Dear Editor,
We at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport have observed the recent surge of concern in the public domain regarding the New Opportunity Corps (NOC); we also have our concerns regarding the institution and the students residing there, and as usual invite whatever support is available.
With regard to the most recent letters, we do not share the same view as the writers, who are of the view that students’ human rights are being denied continually.
While at the NOC, the students are provided with regular meals, shelter and most importantly, an education. Please be reminded that the NOC is a co-educational institution which means that the students are given an education in a number of skills and they are also enrolled in the education system in Essequibo. The students are also engaged in extra-curricular activities such as sports and national celebrations. With the support of Unicef the NOC has also agreed to ensure that their reforms are in line with the global standard concerning the protection of juveniles deprived of their liberty.
As such the view that their human rights are being denied is quite unfounded.
Further, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport with support from Unicef Guyana is leading the revision of the current Juvenile Justice Bill. Some of the agencies involved in the discussion are the Minis-tries of Human Services and Social Security, Home Affairs and Education, the Child Care and Protection Agency, Unicef, and representatives from the juvenile holding centre in Sophia.
The team has completed its work and has made several recommendations. To incorporate these recommendations through Unicef and under the ministry’s leadership a consultancy group is currently revising the bill.
The team met over a number of weeks as a first basis to thoroughly review the draft in light of the current legislative framework, and based on the current practices examine issues of coordination, management and response, especially among line ministries which would have an ac-tive role for the prevention, treatment and response of all children in contact with the law.
Note should be made that those issues were not substantially addressed in the draft Juvenile Justice Bill and therefore to effect any smooth implementation it is critical that these issues are firstly addressed.
To the greatest extent possible and given Guy-ana’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child this was taken into consideration along with global and accepted international standards for juvenile justice and justice for children.
It is expected that the draft juvenile bill and the supporting schedules to the Bill will be ready by the end of the month. Then, in line with the ministry’s practices, as was done with the first draft, this will be available for review.
With regard to the 2012 COI, a copy can be uplifted from the MCYS.
Yours faithfully,
Tekia Hanover
PRO
Ministry of Culture
