Several NGOs under the umbrella of Children's Rights in a Globalising World (CR4WSF) would try to build strategies and strengthen alliances in an effort to pay more attention to the rights of children in the agenda of World Social Forum for development.

About 500 children and 56 organisations and networks working on child rights will discuss at the five-day meet in Mumbai how globalisation and privatisation have impacted poor children all over the world as governments cut back investment in social development, representatives of CR4WSF told mediapersons on Tuesday.

"It is very evident that the target set by the United Nations in the millennium declaration -- to eradicate poverty, achieve universal education and promote gender equality and improve health -- would not be achieved by 2015," they said.

"Therefore, we (NGOs) would examine the accountability and responsibility of the state and international institutions to ensure protection of rights of children growing up in the economic, cultural and political climate driven by a free market," they added.

Some eminent personalities and specialists, including Magsaysay Award winner Dr Shantha Sinha (elimination of child labour), Anne Finger (rights of disabled) and Cecilio Adorna of UNICEF (investments and accountability), will participate in the panel discussion on January 18.

Several workshops on 'Living with Conflicts', 'Rights of Disabled', 'Early Childcare' and 'Child Trafficking and How to Prevent it', would also be held, they added.

Agencies