JOINT PRESS RELEASE;
By
Afghanistan Independent Human Right
Commission and Save the Children Sweden-Norway
On the occasion of 20th
November, Universal day of children
Save the Children Sweden-Norway is a
global movement for childrens rights and Afghanistan
Independent Human Right Commission is a national institution
mandated to monitor, protect and promote Human right in
Afghanistan.
Save the Children Sweden-Norway and
AIHRC is guided by the fundamental values expressed in the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the UN
Declaration on Human rights. Protection of children against
violence and prevention of
child abuse is a
high priority for both organizations.
Afghanistan
has signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of
Child (UNCRC) in 1994. Despite the ratification of
Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC), children still
continue to face violence.
The most prevalent types of
violence in the country are physical and sexual, violence
including humiliating, punishment, negligence, sexual
exploitation, and trafficking, worst forms of child labour,
early and forced marriage, gender-based violence and
discrimination.
It is very obvious and clear that all forms of violence,
abuse and negligence contribute to neonatal and childhood
mortality, and play an active role in increasing of physical
injury, disability and vulnerability of children, and poses
risk to their physical, emotional, cognitive and social
development.
The recent studies and research shows that the Afghan
administration system and laws run counter to the CRC
principles on several points. The best interest of the
child, which is the core principle of CRC, is yet to be
reflected widely in the Afghan legislations and
administration.
The main points to be highlighted is adopting of necessary
legal measures to protect children against all forms of
physical and psychological violence, and preventing of
discrimination and ensuring of appropriate educational
conditions compatible to childrens dignity.
Therefore, in order to fully implement the international
commitments and to ensure the best interests of children,
the
current legal and administrative system of
Afghanistan
needs to be revised and modified.
We believe
that if we invest generously in
Afghanistans
children today, tomorrow we would have more peaceful, sound
and safer
Afghanistan.
Today, while celebrating the universal day of children, we
would like to call on the Islamic government of Afghanistan
to consider the issue of children and response to the
requirements of children as a top priority in its
developmental
and rehabilitation programs.
