HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Children's wellbeing top priority: PM

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KATHMANDU, Nov. 20: The 13th International Child Rights Day today is being celebrated in Nepal by organising various programmes.

Nepal ratified the United Nations Child Rights Convention (CRC) in 1990. Following this came the establishment of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and the Children's act-2048 B.S. And Regulations-2051 B.S. This was followed by the constitution of the central Child Welfare Committee which has been overseeing the establishment of district Child Welfare Committees in all the 75 districts of the country.

A children's corrections home has also been constituted for child prisoners as well as for children of prisoners.

Likewise, a juvenile bench has been established at all the district courts in order to establish and consolidate the juvenile judicial system in the country.

In a message on the occasion, Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said providing children with health and education facilities and security is the top priority of the moment.

Referring to the barbaric incidents of murder, violence and terror that the Nepalis have been facing since the past seven years, Prime Minister Chand said this has not only obstructed basic services like health and education but has minimized the people's right to live, and rendered many children orphans and helpless.

He also made it clear that progammes to be carried out in the interest of children will not have any significance unless the stream of terror is brought to an end.

The government's lone effort will not be enough to resolve the problems faced by children in the country, Chand said and pointed out the need for creative support on the part of national and international organisations working in this sector as well as of civil society.

Likewise, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Gore Bahadur Khapangi said though awareness on child rights among the general public is on the rise not much has changed in the overall situation of the children.

"We still have a lot to do in providing children with food and shelter, compulsory education and full health treatment facilities", Minister Khapangi said adding that as children are also the ones affected by violent activities it has become essential to develop a clear monitoring system for enforcement of committments under the child rights convention.

In a similar message, Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Anuradha Koirala said liberation from poverty and scarcity is the primary thing and it would be appropriate to incorporate child rights into child welfare programmes.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued here today on the occasion of International Child Rights Day, Amnesty International Nepal section has drawn the attention of the government towards including human rights education in the curriculum and called for alertness on part of everyone for the protection of child rights.

Use of children in the armed struggle in Nepal as postmen, messengers, porters, guards or in any other assistant role has given rise to a serious risk to their security and interests, the statement says adding that such activities are a violation of the UN Child Rights Convention.

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