Profiling the lives of children around the world at the end of the 20th century, this report calls on the international community to undertake the urgent actions necessary to realize the rights of every child. Part 1 of the report summarizes the progress made over the last decade in meeting the goals established at the 1990 World Summit for Children and in keeping faith with the ideals of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This section also discusses four obstacles to full human development: HIV/AIDS, armed conflict and violence, increasing poverty, and gender discrimination. The section argues that intergenerational patterns of poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination can be broken in a single generation through early childhood care, quality education, and participation of adolescents in ensuring children's rights. The section invites leaders to a broad-based international alliance committed to realizing the rights of women and children. Part 2 of the report contains six maps illustrating child and adolescent populations, life expectancy, learning and education, children and adolescents at special risk, rich world and poor world, and unstable environments. Part 3 provides statistical profiles for 193 countries based on basic indicators of well-being such as infant mortality rate, health and nutritional status, educational levels, economic indicators, the status of women, and the rate of progress on major indicators since 1960. Six "Panels" present regional information on child care programming, income inequities, children's health and well-being amidst war, AIDS prevention, children's peace movements, and child-friendly schools. (Contains 50 reference notes.) (KB)