UNICEF Regional Director lauds Gov’t support for RCC -as Commission launches five-year strategic plan to promote, advocate children’s rights
Georgetown, GINA, October 1, 2012 -- Source - GINA
The Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) officially launched its five-year Strategic Plan that has received technical and financial input from UNICEF towards promoting, advocating and monitoring the rights of children in Guyana.
Present at the launch this afternoon at the Roraima Duke Lodge, Kingston, alongside the different Non-Governmental Organisation and other Commission representatives were Minister of Human Services and Social Security Jennifer Webster, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira.
Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira with UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Region Bernt Aasen, Representative of UNICEF Guyana and Suriname Dr. Suleiman Braimoh and Chairperson, RCC Aleema Nasir at the launch of the RCC’s five-year Strategic plan
Also in attendance was the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Region, Bernt Aasen and Representative of UNICEF Guyana and Suriname Dr. Suleiman Braimoh.
Teixeira functioning in her capacity as Representative, Office of the President, spoke of the strides made with regards to advocating and promoting children’s rights and protection in Guyana. She also lauded the efforts of the Commission in this regards.
“In Guyana one of the things we should be proud of is the fact that our constitution recognises the best interest of the child,” Teixeira said.
“We have as a country made some good strides,” she said and accredited some of this to Minister Manickchand, a previous Human Services Minister, who she said nurtured and lead six progressive pieces of legislations in this regards in the ninth Parliament.
Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira addressing the official launch of the RCC five-year Strategic Plan at the Roraima Duke Lodge, Kingston
She said and added that all that remains to be done is to determine where the gaps and weaknesses lie, and work together to strengthen the RCC.
Teixeira urged the Commission to ensure that they develop in the next three to five years the capacity to do what they are mandated to, under the constitution and that they are so effective that within these years they cause children to easily recognise and be aware of their rights and to know that they can go to RCC if they feel their rights are violated.
She also called on the RCC to focus more on issues affecting boys as she said that it is the view of the President that this area is not being addressed enough. Teixeira said that in a meeting earlier today with Mr Aasen, President Donald Ramotar raised his concerns in this regard.
She also stressed the needs of the other agencies to champion the work of the Commission and pledged the government’s support. She said that the Commission is free to bring to the Government’s attention any issues of concern affecting children in Guyana.
UNICEF Regional Director for Latin American and the Caribbean Region Bernt Aasen deliverg the feature address at the function
Mr. Aasen, which is paying an official visit to Guyana, to strengthen local and regional ties, commended Government for its support to the Commission and reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to cooperate with the Commission for the development and advancement of Guyanese children.
He said that, “Guyana’s recognition, through the mandate of the Commission, of the imperative of ensuring that children’s rights are given special attention is not only commendable but also brings to life the affirmation made decades ago on the importance and constructive role played by national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights.”
He lauded the RCC, one of those institutions with a special mandate focusing on the Convention on Rights of the Child.
Aasen also commended the development of the five-year plan and said that the launch of the document signalled the Commission’s interest towards advocating for children’s rights.
Minister of Human Services Jennifer Webster and Minister of Education Priya Manickchand among representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations and other Commission representatives at the launch
“The plan we are launching today is really the story of how RCC intends to bring together all parts of society to support the survival, development, protection, and participation of the 300,000 children in Guyana,” Aasen said.
He said that the five-year strategy is also good as it serves as a guide to the young Commission in its work. The RCC was established three years ago.
The strategy, Aasen said, creates a roadmap which sets the pace and direction of the Commission’s work, within the next five years and through which the Commission will be able to both plan annual projects and monitor progress.
He said that some may wonder how the launch of the plan will affect the life of one child or in total the 300,000 plus children in the country, but noted that, “without a solid legal or policy framework- we cannot have lasting, and sustainable change… without a solid framework we cannot have catalytic effects to improve the lives of children and make them visible.”
The UNICEF Regional Director said he was happy that UNICEF has been there with the RCC right from its birth and promised that it will continue to provide strong support to assist it in achieving its mandate.
RCC’s Chairperson, Aleema Nasir stated that the plan represents a significant milestone in the work of the commission as it brings into greater focus its mandate and responsibility while simultaneously establishing the direction and pace of its work over the next five years.
According to Nasir, “the strategy provides a coherent policy statement which reflects the aspirations and the concerns of children themselves and those who care about them.” She also said that the strategy focuses on how to make positives changes in the lives of children.
The strategy also seeks to establish a process whereby children are afforded the opportunity and assisted to contribute in a positive, meaningful way towards their own development, with necessary support from the family and the wider society.
