UNICEF NZ (United Children’s Fund)
Media Release
Tuesday 11 December, 2012
Children Bearing the Brunt of Poverty – UNICEF NZ
The OCC Expert Advisory Group’s report on Solutions to Child Poverty (EAG Report) today and the Children’s Social Health
Monitor yesterday make one point very clear - the unfavourable economic environment of the on-going recession impacts
far more on children than on any other population group, says UNICEF NZ (UN Children’s Fund).
Barbara Lambourn, National Advocacy Manager at UNICEF NZ, commented “The reality is we are falling significantly short
when it comes to protecting children, particularly Maori and Pasifika children, from poverty and its terrible effects on
their immediate and long term health.”
“The Children’s Social Health Monitor noted that underlying economic environments make children more vulnerable to
serious preventive illnesses and to abuse. This supports UNICEF’s position that abuse and neglect cannot be considered
in isolation from the wider circumstances of children’s lives. Any efforts by this Government to deal with child abuse
must take reducing poverty into consideration,” Ms Lambourn added.
The EAG Report contains 78 recommendations based on evidence about what can work and also on the many submissions
received by the Group. UNICEF NZ is fully supportive of all the recommendations of the EAG Report to Government, and
particularly of legislation to protect a plan to reduce child poverty from any political change of direction.
UNICEF NZ is pleased that the recommendations identify that reducing child poverty needs to be multi-faceted and
structured to take place over time, but also recognise that there are immediate steps that can be taken such as
supporting programmes to make sure that children are properly fed and able to function well at school.
Ms Lambourn said, “We have known for some time, and are pleased that the EAG Report points out, that there is no
question at all that child poverty can be reduced. How much child poverty we are prepared to tolerate, how deep, wide
and severe, is a political choice.
“The solution requires not only an outlay of expenditure but political vision, accord and courage. We are in a situation
where our seniors are at the top end of the OECD index whilst our children languish near the bottom. It is time to give
children’s needs and rights the same recognition, through an investment approach and legislation, to ensure their
wellbeing.
“UNICEF calls on the Government, and all Members of Parliament, to do their utmost in their duty to children and
consider the best interests of our youngest citizens in responding to these two important reports.”
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