In Macedonia 2000 children are living on the streets, only half of them are in Skopje, and the numbers are rapidly increasing. Joining in the celebration of the world day against poverty, October 17, the First Children’s embassy in the world – Megjashi, a member organisation of the HR House project in Skopje, issued a report on poverty and social exclusion noting that children should not be forgiven. (19-OCT-07)

The article is based upon a report from the First children embassy in the world – Megjashi, here written and edited by Rodna Turnovalieva/Human Rights House Skopje.

The Embassy stress that over 40 thousand children in this country are not immunized and 10.484 are not even recorded in the register of birth. Children from rural and poor communities have obstacles in access to the basic social services, which is due to the bad economic situation and not enough services available for all risk groups.

Most of the 72 million living in povertyin EU are children
Consequent to last year’s appeals of the First children’s embassy in the world Megjashi, where accent was put on the 18.000 children not included in the educational process, the embassy sees the risk for these children to be left on the streets. “Despite the ratification of the Convention for rights of the children, its implementation fails to protect children from living in poverty.” Numbers show that out of 72 million people living in poverty in the European Union, most of them are children.

Full implementation of the Convention on the rights of the child
 In member countries families with children under age of 16 are most likely to bare the risk of being poor as regards to the rest of the population. As a consequence, children’s poverty becomes a thematic focus in the year 2007 in the European Countries. “The children’s poverty problem is not a question which can be resolved immediately. This has to be put as a priority goal and all parties should actively involve in its suppression. Successful and full implementation of the Convention for the rights of the children will have the largest impact” – the report from the First children’s embassy in the world – Megjashi, says.