Celebrating 20 years of the Convention on the Rights of Child
Today Belize and the rest of the global community celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Our young nation was the fifth country to ratify this Convention and to date it is the most universally accepted human rights instrument. In 1990 we accepted the mandate to work to secure the future of our youngest citizens. Understanding that as duty bearers we were being tasked to develop/maintain an enabling environment where all our children could develop to their fullest potential. Though that was two decades ago the Convention continues to have relevance. Many of the issues addressed in the Convention continue to plague our society. Now more than ever the need to work towards the promises of the Convention is underscored. Furthermore, as our nation and its families go through the lifespan we are faced with new developmental issues that highlight the need to protect our children as the most vulnerable group in our society.
The truth is that the Convention does not promise nor can it bring overnight solutions. What it does is sets a standard of what is necessary to ensure the children of our nation have the opportunity to develop into productive citizens. It is a commitment to working towards these ideals which will secure the future of our children and our nation. The Convention asks us to look at the child from a holistic perspective – understanding that similar to the concept of needing a village to raise a child – we also need a comprehensive approach to rights fulfillment. This is especially important in the recession that we are all living in. In these financially difficult times our government is tasked to manage our resources responsibly. In our communities families are trying to cope with the ever shrinking value of their money while providing the basic necessities for their children. Institutions and Organizations that offer care and services to children are now finding themselves having to do more with less money and resources. In the midst of all this belt tightening and restructuring we must keep the best interest of our children in mind. The decisions we make on their behalf must contribute to their development.
For many years now, a number of institutions and organizations have been carrying out programs and projects that target children and adolescents. There is need however to strengthen the coordination and thus increase the impact that these programs have on the welfare of the target group. Many may not know that there is a plan that seeks to fit the CRC into our Belizean context. It addresses the issues that are most pertinent to our children. It outlines how these issues will be addressed and it identifies those who will be responsible for implementation. The National Plan of Action for Children and Adolescent (NPA) is a document that spells out, as a part of Belize’s international commitments, the national targets and strategies/actions of the people and the government of Belize in matters of childhood and adolescent development. It seeks to improve the lives of our children in the areas of Health, HIV/AIDS, Education, Culture, Family Life and Child Protection. The NPA asks us to coordinate our efforts across and within ministries and among non-governmental organizations and the business community to fulfill the rights of children. The National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC), as the guardians of the NPA, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the NPA.
As outlined in the Convention promoting and protecting the rights of children must be the work of all citizens. As an organization the NCFC has the mandate to champion the rights development and welfare of our families and children. But individuals institutions and organizations also must ensure that they are
For further information contact:
Pearl Stuart
Executive Director
National Committee for Families and Childre
62 Cleghorn St.
Belize City, Belize
Tel: 223-0059
ncfc@btl.net
