A wake-up call on child rights violations

From UNICEF
DESPITE enormous progress realised for children since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, the rights of millions of children are being violated every day, UNICEF said today as it marked Universal Children’s Day.
“With conflicts, crises, and crushing poverty putting millions of children’s lives and futures at risk, protecting child rights is more urgent than ever – and a critical key to building stronger, more stable societies,” said Paolo Marchi, Representative (a.i.) of UNICEF in Guyana. “We need to stop these violations by investing more in reaching the most vulnerable children, or pay the price in slower growth, greater inequality, and less stability.”

Guyana ratified the CRC on 14 January, 1991. The world’s most rapidly and widely ratified human rights treaty, the CRC sets out a basic, universal standard for a healthy, protected, decent childhood for every human being.
Since ratification, Guyana has made significant progress for children in the areas of access to quality education, healthcare, reduction of child mortality and the impact of diseases on children’s lives. However, despite important progress, there are still disparities which should be addressed. Violence and abuse continue to be areas of concern, and can significantly affect the well-being of children.
Despite marked progress for children globally in recent decades, nearly six million children still die every year from preventable causes – and children from poor households are twice as likely as children from wealthier homes to die before reaching their fifth birthdays.
Nearly 50 million children have been uprooted – 28 million of them displaced by conflict. Children trapped in besieged areas – including Syria, Iraq, and northern Nigeria are at greater risk of having their rights violated, with their schools, hospitals and homes under attack.

Globally, around 250 million live in countries affected by conflict. Almost 385 million children live in extreme poverty and over a quarter of a billion school-aged children are not learning. Nearly 300 million children live in areas with the most toxic levels of outdoor air pollution – six or more times higher than international guidelines.
Next month UNICEF will mark 70 years of working to bring life-saving aid, long-term support and hope to children whose lives and futures are endangered by conflict, crises, poverty, inequality and discrimination. In Guyana, UNICEF will continue its partnership with the Government of Guyana to support National Strategic Plans and Programmes in the areas of safety and justice, life-long learning and social inclusion and child rights monitoring, with emphasis on equity, and on reaching the most vulnerable children and their families.
Continued emphasis will be placed on Child Protection, to ensure that violence, abuse and neglect of children are sufficiently addressed, including a multi-sectoral approach to violence prevention, and stronger child-protection systems.