The Progress of Nations

This report summarizes the latest available statistics on international achievements in registering each child at birth; immunizing all children; assisting adolescents, particularly girls; and addressing homelessness in wealthy nations. Each of the report's sections contains a commentary, related statistics, and a discussion on progress and disparity in the section's particular area. Following a foreword by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan, and an introduction by Carol Bellamy, executive director of UNICEF, the sections of the report are: (1) "Birth Registration: The 'First' Right" (Unity Dow); (2) "Immunization: Going the Extra Mile" (Ralph H. Henderson); (3) "Claiming the Future" (Geeta Rao Gupta), on meeting the needs of adolescents; and (4) "Hardship in the Midst of Plenty" (Philip Alston), on conditions of the homeless. (EV)