World celebrates Children’s Day

Today the world celebrates Children’s Day on the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. To date it is the most ratified treaty in the entire UN treaty body system, endorsed by 196 countries worldwide. Barbados was an early signatory in October 1990.

This Convention, which is sometimes misunderstood in Barbados, seeks to ensure that we respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children, but not in denial of parental rights. These rights must be balanced against the background of the best interests of children as a primary concern. Children (that is persons under the age of 18 years) are more than 25% of the world population and in some countries frequently discriminated against, neglected and abused. In some countries they are caught in armed conflict, on the run as refugees and asylum seekers, live in abject poverty, subjected to exploitative child labour and sold by families for their own survival. Many, particularly girls, are denied an education.

The Convention seeks to ensure that these wrongs are eradicated by holding countries to the pledges they have made under the Convention. In broad terms, the Convention, in recognition of the special vulnerability of children, speaks to their right to adequate food and shelter; to education and health; family environment; access to justice; to be heard; to freedom of expression; freedom from discrimination based on race; colour, creed, gender, or birth status, among others, within certain important parameters.  This Convention also respects and recognizes and importance of traditions and cultural values and will uphold these unless they lead to harmful and abusive practices.

The Convention also emphasises and requires States to respect the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents. However, parents must respect the evolving capacity of the child and must allow him or her to mature and permit him or her to be part of decision making, having a voice within the loving embrace and guidance of the family unit.

Climate change will have a disproportionate effect on children and therefore they need to be put front and centre as we grapple with this issue.

COVID19 had a huge impact on everyone, but particularly on children whose education has been set back by two years at least. And particularly on those from poor backgrounds where there was lack of access to internet, children also lost their right in some instances to adequate leisure and play which are very vital to optimal development.

Against this global background, Barbados is no exception in having to meet all these challenges, but in my opinion has been able to ensure that our children continue to have a reasonable high standard of health care and good access to education, albeit in need of reform to meet modern day needs.

And today there is much cause for celebration; I see many green shoots on the horizon for the implementation of the rights of the children in Barbados; a focused committed approach to their upliftment by Government has led to the imminent passage of new legislation for Children’s care and protection, for justice an eventually a greatly enhanced protection system which will puts them and the family unit at its very centre.

For this World’s Children’s Day, I laud all those who have promoted and fostered this new surge ahead. Our children will bless you far into the future!