By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: As the international community observed World Children’s Day on Sunday, President Dr Arif Alvi called upon the government, privileged persons, NGO’s and international organizations to especially focus on the needs of a large number of children worst affected by the super floods in Pakistan.
“On this day, I call upon the government, privileged persons, NGO’s and international organizations to specially focus on the needs of large number of children who are worst affected by the recent climate-induced super floods in Pakistan and to provide them education, nutrition and shelter and protect them from disease and hunger,” the president said in a message on the day.
He said the day was observed every year to promote and protect the rights of children around the world. It was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and on this date in 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
The president said this year, the theme for World Children’s Day 2022 was very apt which states ‘Inclusion for every child’.
“From climate change, education and mental health, to ending racism and discrimination, children and young people are raising their voices on the issues that matter to their generation and calling for adults to create a better future,” he remarked.
He said on this day, Pakistan like the rest of the world, pledged to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that would build a better world for children.
He said Pakistan commemorated Children’s Day to reiterate its renewed commitment to safeguard the rights of children as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Children (ICRC).
It is also observed to reaffirm the commitment to make sincere efforts at all national, regional and international fora to protect the children and provide them access to development and participation opportunities without any discrimination of status, caste, creed or religion.
He said the Government of Pakistan was fully committed to protect its children from all types of exploitation, prevent exclusion and marginalisation and provide them better education and health care, clean and green environment, opportunities to realise their full potential and an enabling environment to excel in every sphere of life.
“On this day, we also commit ourselves to bring approximately 25 million out-of-school children and street children into the school system, vaccinate our children against polio and other diseases, eliminate stunting and cater to their needs for balanced nutritious food and better lives,” the president added.
UN experts have called for intensified efforts to combat the persisting prevalence of violence, exploitation, abuse, trafficking, torture, and harmful practices against children, and stressed the importance of healing and justice for victims and survivors.
Their appeal comes in a joint statement to mark the first commemoration of the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence, noting that millions of boys and girls worldwide continue to fall prey to these crimes.
“Today is a reminder for States and the international community to increase public awareness of this phenomenon,” they wrote.
“This is an opportunity to eliminate all forms of child sexual exploitation, abuse, and violence, both online and offline, to enhance the protection of children and to bring perpetrators of exploitation and abuse to justice.”
The experts said the current global context continues to exacerbate the situations that expose children to exploitation, abuse and violence.
Some of the major challenges today that they cited included conflicts, climate change, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also inadequate measures to address root causes such as rising inequalities, deepening poverty, and structural discrimination.
“Child victims and survivors of such crimes can face long-lasting negative impacts on their physical, mental, and sexual health and development. Such trauma on children may even amount to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment,” they said.
The rights experts were particularly concerned that individuals, institutions, and agencies that are meant to care for children and protect them, sometimes perpetuate the violence they suffer.
