World Children’s Day: A day for children, by children

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November 20 is a day for kids, because it marks the 63rd World Children’s Day since the tradition was established by the United Nations in 1954.

“We are problems that want to be solved. We are children that need to be loved… What about us? What about all the times you said you had the answers?”

Kids from all around the world sang American star Pink’s “What about us” in a video released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Children’s Day. The lyrics say it all for many younger members of society.

A screenshot of "Pink’s What about us? For World Children’s Day" video. /CGTN Photo

Children, the future of the world, are one of its most vulnerable groups.

That’s why the UN established World Children’s Day, formerly known as Universal Children’s Day, to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving youngsters’ welfare.

November 20 is also the date that UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

Lack of education, poverty, malnutrition, abuse, exploitation, war… these are all damaging situations that too many children are being exposed to.

Some 3.9 million children were living in poverty in the UK in 2014-15, equating to nine in a classroom of 30, according to charity the Child Poverty Action Group.

Facts and figures about children in poverty /Photo via childrenssociety.org.uk

Almost seven out of 10 children in Malaysia worry a lot about bullying, compared to only three out of 10 in Japan or close to four in 10 in the UK, according to UNICEF Malaysia’s research released on World Children’s Day.

Around the world, a child is killed by violence every five minutes. “Every year nearly a billion children worldwide are regularly subjected to physical punishment by their caregivers. And approximately one in 10 girls under the age of 20, or 120 million girls worldwide, have experienced sexual violence,” according to a report by UNICEF in the United Kingdom.

Photo via Getty Images

Earlier this month in China, parents were outraged by the abuse revealed to be taking place in a kindergarten.

In Lebanon, over 480,000 children from Syria are registered as refugees, with 130,000 of them aged between 3 and 5, and 270,000 between 6 and 14, according to data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Celebrating the day

All kinds of activities have been taking place around the world for Children’s Day.

David Beckham, Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, sat down with several kids to hear what kind of world they want to enjoy. Click to watch the full video.

In Latin America, kids went to their leaders and asked some very important questions. Click to watch the full video.

As UNICEF described November 20, "It’s going to be a fun day, with a serious message."

Photo via Getty Images