Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman applauded the Rights of the Child (ROC) Commission for their efforts when the group last Tuesday submitted its 2011 report to him.
“ROC is a fine example of men and women of different personal beliefs and political persuasions, putting aside their differences and working in the interest of Guyana’s children,” Trotman said, according to a release from the Government Informa-tion Agency (GINA).
“We are supposed to go through this report, ask questions of the commissioners, find out how they are functioning and what we can do to make their work better and they can advise us what laws we can pass with children in mind,” Trotman said.
ROC Chairperson Aleema Nasir attributed the commission’s success in conducting the programmes in 2011 to the support it received from government and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Some of the commission’s most notable achievements are the completion of a national birth registration research and survey which was publicised in October 2011.
“As a result of this initiative, Guyana was recognised at the UN conference on Universal Birth Registration for Latin America and the Caribbean held in Panama,” she said. Another major feat was the signing of the declaration for universal birth registration by 2015 by then President Bharrat Jagdeo. This, Nasir said, will significantly enhance the Commission’s efforts to develop and promote the rights of children in the years ahead.
The commission also started preparing its five-year strategic plan outlining its programmes and activities for 2012-2016.
In October 2011, the first Children’s Parlia-ment was convened in the chambers of the Parliament of Guyana. Students from secondary schools across the regions participated in this exercise.
“The Commission was encouraged by the declaration of commitment to support and defend the rights of children in the National Assembly by political parties which contested in the 2011 General and regional elections,” Nasir said.
She also noted the group’s need for additional resources and called on citizens to reflect on their own childhood and make every effort to provide the support needed for a better future for every child in Guyana.
