New Zealand's first Children's Commissioner, who has dedicated his life to improving the rights of children, has received an international award from the United Nations (UN).
Paediatrician Ian Hassall, now a research associate at the Institute of Public Policy at Auckland University of Technology, received the award from the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) in Seoul in Korea yesterday.
Dr Hassell has advocated children's rights, being at the forefront child safety initiatives such as cot death prevention and the fencing of swimming pools to prevent drowning.
He also helped set up a help line parents concerned they might harm their children, and the "What's Up" help line for children and young people.
More recently he has supported the controversial anti-smacking legislation and amendments made to section 59 of the Crimes Act which made smacking illegal.
Dr Hassall was Children's Commissioner from 1989 to 1994.
The award was well-deserved recognition for Dr Hassall's outstanding service to children, Unicef New Zealand director Dennis McKinlay said.
"Dr Hassall has contributed much to New Zealand and many initiatives he is part of have been followed by other countries," he said.
The Unicef award is named the Aldo Farina Award with recipients chosen from the 194 countries in which Unicef operates.
- NZPA
UN recognises NZ paediatrician
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