UNICEF Re-affirms Support to Child Rights

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Monday, 13 August 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John’s - The United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) representative Khin-Sandi Lwin, has re-affirmed her organisation’s commitment to supporting Antigua & Barbuda in assessing shortfalls and gaps in advancing the respect, protection and fulfillment of child rights.

On Friday, the UNICEF representative met with Minister of Health, Social Transformation, Consumer Affairs and Local Government Willmoth Daniel and Parliamentary Secretary Senator Malaka Parker to discuss issues relating to the recent Child Survival Pledge, the report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Child Protection and the UNICEF initiated programme, Return to Happiness.
 
Further discussions were held on the status of Antigua & Barbuda’s request for technical assistance to conduct the internationally required report on the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to discuss matters related providing a state of the art juvenile institution for children in need of special rehabilitation and protection services by the state.
 
In welcoming the UNICEF representative to Antigua & Barbuda, Minister Daniel reiterated that government plans to implement more robust intervention into disaster management activities in the nations’ school programme.
 
“Our early childhood facilities are high on the government’s agenda for specialised intervention,” he said, adding that the Cabinet of Antigua & Barbuda has mandated that at the end of August 2012, all schools and government departments must complete the transition of their plants to the comprehensive disaster management requirements.

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Senator Parker acknowledged the various partners particularly  UNICEF which  has been instrumental in designing and building a regional coordination mechanism for children, and that an integrated and holistic approach is required to tackle one of the region’s most pressing challenges – violence against children and youth.
 
She added that government denounces all forms of child abuse, and recognises that other forms of abuse provide preconditions and the environment for sexual abuse.
 
“Child Sexual Abuse needs to be addressed aggressively, consistently and proactively and Government owes a duty to the nation’s children to deal with perpetrators with the full weight of the law,” Parker said.
 
Lwin pledged UNICEF commitment in playing a facilitating role by providing technical assistance to the country in addressing these matters. She also expressed optimism in the direction the Region is heading coming out of the recently concluded COHSOD in Guyana.

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