The world has failed children says UN Chief

Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the first UN children’s summit today with a stinging rebuke to ‘‘the grown-ups’’ of the world for failing ‘‘deplorably’’ to uphold the right of every child to grow up free of poverty and war and to receive a quality education.

Addressing several dozen world leaders and representatives from more than 180 countries at UN headquarters in New York, Annan said youngsters have a right to expect that the promises they made ‘‘to build a world fit for children’’ are kept.