Addis Ababa, May 21(ENA)-- African children were the most illiterate, diseased, and abused when those used as active instruments of war and trafficking were considered , Executive Director of the African Child Policy Forum, Assefa Bequele said.

He said the present state of affairs of the African Child foretells a future of uneducated, undernourished and unhealthy workers which would be far from being the foundation and building bloc of a modern dynamic economy.

The executive director was speaking at the African Child Policy Forum Conference began here at the African Union (AU) headquarters on Friday.

He said over 40 percent of children between 10 and 14 years were estimated to be child laborers compared to half that much in other developing countries. Some 70 percent of the world total of AIDS is also in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Asefa said this situation intern perpetuate the region’s backwardness and poverty and further marginalize it from the world economy

"We will be guided by universal values." Asefa said, "African Children deserve no less and no more than Asian or Western Children’’.

He said first and foremost focus on promoting accountability among African states would be necessary.

The campaign for children‘s rights need to also go hand in hand with vigorous campaign and action to enable women to exercise control over their lives.

The Forum would give particular attention to unequal gender relations and the social vulnerability, the director added.

Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, Chairman of the African Child Policy Forum’s International Board of Trustees said on the occasion that the situation of African Child was dire and the goal of reaching Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was far away.

New orientation in economic policy that puts the reduction of Poverty and inequality as the first objective of development was called for requiring a pro –poor growth based on investing in Children is was required.

Dr. Salim cited HIV/AIDS, internal strife, pro-poor growth strategies and lack of good governance as factors prevented progress form being made with respect to MDGs.

AU Commissioner for Social Affairs Adv. Bience Gawanas said on her part that the peace and security (PSC) and the Pan African Parliament (PAP) would go long way to building African Unity and improving the security and addressing the various aspects of the African people.

The AU would ensure the issues of the rights, protection survival and development of Children as well as family welfare issues are taken on board accorded top priority ,the commissioner said .

The Minister of labor and Social Affairs Haessen Abdella said the Ethiopian government has increased expenditure on education both as well as the GDP in line with the pro poor and pro children policy advocated by the Forum.

About 130 non- governmental organizations from all over the regions were represented at the two day conference.

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