The Child Protection Alliance (CPA) and the voice of the young celebrated the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on Friday 20th of November.
Since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 and entry into force in 1990, the Convention has become the most widely ratified human right treaty with 193 state parties, testifying the willingness of states to embrace overreaching norms that protect children regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, origin, ability or other status.

In her remarks, the Director of Social Welfare, Fanta Bai Secka said that her research has shown that children constitute half of our continent’s population, therefore “there will be no meaningful sustainable development if children are deprived livelihood skills and their rights are at constant risk. She noted that children’s rights are human rights issues, their personal, political and human rights are therefore a developmental issue of crucial concern.
Madam Secka further stated that if sustainable development is to be achieved, the fulfillment of children’s rights to health, education and their protection from violence, abuse and exploitation must be addressed.
Madam Secka indicated that it is now time to take stock of the progress achieved in the implementation of the CRC and to address the most pressing priorities for its effective implementation taking into account the current development crisis such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and food security and its effects on the welfare of children in the promotion and protection of child rights.
She noted that while the 2nd decade of the CRC is marked, it is important that they make sober reflection on how far they have come in promoting and protecting children’s rights and to see whether children are better empowered to make their own choice and what else can be done to change attitudes to ensure recognition of child rights.
She further stated that Children are usually and highly successful advocates on their own behalf when opportunities are created for them and the recognition of their active participation. She therefore said that education programmes that recognize the realities of street children’s live might be necessary to enable them to receive and benefit from equal education and crave support.
She noted that many attempts have been made to bring about the protection, survival and development of children over the years but much more needs to be done which requires committed and affirmative action in the mobilization of resources and implementation of programmes using a right based approach.
“Our commitment to the implementation of the CRC is not in doubt, they provide the bench marks for all our development endeavours”.
“I must hasten to add that inspite of the achievements already indicated, the challenges that lie ahead are enormous and poverty remains the biggest obstacle to meeting the needs and for promoting the rights of children. It must be tackled on all fronts”. She concluded.
For his part the representative from the United Nation Children fund (UNICEF) MR. Salifu Jassey stated that the convention on the rights of the child (CRC) represents a major milestone in the historic efforts to achieve a world fit for children. He said as a binding treaty of international law, it codifies principles that member states of the United Nations (UN) agree to be universal for all children, in all countries and cultures at all times and without exception, simply through the fact of their being born into the human family.
He further said that it articulates a set of Universal children rights, such as the right to identify a name and a nationality, the right to have education and rights to the highest possible standards of health and protection from abuse and exploration. The programme was funded by save the children Sweden.