Representatives from across the international community are meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to ensure that children everywhere can thrive in a world marred by war, climate chaos, and other fundamental challenges.
The UN-backed World Summit Investing in Children’s Wellbeing opened on Wednesday, bringing together more than 600 participants from over 100 countries.
A child's wellbeing depends on many factors, including health, access to education, protection from violence, family support and access to help when they need it.
In a message to the summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that “when we invest in children, we invest in the future”.
The Secretary-General’s message was delivered at the opening session by Sabine Mahl, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan.
Mr. Guterres warned that progress on child wellbeing is under threat. He stated that conflicts, economic pressures, health emergencies, poverty, and climate-related shocks put children at risk, particularly those belonging to vulnerable groups.
He also noted that humanitarian and development assistance is declining, while developing countries continue to carry heavy debt burdens. Because of this, he explained, the summit is focusing not on a single programme or service, but on systems that need to work together.
Addressing the summit, UN General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman called for a sharper focus on turning commitments to children into tangible results, declaring that “a target matters when a child eats, learns, receives treatment and returns home safely.”
Noting that only 36 per cent of assessable Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets are on track or making moderate progress, he urged countries to accelerate collective action rather than lower their ambitions.
He outlined four key priorities: placing children ahead of bureaucratic processes; designing services and social protection systems around their specific needs; reaching those who are furthest behind; and aligning political commitments with adequate financing, clear responsibilities, and firm deadlines. Additionally, he advocated for child-centred approaches to artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, asserting that digital transformation must expand opportunities while safeguarding children from exploitation, discrimination, manipulation, and violations of their privacy.
The Assembly President argued that governments should measure progress not merely by raising averages, but by closing gaps for the most vulnerable children, including those living in poverty, with disabilities, on the move, or affected by conflict and climate shocks. He also challenged authorities to reflect their commitments in their national budgets, stating: "A declaration cannot vaccinate a child. A promise itself cannot pay a teacher. Applause itself cannot purchase cancer medicines."
The summit was organized by the Government of Uzbekistan in partnership with the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, child rights agency UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank.
Ministers, academics, and experts are taking part alongside civil society and business representatives, as well as children and adolescents themselves.
Uzbekistan’s First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva stated that, according to experts, the number of deaths among children under five is expected to rise in 2025 for the first time this century. She noted this projected increase comes amid a sharp decline in international humanitarian assistance.
“This is a serious warning to us all,” she said. Ms. Mirziyoyeva also noted that one billion children are growing up in countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
In Uzbekistan, where more than half the population is under 30, children’s wellbeing is a government priority. This agenda, actively supported by United Nations agencies, is also linked to changes in social services and access to early education.
According to UN Resident Coordinator Mahl, preschool enrolment in Uzbekistan has risen from 27 per cent in 2017 to 78 per cent in 2026.
More than 10,000 children with disabilities attend mainstream schools and about 1.5 million families receive social assistance.
UNICEF says the share of children living in monetary poverty has fallen significantly, in part thanks to government social support.
In 2025, the country adopted a law to protect children from all forms of violence, as well as an action strategy for 2026–2030.
The Samarkand summit also includes the Second International Congress on Childhood Cancer - “From Cure to Wellbeing” - dedicated to paediatric oncology and haematology.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 80 per cent of children with cancer are cured in high-income countries, while the cure rate falls below 30 per cent in many low- and middle-income countries.
In his message, the UN Secretary-General called this “an unacceptable inequality driven by inadequate investment and weak social services .”
Approximately 400,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year. The World Health Organization aims to raise the global survival rate to 60 percent by 2030.
Children with cancer need more than medical treatment. The State-sponsored institution Mehrli Maktab – which means “caring school” in Uzbek – operates at the Scientific and Practical Medical Centre for Paediatric Oncology, Haematology and Immunology in the capital Tashkent.
Children aged two to 18 can continue their education there during lengthy treatment, studying mathematics, information technology, electronics, music and other subjects.
They make friends and can discover new interests – many return after completing treatment to see their former classmates. Some former students also attended the summit to share their experiences.
Organizers gave prominence to the voices of other children and adolescents. As Najat Maalla M’jid , the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, put it: “ They have voices, ideas, expertise, and urgency .”
Why it matters
The summit highlights critical global funding gaps and systemic vulnerabilities affecting children's health, education, and protection worldwide.