan and co-hosted by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank.
– BERNAMA