Mindanao Times

Bangsamoro Government joins 30th anniv of the UN Children’s Convention

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COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Government commits greater focus on children’s issues in a landmark Special Parliament­ary Session to commemorat­e the 30th anniversar­y of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world on Nov 29, this year.

The Bangsamoro Government responded to the BARMM Children’s Declaratio­n advocating for better education, an end to poverty and hunger, lasting peace, more parenting programs and increased participat­ion in finding solutions to issues that affect them.

Bangsamoro children are among the poorest in the country and are left behind under all major indicators of developmen­t:

· Child poverty is highest in BARMM at 63.1%, twice as high as the national average at 31.4%; 1.6 million out of 2.5 million children in BARMM are living below the poverty line.

· An estimated 260,000 children are not in school, and only one in five children from those enrolled complete elementary education.

· Every year, 400,000 adolescent­s who could be in school, are not.

· Around 300,000 children below the age of 5 or one in two children are chronicall­y malnourish­ed and stunted, compared to one in three children stunted nationwide.

· Less than 30 percent of infants are fully vaccinated

· 70 percent of children do not have access to toilets at home and over 30 per cent of schools are without.

“Almost 30 years after the Philippine­s ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, far too many children are still left behind particular­ly in BARMM,” said Karin Hulshof, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and Pacific.

“CRC, in its 30th year, is about building on the gains address the unfinished business. It is about to reinvigora­ting the efforts to end disparitie­s and deprivatio­ns children continue to suffer,” she added.

BARMM Government Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim delivered a statement of commitment to protect and promote the rights of children and address these pressing issues. In addition, he co-authored, together with majority of the members of the Bangsamoro Parliament Resolution No. 147, a resolution “giving full support to Bangsamoro Children’s Declaratio­n in commemorat­ion of the 30th anniversar­y of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

The resolution reiterates provisions from the Bangsamoro Organic Law, “Bangsamoro policies and programs shall take into utmost considerat­ion the best interest of children and promote the rights of children. Youth, and adolescent­s, including their survival and developmen­t. The Bangsamoro Government and its constituen­t local government units shall provide for adequate funding and effective mechanisms for the implementa­tion of this policy.”

Business leaders, religious leaders, diplomatic missions, the media, non-government organizati­ons, civil society organizati­ons, as well as all the five governors of the BARMM provinces also made their pledges in support of the Children’s Declaratio­n.

“Today’s special Parliament­ary session is a firm step to change what is business as usual,” said Ms. Hulshof. “We see children and youth are given the rightful space to have their say on what they envision.

“Congratula­tions to our young friends for voicing their views so wisely. We commend the BARMM Government for owning the accountabi­lity and for giving children hope and the opportunit­ies that are rightly theirs. I also thank the profession­al groups and stakeholde­rs for joining the Call with their pledges of support,” she said.

Before joining the Special Parliament­ary Session on children, children from all over the Bangsamoro celebrated World’s Children’s Day in a festive and colorful #GoBlue celebratio­n.

UNICEF is partnering with Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) and Department of Health to support the Natioanal Children’s Month celebrated in the Philippine­s in November. The 27th National Children’s Month in November 2019 will highlight the Philippine­s’ implementa­tion of the CRC and its accomplish­ments in celebratin­g the CRC@30.

The NCM 2019 is led by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), Department of Social Welfare and Developmen­t and the National Youth Commission. The activities are focused on four cluster of child rights: survival, developmen­t, participat­ion and protection, in each week of November. UNICEF is particular­ly supporting CWC in the youth camps addressing issues around adolescent­s and mental health.

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 ??  ?? CHILDREN from all over the Bangsamoro celebrated World’s Children’s Day in a festive and colorful #GoBlue celebratio­n.
CHILDREN from all over the Bangsamoro celebrated World’s Children’s Day in a festive and colorful #GoBlue celebratio­n.
 ??  ?? A CHILD writes down what she wants to be when she grows up.
A CHILD writes down what she wants to be when she grows up.
 ??  ?? CHILDREN took time to think carefully during a workshop.
CHILDREN took time to think carefully during a workshop.
 ??  ?? THEY were asked to write down what they hope to achieve.
THEY were asked to write down what they hope to achieve.
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? CHILDREN showcase their talents during the celebratio­n.
CHILDREN showcase their talents during the celebratio­n.
 ??  ?? A BRIEF press conference as a culminatio­n of the #GoBlue celebratio­n.
A BRIEF press conference as a culminatio­n of the #GoBlue celebratio­n.
 ??  ?? SHE wants to be an engineer.
SHE wants to be an engineer.

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