The National Child Protection Authority of Sri Lanka has launched an island wide program to enlighten the public on the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was introduced in 1989 to protect the rights of children in the world, and Sri Lanka signed the Convention in 1990 and ratified in July 1991.
Accordingly, Sri Lanka as a state party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is bound to defend 54 clauses of the Convention safeguarding and implementing the rights of children.
The National Child Protection Authority has recognized that school and village children’s awareness in the child rights is not sufficient and accordingly, has launched an island wide program to enlighten the children on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
A simple version of the Children’s Right Convention published by the National Child Protection Authority to make it easier for the school children to understand, will be used in the program.
The program aims to provide a broad understanding to the children in their rights and on how to take steps for future well-being.
The program is proposed to be implemented in every district of the island and with the assistance of the Ministry of Education the first program will be implemented as a pilot project in the Western Province.
The National Child Protection Authority says it will appear on behalf of children whenever there is a violation of child rights and requests the public to inform the nearest police station or the 24 hour ChildLine 1929 if they see any such incident.
