Child programme budgets not tampered with – DPM

MANZINI –Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku says despite the hard worldwide economic challenges, Eswatini has not tampered with child-related programme budgets.

Masuku was speaking yesterday during the United Nations 88th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, Switzerland. He had been requested to give an update before the committee on what Eswatini did towards the welfare of children. The DPM was asked what the kingdom had done in capturing data for children with disabilities and the welfare of children on matters of HIV/AIDS.

He said the recent challenges, such as the coronavirus pandemic, had resulted in more social challenges which government, together with stakeholders, was working hard to address.

Masuku said some of the key programmes that the Government of Eswatini had implemented included, but were not limited to, free primary education (FPE), school feeding schemes, maternal child healthcare services, caring for persons with disabilities and the orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) grant.

“The achievement include that FPE has improved in primary schools to 98 per cent, while maternal deaths have been reduced to 593 per 100 000 in 2013 to 432 per 100 000 currently,” the DPM said.

Other issues Eswatini reported on are the Marriage Act, birth registration and Disability Act, among others.

Experts

The committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the body of 18 independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State parties. It also monitors implementation of two optional protocols to the convention, on involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC) and on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC).

On December 19, 2011, the UN General Assembly approved a third Optional Protocol on a communications procedure (OPIC), which allows individual children to submit complaints regarding specific violations of their rights under the convention and its first two optional protocols. The protocol was put into effect in April 2014.

All States parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the committee on how the rights are being implemented. States must submit an initial report two years after acceding to the convention and then periodic reports every five years. The committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of concluding observations. The deputy prime minister is expected back into the country on September 17.