To mark this year’s Children’s Day today, the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, has launched a campaign titled: ” For every child, every right” to draw awareness to children’s rights by all of Nigerian society.
According to UNICEF’s new Country Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, while there have been many advances over the last years, children in Nigeria are still not accessing health, nutrition, education and other rights to the extent that they must. The Country Representative who resumed today said: “Sadly, it is the most disadvantaged children who are suffering the greatest challenge in having their rights fulfilled.”
Hawkins recalled that the 2019 Children’s Day falls during the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC, which is being commemorated this year around the world.
He said as part of the celebrations, UNICEF is launching a “Passport to Your Rights” – a copy of the CRC in child-friendly language, in pocket format.
He said UNICEF is targeting to ensure that every child in Nigeria has a copy of the passport to your rights by 2030 which is the deadline for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The CRC ‘passport’ will also be available in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Pidgin languages, and helping to ensure access by millions of Nigerians. Hawkins said: “Thirty years ago, something incredible happened.
World leaders came together in a moment of unity for the world’s children. They made a promise to every child to protect and fulfill their rights, by adopting the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Convention established childhood as a period that is separate from adulthood – a time in which children should grow, learn, play, develop and flourish.
“We want to see every Nigerian child have that kind of childhood.”
He explained that the Convention went on to become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, with Nigeria ratifying it in 1991.
It has helped to transform children’s lives; inspiring legislative changes to protect children and enabling them to participate actively in their societies.
“Today, more children than ever live healthy lives are learning in school and have a voice in their communities. But much more needs to be done as children’s rights continue to be unfulfilled and threatened daily around the world and in Nigeria. There are still too many children being left behind, and too many childhoods cut short by violence, conflict, poverty, and inequality.”
“On this Nigerian Children’s Day, we must look ahead to the future of childhood in this country, and re-commit to urgent, specific actions to protect the rights of every child – now, and in future generations.”
Child rights will only be fully realized when every government and every citizen is aware of and upholds children’s rights, and every child can claim those rights. It is for this reason that we are launching a campaign ‘For every child, every right’ and will work closely with the government to ensure that all Nigerians are aware of the rights that all children have.