India is proud to hold two out of the 18 World Forums of IFCW, the first one being in 1994. World Forum 2007 hosted by Deepalaya and co-hosted by India Alliance for Child Rights, was held in New Delhi, India, from August 21-24 and by all accounts it was an overwhelming success. World Forum 2007 was an international event, with 12 different countries represented. With large number of women participants, gender equity was established. Youth participated as delegates, presenters, entertainers and volunteers. With around 250 official delegates, 1100 children performed during the conference reminding everyone about the importance of rights of the children.

Dr. (Ms.) Shanta Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights opened the conference and reminded everyone that every child has to be free and histories of children in the world should become one history. She added that our democracy cannot be deepened without the protection of child rights.

With focus on Millennium Development Goals, the plenary sessions featured presentations on child rights, linkage with MDGs; partnerships – a way forward; market forces and their impact on child rights; government facilitation towards achievement of MDGs – political will. Click here to view presentations from the plenary speakers and panel discussions.

For the first time, all the members of IFCW were fully involved in World Forum 2007 and attracted international, national and regional attention.

Delhi Declaration focused on calling on Government, Civil Society and Corporate world to come together in partnership to act and ensure that targets of the Millennium Development Goals are met specifically as it impacts on our children; calling on the people of the world to look at their cultural practices and begin to do away with those practices that cause harm to women and children and deny our young people a voice.

90% people who attended the conference felt that their attendance in this conference will prove beneficial for their respective organizations; 88% mentioned that their presence in this conference is going to be beneficial for their respective countries.

World Forum 2008 will be held in Cardiff, Wales, and will be hosted by “Children in Wales”. This conference will explore and share knowledge and information on promising practices and innovative approaches to “Early Intervention and Prevention”.