Caricom ministers commit to raft of child care steps
The special Caricom meeting on children concluded here yesterday with a commitment by leaders to invest in them as both a national and regional development priority but some of the youth participants believe that much more should have been done to incorporate them in the proceedings.
Aiming to ensure the right to survival, development, protection, dignity and participation of children within the region, ministers of the community with responsibility for children together with representatives of regional and international development organizations have affirmed commitment to the realization of the rights of all children enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Georgetown Declaration on Building a Region Fit for Children, crafted at the end of the meeting, stated that ministers have noted with grave concern the adverse effects of natural disasters, climate change, violence, HIV and AIDS, child abuse and exploitation, family separation and migration, malnutrition, obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases, on children. As such, they have committed to the establishment of mechanisms to improve the quality of, and increase access to inclusive early childhood care, education and development services and in particular for vulnerable and marginalized children.
Strengthening protective environments in homes, schools and communities, reforming legislation and protection systems for children and the extension of social protection and welfare programmes to ensure equity of opportunity are also among a long list of commitments made by leaders to improve the well-being of the region’s children.
The recommendations from this meeting are to be used to update the Regional Framework for Action for Children 2002-2006. The harmonization of a legislative framework among member states would be integral to the region truly attaining the ambitions of the action plan, but this was not achieved at the meeting.
COHSOD Director Myrna Bernard explained to reporters that agreeing to such a move was not realistic and so a commitment was not reached but there was an agreement that this was one way to go to truly carry out the objectives set out in the plan.
Frequent migration
Meanwhile she explained that the council was still trying to come up with the rights which member states are willing to accord in the wake of frequent migration facilitated by the Caricom Single Market. She acknowledged that some states were concerned about the capacity to provide certain services and noted that in terms of the areas of education and health care, some were willing to offer the same level of service to emigrants as they would to their own citizens.
She pointed out too that health care in some countries was still in private hands and added that some of the services may not equate to what is enjoyed in one’s home country. She added that in the area of primary education some countries were willing to offer the same level of education to emigrants, but noted that some problems arise in access to secondary and tertiary education.
Asked about the topical issue of corporal punishment and COHSOD’s take on it since it remains legal in many Caricom countries, Bernard said that the council has not come to a position on the matter. She noted that consultations were still ongoing in this regard.
“The Caribbean’s culture is not something that legislation could do away with. Because if you legislate there will be a limit to enforcement,” she said. Bernard pointed to the education system as an example where she said if corporal punishment will be halted altogether teachers would have to be given effective alternative methods, stressing the need for much more ground work to be done in this regard.
“So the jury is still out on this – we have not elaborated a position on corporal punishment,” she said.
Youth Participation
When the meeting opened on Monday a group of youths, speaking on behalf of their counterparts throughout the region, made a call for their participation in decision making. Kiana Wilburg from Guyana, Mikhel Passe from Trinidad and Tobago and Genelva Krind from Suriname read the statement making the request. The youths at the meeting only represented these three Caribbean countries.
COHSOD head Dr. Edward Greene told the media that member states have given a commitment for the welfare of children to always be priority. Asked about the presence of other child representatives, Bernard explained that there was the factor of cost involved in participation, implying that some countries probably could not afford to send participants.
Some ministers were also absent from the meeting but heads of delegations sat in on their behalf. T&T Minister of Human Development Amery Browne said he felt that the youths from the three countries may have spoken well on behalf of their other counterparts and he believed that their presence at some of the sessions helped to inform the decisions made by leaders.
Trinidadian Kimberly Deonanan, speaking with reporters yesterday said she felt that the purpose of the youths there was only to report on what was said by ministers throughout the meeting. She said while youths made a plea for participation in a meeting whose outcome would influence their development, this did not occur.
Other than a mini-production done by the UNICEF Youth media, there was no other real involvement in the meeting, she said. “Our input would have made a big difference and hearing a child’s concerns from that child is way better than an adult trying to explain it,” she said. “So many children go home to empty houses, children have an understanding – why couldn’t we say what we think those in authority could do to better our lives?” she queried.
Speaking after her, Browne said he felt that the youths were involved but admitted the need for a question and answer segment where they would have been able to question leaders about their future. He felt that now that there was the element of participation, its value could be more recognized and this was a good step forward.
Wilburg also felt that youth participation was insufficient. “If you look at what they hope to achieve, I think that this was an opportunity for us to be involved and express ourselves on the issues which affect us,” she said.
Sleeping
Wilburg said during her hours in some of the sessions she saw many ministers sleeping and this she felt showed their real appreciation for the sessions. “We felt we would have an impact and we were happy when we learnt of this so that they would consider listening to us and treat us as first class citizens, but this was not so,” she said.
