Rights Advocacy
Need a separate commission to advocate child issue
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Photo courtesy: Save the children |
Bangladesh ratified Child Rights Convention on 1990, but still little work has done and very few people know about child rights and its philosophy. It is limited only under concerned government and non government organizations. But experts think, as long as people are not oriented about child rights issue, rights violations and exploitation will continue.
According to National Child Policy 2011, child means a person below eighteen and there are six crore thirty lakhs children in that account. To oversee this population there is not even a separate commission or department.
Why a separate child rights commission?
Concept of child ombudsmen was first introduced during the period of BNP led-Government and a draft law on child ombudsmen was drafted. But after that there is no follow up on it. In a recent interview, Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the State Minister for Women and Children Affairs of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh informed, “in the National Child Policy, appointing an ombudsmen is a priority issue”( Prothom Alo, November 28, 20122).
Interestingly, from same ministry, we have different views. The government has no immediate plan to establish a separate Department for Children. “We are giving priority to strengthening the Shishu Academy (SA) instead of establishing a separate department for children,” said Tariq-Ul-Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs narrating government's position. (http://www.thedailystar.net/child-rights/2012/11/10/exclusive-department-needed-to-protect-child-rights/) But this opinion is criticized by other stakeholders who said, Shishu Academy is a platform for cultural development of the children. “Trying to work comprehensively on child issues needs technical skill and currently our SA is not equipped with that”, in the condition of anonymity a personnel of SA shared his opinion.
However, civil society urges in different platform to establish an institution that can increase the political and national attention to children by addressing their affairs.
UNICEF believes that with more budget recourses allocated for child-related issues, Bangladesh can overcome many of these challenges. In 5th state part CRC report it was stated that, “The budgeting procedure in Bangladesh still lacks consultation with children and a “pro-child budgeting” framework in formulating the national budget is yet to be in place. A variety of programs and projects operating under several ministries are involved in delivering services earmarked for children in the national budget.”
If we have a separate commission for children then it will also raise voice to increase budgetary allocation which is mandatory for any initiative. A separate commission can independently monitor progress and advocate for child friendly policies. It can also seek accountability of the duty bearers and service providers and at the same time maintain coordination among all the relevant stakeholders' on child rights issues.
In an interview with Law Desk, regarding this, Qazi Rezaul Haque, NHRC fulltime member shared his view about a separate commission for children. He informed, according to the statistics of Children less than 18 years of age constitute about 45% of the population. They belong to the vulnerable groups of people to a large extent and social and economic context of Bangladesh accelerates their vulnerability. Considering their vulnerability there should be an exclusive institution the purpose of which will be to deal with children affairs and provide effective remedy. In this respect Government is committed to make an ombudsman to fulfill the promise made in National Child Development Policy 2011. “We think through an ombudsman we can solve the issues relating to children giving priority over their affairs and the institution will act as custodian and guardian for the protection of child rights, “he added.
Moreover overlapping in activities of different ministries and lack of coordination frustrates the focus and child issues become neglected. An exclusive commission can only be a way out for this. Child Rights Governance Assembly (CRGA) can use their technical expertise to hold government accountable on complying obligations under CRC and they should raise awareness and advocate for a separate commission to address children issues in large scale.
From Law Desk.
