A landmark Islamic conference opened in Rabat to discuss measures aimed at helping more than a quarter of world’s children, who suffer from poverty, malnutrition and disease.
More than 200 representatives of Islamic states and international organizations are attending the First Islamic Ministerial Conference on the Child, the UNICEF said in a statement.
The three-day conference has been co-organized by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), UNICEF and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), in response to a special resolution on "Child Care and Protection in the Islamic World" adopted by OIC member states at the 2003 summit in Malaysia.
"OIC countries are building upon the strength of Islamic values - self-help, solidarity and protection of the vulnerable - to reaffirm their commitments to children," said OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddine Ihsanoglu.
The summit will focus on issues relating to OIC member states under four major themes: "health and HIV/AIDS; quality education and culture; protection against abuse, exploitation and violence; and mobilizing resources," UNICEF said.
"By ensuring the well-being and unleashing the potential of the 600 million children in Islamic countries, we will make a major contribution to peace, prosperity and progress for generations to come," said Dr. Abdel-Aziz Othman Altwaijri, director general of ISESCO.
OIC member states account for a quarter of the world's 2.3 billion children, in nations spanning Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
In OIC countries, more than 4.3 million children under five die each year from preventable disease and malnutrition, over 60 percent of them die before reaching their first birthday, the UNICEF statement said, adding that up to six million children under five suffer from malnutrition.
According to the statement, up to 23 percent of the total population has no access to safe drinking water, and 45 percent lack adequate sanitation. Children in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, are facing a deadly combination of armed conflict, HIV/AIDS and poverty.
"There are many noteworthy examples of progress for children in Islamic countries, but the situation for a disproportionate number of them continues to be a cause for grave concern," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah, who is heading the UNICEF delegation to the meeting.