-Minister Vindhya Persaud urges learners at World Children’s Day celebration

UNDER the theme, “My Day, My Rights,” the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday celebrated World Children’s Day 2025, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Observed on November 20 annually, World Children’s Day marks a powerful moment for children worldwide. It aims to be a true forum for children designed by children, one where policymakers, leaders and communities are called on to not only participate, but to listen, reflect and act.

Speaking at the opening ceremony for the event, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud, recalled that in 1989, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

One year later, this dynamic convention came into force. The minister noted that although this happened over 30 years ago, today we are still working on ensuring that at least 30 per cent of the world’s population has access to education, health, safety, security, identity and a world free of discrimination.

Alongside this statement, the minister pointed out that every child must be safe. This is the Ministry of Human Services and the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) overarching slogan, which she says speaks for every child.

The minister urged learners to be fearless and to speak up for themselves and others, be confident, love themselves and have respect for each other’s differences.

Following an interaction with those in attendance, Minister Persaud called on adults to listen to children, stating that when children confide in adults their words need to be taken seriously.

The minister firmly stated that if their voices are not heard, children will continue to experience the worst for years, taking with them a cycle of trauma that leaves scars and can manifest in the choices they make as adults.

Coming out of Monday’s event and a previously hosted one, Minister Persaud announced that they will be creating a children’s manifesto, which will highlight what children want for themselves in Guyana and in the future.

Also speaking at the ceremony was the Chairperson of the Rights of the Child Commission, Aleema Nasir, who briefly shared that we celebrate not just the future, but the presence of every child in Guyana.

“The theme this year, My Day, My Rights, is a powerful call to action. It is a demand that we, as adults, put aside our assumptions and dedicate this day to doing one crucial thing — listening,” Nasir said.

According to the chairperson, this year’s theme emphasised the fact that we must move beyond reciting the list of rights; we must ask, are your rights being upheld in your classroom? Are they missing in your community? Are they being denied in your home?

“We must hear their answers because only by listening to the reality of our children can we truly assess the gaps of implementation, whether those gaps involve access to quality education or protection from violence,” Nasir affirmed.

Adding to this, representative from UNICEF Guyana and Suriname, Gabriel Vockel remarked that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is not just a document with lots of words, but it is a promise that many governments have made to their own children, including Guyana.

“We believe in this text, and we want to do whatever we can to make sure that all the children who live in Guyana can grow up healthy, educated, and protected. And that we want to listen to them,” Vockel said.