UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday sent a message for the well-being of children across the world as the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Children's Day draw near.

The message, written and signed by the UN secretary-general in English and Chinese, reads:"Children are our future. We must work for health, education, equality and protection for every child in the world."

The Universal Children's Day falls on Nov. 20. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child and the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.