UN children’s agency UNICEF, in partnership with the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Council for the Welfare
of Children (CWC) held a celebration to mark 25 years of the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child (CRC) in the Philippines – with participation by
children and a wide group of partners.
Speakers at the event in Manila highlighted key successes
and challenges in realizing children’s rights in the country. While the
situation of Filipino children has generally improved, many challenges, such as
child poverty and the effects of disasters on children, still persist.
In 1990, the Philippines became the 31st State to ratify the
CRC, the most widely endorsed international human rights treaty in history. The
Convention establishes legally and morally binding obligations on every State
Party which ratifies it to “undertake all appropriate legislative,
administrative and other measures for the implementation of the rights
recognized” in the CRC.
DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Juliano-Soliman delivered the
keynote speech highlighting the Philippine Government’s successes in CRC
implementation and its role in protecting children affected by disasters.
“For 25 years, we have endeavored to create a safe and
nurturing environment for our country’s children. Needless to say, we must
continue and even intensify all our efforts so that we can create a caring and
protective society for, by and with the children. All that we envision in the
next 25 years will depend on how we move forward from today. These will depend
on how assiduously we work together – the public and the private sector - to
create the synergies necessary so that we engender a nation that knows how to
care for, raise, and protect its children,” Soliman said.
UNICEF Philippines Representative Lotta Sylwander said in
her remarks, “The Philippines made a set of promises to children when it
adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. While many Filipino children
are growing up happy and healthy, looking back on 25 years of progress reminds
us of the promises that remain unfulfilled. The rights and wellbeing of
children must be at the heart of sustainable development planning that the government
agrees to for the coming years and decades. We envision a Philippines where ALL
children’s rights are realized equitably – including those who are disadvantaged.
We call on duty bearers to ensure that sufficient resources are invested and child-friendly
laws are enforced down to the barangay level.”
According to UNICEF, good progress has been achieved in the
fulfillment of children’s rights in the country, such as in reducing
preventable child deaths and immunization coverage. In the Philippines we now
know more about the situation of children, have mobilized financial resources
and enacted laws for their survival, development, protection and participation.
On challenges, UNICEF said that inequity is a challenge that
must be further addressed in the Philippines. The plight of children living in
hard-to-reach areas need to be addressed by increased resource allocation and
sustained political commitment. Urgent action is also needed to ensure that critical
laws for children are consistently enacted and enforced, children are protected
from the effects of poverty, urbanisation and disasters, undocumented children
are registered and all children have access to day care centers.
CWC Executive Director Patricia Luna delivered the welcome
remarks. Two youth panelists Kiana Gualberto from Visayas and Norisa Sabirin
from Mindanao spoke about challenges facing children today, and how their lives
were shaped by the Convention.
The commemorative event was also the launch-pad for the
“Know More, No More” public advocacy campaign, which urges Filipinos to become
aware of problems plaguing children, and how each individual can help. UNICEF
Philippines National Goodwill Ambassador Gary Valenciano also unveiled the
CRC@25 theme song entitled Bawa’t Isa sa Atin - Minsan Ay Tulad Nila (Each one
of us - We were once like them) – which enjoins everyone to care for, love and
protect all Filipino children.
UNICEF also highlighted the role of innovation in reaching
every child through its flagship publication, the State of the World’s Children
2015 Report, unveiled at the CRC commemoration. The report calls on
governments, development professionals, businesses, activists and communities
to work together to drive new ideas for tackling some of the most pressing
problems facing children — and to find ways of scaling up the best and most
promising local innovations.
About
UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work please visit www.unicef.org.
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work please visit www.unicef.org.
For
further information, please contact:
Zafrin
Chowdhury, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Philippines, Tel: +632 901 01 77,
Mobile: +63 917 867 8366, zchowdhury@unicef.org
Marge
Francia, Communication Officer, UNICEF Philippines, Tel: +632 901 01 73,
Mobile: +63 917 858 9447, mfrancia@unicef.org
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