BBC News - Malala Yousafzai speech in full

Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai has addressed the United Nations as part of her campaign to ensure free compulsory education for every child.

She marked her 16th birthday by delivering the speech on Friday at the UN headquarters in New York.

Taliban gunmen shot Malala on her school bus last October following her campaign for girls' rights.

"I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child," she said.

Thank you.

In the name of God, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful.

Honourable UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon,

Respected President General Assembly Vuk Jeremic

Honourable UN envoy for Global education Mr Gordon Brown,

Respected elders and my dear brothers and sisters,

Today, it is an honour for me to be speaking again after a long time.

Being here with such honourable people is a great moment in my life.

And it is honor for me today I wearing a shawl of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed.

I don't know where to begin my speech.

I don't know what people would be expecting me to say.

But first of all,

thank you to God for whom we all are equal

and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and a new life.

I cannot believe how much love people have shown me.

I have received thousands of good wish cards and gifts from all over the world.

Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me.

Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me.

I would like to thank my nurses, doctors

and the staff of the hospitals in Pakistan

and the UK and the UAE government

who have helped me to get better and recover my strength.

I fully support Mr. Ban Ki-moon the Secretary-General in his Global Education

First Initiative and the work of the UN Special Envoy

Mr. Gordon Brown.

and respected President General Assembly Vuk Jeremic.

And I thank all of them for the leadership they continue to give.

They continue to inspire all of us to action.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Do remember one thing.

Malala day is not my day.

Today is the day of every woman,

every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights.

There are hundreds of human rights activists

and social workers who are not only speaking for their rights,

but who are struggling to achieve their goals of peace, education, and equality.

Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured.

I'm just one of them.

So here I stand

So here I stand one girl among many.

I speak, not for myself, but for those without voice can be heard.