The United Nation's children agency said Sunday that the UN convention on the rights of the child has transformed the way children are viewed and treated throughout the world.

"Not only it has changed the attitudes and knowledge of people but it has also shaped legislation, policies and practices by institutions," it said in a special edition issue of its global flagship report styled "The State of the World's Children."

This edition, tracking the impact of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the challenges that remain, was launched at a program in Dhaka Sunday in commemoration of the 20 years of the convention since its adoption in 1989.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the convention, opened for signature by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on November 20, 1989, has been ratified by all the UN member states, excepting Somalia and the USA, who thus decided to be bound by the articles of an international treat.

It articulates a set of universal children's rights, such as the right to an identity, a name and a nationality, the right to an education, and rights to the highest possible standards of health and protection from abuse and exploitation.

"Converting the Convention into reality remains an enormous task that requires the will and persistence of all, Government, civil society, private sector, religious organizations, media, parents and children themselves," said the UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, Carel de Rooy.

He said, "The 20th Anniversary of the Convention is a time to celebrate, but also a time to reflect on what still needs to be done to make Bangladesh a country fit for children."

Since Bangladesh ratified the convention, according to the UNICEF, clear progress has been made towards the fulfillment of the rights of the children in the country in some areas.

It said Bangladesh has more than halved the child mortality rate since 1990; today, almost all children (97 percent) in Bangladesh receive Vitamin A supplementation; 80 percent of the population has access to safe water. And the primary school net enrollment rate is above 90 percent.

"Despite some important steps taken by Bangladesh such as enacting the Labor Law in 2006 which prohibits hazardous labor for children, Bangladesh still needs to harmonize its national legislation with the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child'," said Rooy.

He said, "Other areas require special attention such as child marriage, child malnutrition, quality of education, fast and unplanned urbanization that makes many families socially vulnerable."

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2009)