UNICEF celebrates World Children's Day in Beijing

Children perform at the event celebrating this year's World Children's Day in Beijing, Nov. 20, 2023.

 

On Nov. 20, 49 cities and counties across China illuminated landmark structures in blue to celebrate World Children's Day, emphasizing the theme for this year: "Building a child-friendly society for all."

This is part of the efforts made by the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support the building of a child-friendly society. On the same day, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce and China National Children's Center, UNICEF organized a themed event to mark the occasion.

The event featured an exhibition showcasing photos captured by children and young individuals to raise awareness of the challenges faced by children with disabilities. Children present at the event displayed their art and calligraphy works to express their own thoughts on creating a child-friendly society. They also performed "In the Future," a song composed by UNICEF Ambassador Wang Yuan, also a Chinese teen idol, for World Children's Day.

Amakobe Sande, UNICEF Representative to China, highlighted the organization's more than 40 years of collaboration with the Chinese government and other partners in building a child-friendly society.

During the event, Sande announced the appointment of a new UNICEF Youth Advocate, 14-year-old Yin Chuming, who will focus on water and climate action. Yin has already been advocating for water resource conservation, conducting an independent survey of 1,300 of her peers in urban and rural areas across China on water-related issues.

Yin expressed her commitment to actively engaging in water and environmental protection and raising climate change awareness. "I hope to work with young people to promote sustainable development and contribute innovative ideas related to policy-making to address challenges in these areas," Yin said.

UNICEF Ambassador and actress Ma Yili also participated in the event, where she spoke on equality and inclusiveness. She called for listening to children's voices, respecting their will, and taking their opinions seriously to create a friendly and safe environment for children's development.