The world we want to see for children after 2015

Working together for children, six child-focused NGOs have released their joint vision of how the world should look for children after 2015.

Children are the future workforce and drivers of economic growth and development. They are also the future guardians of a sustainable world and its natural resources. Evidence shows that investing in the health, well-being, education, care and safety of children are some of the best interventions for return on investment and these investments pay dividends not only for children and their families, but for all of society. Simply put, we will not make progress on any of the goals if we do not have a continuum of investment in people throughout their lives.

Childhood is the one thing that every single human being on the planet has in common: we were all children once. And children must be at the center of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.  How we were treated, cared for, protected, nourished and educated had a profound impact on who we became as adults and this is true for the children growing up today and the future generations to come. Children and childhood are the very foundation for sustainable development and a sustainable world cannot be achieved when children do not survive and thrive.

It is imperative that we “get to zero” on a number of issues for children, in particular: preventable newborn, child and maternal deaths; hunger; malnutrition; and violence. In addition, there must be universal access to: sustainable and nutritious food; fresh, clean water and sanitation; quality education; healthcare and social protection services. This is part of fulfilling the promise of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and taking them to the next level through the SDGs.

ChildFund Alliance, Plan International, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, UNICEF and World Vision, as child-focused organizations, are committed to working together with governments to ensure this critical focus on children for the fulfillment of the future Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). This is not an option, but a moral and practical imperative, if the future we want is to be a realized for all.

Read the Recommendations for a post-2015 development agenda: Recapturing the vision of a world fit for children and the convention on the rights of the child.