International Conference «Crossing Borders to Protect the Children of the World» and the Cairo Declaration
H.M. Queen Paola of Belgium, H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak and H. H. Shaikha Sabeeka Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa
H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of the Arab Republic of Egypt and President of the “Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement” (SMWIPM) in partnership with the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) convened an historic child protection conference today in Cairo. The theme of the conference was “Crossing Borders to Protect the Children of the World.”
The conference coincided with the first meeting of the Honorary Board of ICMEC to be scheduled in the Middle East and Africa region. The meeting of the Honorary Board and the child protection conference were both hosted in Cairo by H.E. Mrs. Mubarak.
Honorary Board members attending the conference included:
- H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of the Arab Republic of Egypt
- Her Majesty Queen Paola of Belgium
- Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem of the Kingdom of Morocco
- Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of the King of Bahrain
- Mrs. Margarida Sousa Uva Barroso, Wife of the President of the European Commission
- Mrs. Bernadette Chirac, Former First Lady of the French Republic
- The Honorable Valentina Matvienko, Governor of Saint Petersburg
H.E. Mrs. Mubarak convened the Honorary Board in Cairo, saying “the problem of abused and exploited children has remained in the shadows for too long. This issue is a global phenomenon. If not attended to, it may reach epidemic proportions.”
H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak and Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis
Approximately two hundred child protection officials attended the conference which focused three issues: Cyber Safety and the global epidemic of child pornography on the internet; Effective Legislation against Child Pornography and ongoing efforts to adopt legislation around the world to prevent the exploitation of children; and Cooperation and Respect between Legal Systems and the need to work in a collaborative manner to develop jurisdictional approaches to protect children on a global basis.
Baron Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer, Chairman of the ICMEC Board of Directors, said, “our challenge is not just to increase awareness and persuade individual governments to act, if we are to truly be successful, we must launch a global movement.”
The conference culminated with the Honorary Board members releasing a Cairo Declaration urging global leaders and leading international business organizations and technology leaders to take immediate steps in six areas:
- Enact new and improved legislation and review existing laws periodically to ensure effective redress of any form of exploitation of children.
- Join with ICMEC in a global movement to protect children, including expanding efforts to build new national and regional centers around the world to better address the problems of child abduction and exploitation.
- Explore bilateral and multilateral approaches to resolving family disputes, including mediation, in order to ensure that the children are not the victims.
- Make eradication of child exploitation a top priority.
- Join together in a global campaign to build greater awareness and to stimulate concerted action to protect the world’s children.
- Develop new tools and technologies to protect children and to redouble efforts to ensure that technology is not used as tool to exploit and victimize children.
Ernie Allen, ICMEC’s President & CEO, said, “Crossing Borders to Protect Children is the perfect theme for this historic meeting. No person, no nation, no organization can do independently what all people, all nations and all organizations must do together.”
Mrs. Mary Banotti, Mrs. Jolanta Kwasniewska, Mrs. Anne-Marie Lizin and Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis
This was the third meeting of the ICMEC Honorary Board. Former First Lady Bernadette Chirac hosted the previous meeting in 2007 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. At that meeting the board was described by “Le Figaro” as the “G-8 for Children.” The first meeting of the Honorary Board was hosted by Her Majesty Queen Paola of Belgium in 2004.
The President of the Foundation, Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, who is Board Member of both, the “Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement” and the ICMEC, attended the Conference along with other board members of both organisations such as the former President of the Belgian Senate Mrs. Anne-Marie Lizin, the former Member of the European Parliament Mrs. Mary Banotti, the former First Lady of Poland Mrs. Jolanta Kwasniewska, the Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Ambassador Leila Emara, Dr. Aleya Hammad, Dr. Leila Takla, Mr. Amr Badr, the President of the Greek NGO “Smile of the Child” Mr. Kostas Giannopoulos, etc.
- 2011
- UNESCO Heads of States Forum
- There is HOPE!
- Cultural Heritage - Climate Change - The teacher's role - Presentation of the book "The country of two suns"
- International Women's Day - The Educational Institute AKMI IVT honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- The "Pancretan Association of Athens" honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Woman of the year 2011".
