Day of Prayer and Action for Children in the news around the globe.
This Day—Dar children to mark convention on rights, day of prayer
By ThisDay Reporter
20TH NOVEMBER 2009
Children from different schools in the city will today take part in a procession to mark a special celebration of a Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Day of Prayer and Action for Children at Mnazi Mmoja Grounds.
More than 70 countries have incorporated children’s codes into national legislation based on the Convention’s provisions. These include Tanzania with the landmark Law of the Child which was passed in the Bunge just two weeks ago.
Yet the rights of millions of children are not yet respected or protected, hunger, ill-health, violence, abuse, exploitation, discrimination and neglect are still the daily realities for far too many. Delivering on the commitment to children that the Convention represents is a collective responsibility, shared by every person, community, company, institution and government in the world.
It is the day when the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child first came into force. The world has seen many changes as a result of the Convention which is the most ratified human rights treaty in human history.
The Convention has transformed the way children are viewed and treated throughout the world. It gives primacy to the best interests of children in all decisions and actions that have an impact on them.
“The rights articulated in the Convention are based on four core principles – non-discrimination; the best interest of the child as primary consideration in matters that affect them; rights to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of children.”
The Convention also identifies the obligation of States to do all they can to deliver these rights, and acknowledges the special role of parents in their children’s upbringing.
There has been considerable progress since the Convention was opened for signature twenty years ago. For example, under-five mortality has fallen, the age of children getting married is rising in some countries and the number of girls subjected to genital cutting is gradually falling, about 84 percent of primary-school-age children now attend school and the gender gap in primary school enrollment is narrowing.