U.N. Treaty on Rights of Children Needs Push

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It is difficult to believe how poorly the world treats its children. Persons under the age of 18 number 3 billion--one half of the 6.1 billion individuals on the planet.

* About half of these 3 billion children are desperately poor.

* Over 120 million children--the majority of them girls--never have the chance to receive schooling. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 100 million minors working in jobs that prevent them from ever attending school.

* More than 30 million infants have no access to the most basic immunizations for totally preventable diseases.

* More than 150 million youngsters have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

In order to correct this dreadful scene, the United …