UN to create advisory committee for children and youth
Children and youth globally may soon be able to advise the UN on violence and harmful practices they face in their everyday lives.
Marta Santos Pais, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Violence Against Children (VAC) made this known at the end of a five-day Forum last week, where over 120 children and young people from 13 countries in West and Central Africa met with her to discuss the issue of harmful practices that violate the rights of children and young people in the Region.
The Forum was organised by child rights organisation, Plan International, in collaboration with the government of Ghana, UNICEF, Save the Children International and World Vision.
In a statement signed by Vera Akumiah, Communications Officer of Plan Ghana, and copied the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Ms Santos Pais said the creation of an advisory committee would be a new milestone in child and youth participation at the global level. The proposed mechanism, once operational, would provide children and youth leaders a direct communication channel with the UN Special Representative.
Ms Santos Pais said children and young people were uniquely placed to expose harmful practices and make known the hidden face of violence. “As true agents of change, their involvement is fundamental to achieving lasting solutions in our common struggle to prevent and address all forms of violence, including harmful practices.”
“Plan welcomes and supports the UN Special Representative’s proposed initiative, as it will galvanise the efforts to push for urgent and decisive action against harmful practices and violence against children,” said Adama Coulibaly, Plan’s Regional Director for West Africa.
Mr Prem Shukla, Plan Ghana Country Director, said Plan international was committed to promote and support initiatives related to child protection in Ghana, considering regional and global perspectives.
He said he was looking forward to innovative initiatives to support and strengthen Violence Against Children, in partnership with governments, UN agencies, international and national NGOs and civil society organizations, especially the children and youth themselves.
“It is my hope that the experiences and resolutions emanating from this Forum will be taken forward by the UNSRSG on VAC accordingly.”
In Africa alone, millions of children continue to suffer from various forms of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation/cutting, early and forced marriage, bonded labour, fertility proving, accusations of witchcraft, and a number of other lesser known practices.
In West Africa, for example, even though all countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children in the region still continue to suffer a wide range of violations many of which are deeply rooted in traditions and customs.
Plan has led the setting up of National Child and Youth Advisory Boards in all its 12 countries of operation in West and Central Africa.
At the Accra Forum delegates released a declaration calling on all governments to create and adequately fund mechanisms to prevent and combat violence against children.
Among other recommendations, the declaration called for integrating child rights in school curricula and increasing public awareness in ending harmful practices.
A 24-member Regional Child and Youth Advisory Board comprising representatives from National Boards was also inaugurated at the Forum.
Plan International is one of the world’s oldest and largest child rights and community development organisations with programmes in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas. It has been working in Ghana since 1992, helping poor children to access their rights to health, education, food security and protection.
Source: GNA