With UNICEF support... Rights of Child Commission unveils five-year strategic plan

Written by Whitney Persaud

Tuesday, 02 October 2012 22:04

THE Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) announced its five-year strategic plan at Roraima Duke Lodge, in Kingston, Georgetown, on Monday.
The 2012 to 2016 process provides for, among other things, the framework

for actions that seek to facilitate the achievements of the RCC mandate and contribute to greater results for children throughout Guyana.
I

Presidential Adviser on Governance, Gail Teixeira addresses the launching of the Rights of the Child five year strategic plan

t is guided by the responsibility to promote and advocate for children’s rights, monitor them and investigate and make recommendations on policies, procedures and practices of organisations, bodies and institutions.
Speaking on the occasion of the announcement, Presidential Adviser on Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira reiterated the importance of upholding the rights of children within the country’s Constitution.
She said Guyana should be proud of being successful in this regard; highlighting that it is one country that can stand with pride for recognising, in its Constitution, the best interest of the child.
“This (rights of child) must be primary in the decisions of the Judiciary, the Legislature and the executive bodies,” Teixeira urged, pointing out that, over the years, Guyana has made significant strides in this regard.
She praised Education Minister, Priya Manickchand for being such a strong advocate.

UNICEF’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Region, Mr Brent Aasen, with a copy of the five year plan, assuring UNIECF’s support over the years

Teixeira was pleased that Manickchand was in the audience, because she nurtured and led six progressive pieces of legislation to do with children in the Ninth Parliament.

Need exists
She noted that the strategic plan is not one that is filled with shortcomings. However, the need exists for the strengthening of gaps and weaknesses.
According to her, once the corrective steps are taken, the RCC would have acquired the ability to develop within a few years from now.
“All we have to do is see where the gaps and weaknesses lie and strengthen the Rights of the Child Commission to ensure that they have and will develop, in the next three to five years, the capacity to do what they must do under the Constitution, to be able to build themselves as a committee that children, not just adults, recognise and are aware of rights and, if they feel that they have been violated, they know where to go,” Teixeira said.

The gathering present at the launching yesterday.

She said the RCC, working in partnership with the government agencies, is able to ensure that the issues affecting children are addressed and, where investigations are required, the Commission, coming forward with changed policies, is also able to make recommendations to the government towards ensuring the rights of the child.
Another speaker at the forum, RCC Chairperson, Ms. Aleema Nasir said the five-year plan represents a significant milestone in their work, as it brings into greater focus the mandate and responsibility of the Commission.
According to her, it provides a coherent policy statement which reflects the aspirations and concerns of children themselves and those who care about them.
“It focuses on how to make positive changes in the lives of all children over the next five years. The strategy takes into account a very broad scope of children’s issues,” she pointed out.

Financial support
She said the blueprint, which was prepared with the technical and financial support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), seeks to establish a process where children are afforded the opportunity and assisted to contribute, in a positive way, towards their own development.
“The RCC envisages a Guyana where all children are cherished and respected and brought up in an environment which enhances their positive development and a happy fulfilling childhood,” Nasir stated.
UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Region, Mr. Brent Aasen, who also spoke, observed that Guyana’s recognition, through the mandate of the RCC, brings affirmations made decades ago on the importance and constructive role played by national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights.
He said the RCC is one of those institutions with a special mandate focusing on the Convention on Rights of the Child.
“I am sure you will fully agree with me that we cannot talk about human rights without paying careful attention to children’s rights and women’s rights,” Aasen said.
He posited that the plan which was unveiled 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.

More visible
“Once we are successful, as we must be, we will be achieving the plan that is to ensure that children are made more visible and their lives are improved. Research has shown that the most effective way to do that is via strong attention to equity and I am pleased that the Rights of the Child Commission is making that an important aspect of its work,” the diplomat said.
He said that UNICEF has been there with the RCC right from its birth and assured it will be there during the stages of the five-year plan, providing strong support to assist in achieving its mandate.
“The path is clear with this plan. We look forward to your innovation, including in partnerships and in your programming,” Aasen said.
He said citizens must remember their commitment to make children visible.

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