- Excellence Awards, Greeks who are Role Models for the New Generation.
- Presentation of the Greek publication of Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis' book "Labouring with the Challenges of Female Identity: Insights into Minoan Society".
- 2010
- Presentation of the book "Labouring with the challenges of female identity: Insights into the Minoan society" at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
- The Global Forum against human trafficking.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis - ELPIDA Children's Oncology Unit.
- Makistos smiles again!
- 83000 signatures for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- 10th Annual Meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors
- An event for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- International campaign supporting Greece.
- The international "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- First meeting of the Friends of the Aswan Heart Centre.
- 2009
- Global Campaign for the Climate Justice.
- Inauguration of the new Acropolis Museum.
- Declaration of the International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference «Crossing Borders to Protect the Children of the World» and the Cairo Declaration.
- International Conference in Bahrain "Human Trafficking at the Crossroads of East- West" and the Manama Declaration.
- Summer Deaflympics - Athens 2013.
- 2008
- The Vienna Forum against human trafficking.
- Mothers - Olympic Champions of Love.
- Universal call for the Climate Change.
- The 4th Global Youth Employment Summit on the fight against poverty and unemployment, in Azerbaijan and the Baku Declaration.
- The appeal of Ancient Olympia.
- The “Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies” in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Great Lady of the Patriarchal Throne of Alexandria".
- 2007
- 2nd Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- The Chart of Paris against cancer.
- The first Oncological Hospital for children in Greece.
- Lecture of the H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak in Athens, Greece.
- Fairuz Concert in Athens, Greece.
- International Youth Forum for Peace in Sharm El Sheikh.
- Global Humanitarian Forum.
- Makistos smiles again.
- 2006
- Round Table " The Business Community against Human Trafficking".
- Fundraising Dinner to support the “End Human Trafficking Now” global campaign.
- The "Athens Principles" in Davos.
- International Center for Peace Studies.
- Protecting youth from drugs.
- The Multicultural Children Centre “Athina” in Belgrade.
- 1st Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
- 2005
- Helping the children of Palestine- Fundraising dinner in Cairo.
- The UN Millennium Development Goals and Civil Society.
- The Declaration of 22 Greek organisations on the UN Millennium Development Goals.
- 2004
- Exhibition of Traditional and Contemporary Handicrafts from Jordan.
- International Conference “Women in the Service of Peace” in Paris.
- International Conference “Women defending Peace” in Geneva.
- 2003
- 2nd European Conference of Legal Practitioners on juvenile matters.
- Exhibition "Breaking the Veils", Exhibition of women artists from the Islamic World, at UNESCO.
- Exhibition “The Unity of an Unique Monument: the Parthenon”, at UNESCO.
- The Mentor Awards.
- Awards to mothers.
- 2002
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina. A wonder of the modern world.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders who change our world.
- Contemporary Societies - Multicultural Co-existence- The position of the child.
- The protection of the World Cultural nad Natural Heritage.
- 2001
- The child: victim of war and messenger of peace.
- 2000
- A Model Area for creative activities in the Municipality of Ano Liosia.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Children: Symbol of hope, will, courage.
- The Meeting of Athens and Delphi on Children and Peace.
- The Declaration of Delphi on Children and Peace.
- 1st International Conference for the Culture of Peace.
- Early Childhood Resource and Training Center in Bethlehem.
- 1999
- By the side of mothers and children behind bars.
- Juvenile disappearance and abduction.
- The Hague Appeal for Peace.
- International Conference “Family and Children in the European society of the 21st Century” in Paris.
- Support for the children - victims of war in the Balkans.
- By the side of the earthquake victims.
- International Conference “Sexual abuse of children and paedophilia in the Internet”.
- 1998
- A three-point shot for a life.
- European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions".
- Family and the mass media.
- Presentation of the Minutes of the European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions"
- 1997
- International Conference “Priority to the Dignity and Safety of the children in Europe”.
- By the side of the children of Xanthi.
- Embracing children suffering from AIDS.
- The International Convention on Children's Rights and the role of the European Union.