Representatives from 12 Pacific Island countries gathered in Samoa recently to discuss the progress, challenges, and make commitments on the way forward to champion children’s rights in the Pacific.
In a statement, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said the purpose of the three-day workshop was for members to commit to strengthening child rights in Pacific Island counties.
The workshop followed three separate country visits to Tuvalu, Cook Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia where members of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) committee met with children, governments, and civil society to see firsthand how their earlier recommendations were fairing.
“We need to set things right for children of the future,” said 11-year-old Semisi Boomy Ioane on day one.
“Don’t do it for us, do it for them so that our children can have – as the title said – a clean, happy, healthy and safe environment for them to live in.”
Government representatives then joined the CRC members and regional and international stakeholders in Samoa.
“The regional meeting of representatives of States was a great platform for experience sharing,” said Chair of the CRC Committee Ms Ann Skelton.
“There were discussions about the challenges of changing attitudes, but there were also moments of breakthrough as delegates stepped up to be champions in taking children’s rights forward.”
To commemorate World Children’s Day, which is celebrated annually on November 20, the Committee also hosted the Pacific Launch of the General Comment No. 26 on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change.
On this day, the Committee members were joined by schoolchildren to discuss children’s rights and celebrate World Children’s Day as well as the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment among participants to accelerate efforts in implementing the CRC Convention and to enhance States’ actions arising from the recommendations of the CRC Committee.
The governments of the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu collectively affirmed their dedication to children’s rights.
Key highlights from the outcomes included championing children’s rights, climate action and commitment to intensify efforts in implementing the CRC convention and acting to follow-up on the CRC committee’s recommendations.
The CRC committee acknowledged the active engagement and commitment of the Government participants and expressed gratitude to the Pacific Island countries for their dedication to children’s rights.
