The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and countries from East Asia and Pacific regions convened here Tuesday to discuss policies and measures to address impact of the current economic crisis on children.
The UNICEF said at a press conference Tuesday morning that the global financial crisis is amplifying the effects of the food and fuel prices crisis. Reduced food consumption, particularly among poor families, can lead to stunted physical growth and decreased intellectual capacity of children. And more children were forced to leave school because of the falling household income.
"Children should have the first call on resources, especially in times of economic challenge," said Anupama Rao Singh, UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Director.
During the two-day meeting at the National University of Singapore, participants will have discussions on how best to protect children by maintaining or scaling up social spending despite tightening budgets, and share lesson learned from the 1997- 1998 crisis and good practices in health, nutrition, education and family income maintenance.
"The economic crisis has major implications for countries' economic and social resilience, and for children given the added vulnerabilities. We must not compromise their future, even as we deal with the current economic challenges," Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Minister for community Development, Youth and Sports said during the meeting.
The event attracted more than 150 academics, policy advisors and government officials from East Asia and Pacific regions to discuss the issue.