Even as UNICEF today celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Guyana is working to address several areas where children do not enjoy their full rights.
According to a press release from UNICEF Guyana, these areas include addressing all forms of violence, including corporal punishment, sexual violence, abuse and neglect. It said Guyana had successfully submitted its periodic report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the recommendations received in 2013 are being implemented. Other key recommended areas of focus, the release said, are improved collection of disaggregated data on children, greater allocation of resources for children, strengthening the role of the Rights Commissions, advocating for key improvements in the areas of birth registration and juvenile justice and comprehensively addressing the situation of adolescents.
UNICEF said while there was much to celebrate after 25 years, including a decline in infant mortality and rising school enrolment rates, too many children still do not enjoy their full rights.
Nevertheless, the CRC is the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history, with 194 countries having signed on. The release said the CRC has changed the way children are viewed and treated; as human beings with a distinct set of rights, and its unprecedented acceptance clearly shows a wide global commitment to advancing children’s rights.
Business as usual is not enough to make the vision of the Convention a reality for all children, UNICEF said, adding that the world needs new ideas and approaches, and the Convention must become a guiding document for every human being in every nation.
It noted that all children have the right, among other things, to good health care, nutritious food, education that cultivates their minds, freedom from violence and exploitation, and the time and space to play and participate in sports.
Issues such as violence and abuse continue to be a problem in our society, which can cause great harm to children who are victims or witnesses of abuse. We must all commit to breaking the silence, and put an end to all forms of abuse against children, the release added.
Urging a recommitment to working toward another 25 years of progress for all children, UNICEF called for everyone to work together to ensure that there is sufficient investment of time and resources on issues that affect children, especially those who are most vulnerable.
