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The three central subjects that this issue of Haqqi reflects on are the Juvenile Justice System, the Human Development Report 2004 and Child Rights Programming.
The Juvenile Justice System component weighs up operational measures that make justice systems more compliant with child rights and relevant international conventions. The Human Development Report disputes the prevalent theory that cultural identity is inevitably a source of instability and backwards development, advocating five cultural development policies and refuting five common myths.
The Child Rights Programming component tracks a major shift in programming perspectives from needs to rights, revealing its impact and additional value to children's lives and community development alike.

News - Growing Concern over rise of Palestinian children detainees in Israeli prisons: - Net Forum for the Blind: The ESCWA Endeavor - Jana International Film Festival for Children and Youth: Children on the Margin create Films: - Child’s Rights are essential towards achieving another world: Resources: - Facts for Life for parents and caregivers - MENGOs information & support - “A World Fit for Children” Child-Friendly Version - Rights of Passage - Education…against the odds - Network to Stop the Spread & Use of Small Arms & Light Weapons - Quality Education For ALL From a Girl’s Point of View - ADOLESCENTS: PROFILES IN EMPOWERMENT - Under the Willow Tree - 3 Plus U Cases - Trafficking of Women and Girls - Millennium Development Goals - UNICEF’s priorities for children 2002- 2005 - Children Having Children State of the World’s Mothers 2004 - Perils of Early Motherhood: - The First Arab IPSCAN Regional Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Violence against Children - World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse- 19th of November - The Arab teenage girl, published in Quawthar report Testimonies of Arab male and female teenagers

Several topics of increasing importance are highlighted in this issue. Child trafficking in its different
forms is threatening to become more dangerous with the expansion of poverty across the world and the pressures it causes. For the moment, around 1.2 million children are victims of trafficking, of which the Arab Region constitutes a major “market”. On the other hand, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is under pressures in the Arab Region.

This issue of Haqqi reflects the voices of the Arab civil action advocating Child Rights
in the Arab societies in the midst of severe changes occurring in the world and the Arab
region. The issue includes a report on a regional workshop for the Arab Civil Society actors on
Education for All and another one on a local workshop within the same process.
As for the recommendations of the Arab Institute for Human Rights regional workshop, they
reflect the growing concern of an increasing tendency towards adopting an alternative for the
CRC in the Arab region - that is not consistent with the major principles of the convention!
This issue contains as well a report of a regional workshop on advocacy for Child Rights
presents the challenges faces by CRC advocators in the field. The last page contains excerpts
on the situation of children in Gaza: Endless violations facing resilient children still living in
hope, while playing the game of war until play "turns into reality".

This issue of Haqqi follows up the recommendations of the UN Special Session on children and the fate of A World Fit for Children in terms of developing national action plans and partnerships. We also publish excerpts from a call by children who took part in the special session: A World Fit for Us.
The first regional symposium for Arab civil action was held in Beirut in the beginning of January 2003 to activate participation in turning the goals of “Education for All” into a reality. Haqqi will cover in its coming issue the results of the symposium, which was expected to launch an Arab civil movement to encourage turning the right of each human being in education and quality education into a reality. The participation of grass roots organisations and the civil society in general, as well as stakeholders – children, youths and parents – is becoming more urgent as dangers increase, resources decrease and the international community gradually backs down on its commitment to fully fulfil children’s rights for each child.

Table Of Contents - News * The Arab Child's Culture : Two Symposiums * Yemen Early Marriage in Figures * Call to End CR Violations - Testimony :The Story of a Palestinian T-Shirt * A call to All Educators in the Arab World and the Rest of the Globe - The Special Session * A World Fit for Children:"The Outcome Is Not As We Wished !" Massive Challenges * Faced by the Convention and Its Follow-up - Resources

- Child Labour is Increasing
- ABC of Macroeconomics and the rights of the child
- Economics in the CRC Articles
- Which Tools do Macroeconomics Use?
- Economics and the Rights of the Child in the Arab World
- A Letter from Morocco
- Landmine: Childrenare the main victims
- Ottawa Treaty
- Children and Youth
- Who has heard of the Rights of the Child?
- CRC after 10 years
- Resources