25th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child |14 November 2014
NCC still committed to promoting children’s rights
On November 20 this year the world will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1989.
To mark the occasion the National Council for Children (NCC) is organising a week of activities to celebrate childhood and reflect about the past quarter of a century to assess if the lives of children have changed for the better.
In modern day Seychelles all children have the right to an education, get protection from harm and the best interest of the child’s principles are taken into consideration in all legal matters. Children are also allowed to have a say in matters affecting them and that in itself has contributed to making our country a place ‘fit for children’.
Seychelles now has notable indicators in the provision of ten years of free education (100% access in most years); high literacy rate (94% for both sexes); free basic health care (including universal coverage for essential medicines and anti-retroviral therapy); universal access to safe drinking water, good sanitation and housing provision. The country also has a significantly low infant mortality and high life expectancy at birth (74.2 years for both sexes).
Lately the government has also established an advanced social safety net through a dedicated social security fund to ensure an adequate standard of living for vulnerable children.
In spite of the overall gains, there are many children who have fallen behind. Old challenges such as the perception of children as possessions and the increased prevalence of substance abuse and violence against children have combined with new problems to seriously deprive many children of their rights and the benefits of developing their maximum potential.
“Eliminating violence against children demands that states, governments, civil society and religious communities support and enable the family to carry out its proper responsibility, vis-à vis the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” the director of NCC Ruby Pardiwalla said.
“The approaching 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child offers an opportunity to refocus on the role of the NCC in promoting children’s well-being, and to meet these challenges, we have to reach those children who are hardest to reach,” she added.
“The NCC will continue to work daily to ensure education about the convention on the rights of the child in disseminating the convention to children, parents and all professionals working with children”.
A recent research has shown that children and youth who are aware of their rights and the rights of others develop positive self-confidence and positive relationships and possess higher self-esteem and perform better at school –so we will have to engage the youth through social networks.
Twenty-five years after its adoption, the NCC is still determined to do everything it can to protect and promote children’s rights. Although government is responsible for adopting laws and developing social programmes to protect children, ordinary citizens can actively take part in the promotion of children’s rights and hold government to account on their promise to help children survive, thrive and grow into responsible and capable adults.
The NCC wants to remind everyone that the convention spells out the basic human rights to which all children under the age of 18 are entitled, including the right to health, the right to play and the right to take part and have a voice in matters that affect them. By ratifying the Convention in 1990, Seychelles made a commitment to ensuring that children are treated with dignity and respect, and are protected from harm both in Seychelles and abroad.
Contributed by NCC