As the world marks the 22th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 20th November 2011, there is opportunity not only for celebration, but also for taking stock of the extent to which children’s rights are respected and protected in Seychelles.
As stated in Article 42 of the CRC, children have a right to know about their rights and to be empowered to take action to promote and protect those rights. The National Council for Children (NCC) recognizes that there is much more work to be done in encouraging young people to explore their rights, to reflect on the extent to which those rights are respected in their communities, and to consider the responsibilities of different individuals and organizations in promoting and protecting children’s rights including children themselves.
The CRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, yet there are significant gaps with regard to mechanisms for enforcing States Parties’ compliance.
On the 28th September of this year, the government of Seychelles presented its report to an independent group of experts to discuss in a non-adversarial manner, overall compliance with its international treaty obligations. Not only is the reporting process an opportunity for dialogue between the Committee and State Parties, but it also provides an invaluable tool for civil society to be informed and partner with the state in its obligations to children. Over the years, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has actively encouraged and supported the participation of NCC in encouraging the implementation of the CRC.
More and more, the Committee is also actively encouraging and supporting children’s participation in taking the Concluding Observations forward so that children can positively contribute to fulfilling their rights.
Article 12 of the CRC states that: “the child who is capable of forming his or her own views has the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting them.” This article, supported by many others, such as Articles 13 and 15, reminds us that the question should not be whether or not children will participate in the dissemination, implementation and monitoring process, but rather how will they participate. As children become more aware of their rights, they are assuming a more active role in society. “Children have their own distinctive views of what is good or bad for them”, said a spokesperson for NCC.
“If given the opportunity, children can, and will, express their feelings, thoughts and ideas about their daily lives and how their access to rights, or lack thereof, is affecting them”. Duty bearers need to guide them in what is in their best interest.
NCC will embark on a process to work with various groups of duty bearers and rights holders to support child participation in taking the CRC Concluding Observations forward and encourage government to implement the recommendations over the next 5 years.
If children are more involved , State Parties will benefit from child participation within the monitoring and reporting process as well. They will benefit by receiving accurate information from the children regarding how the programs and facilities they have initiated to implement the CRC are being used and how well they are meeting the goals for which they were designed.
NCC urges everyone to stand up and engage directly and consistently with children, to protect and promote their rights to express their views on all matters that affect them. This they say will provide children with the experience and opportunity to develop their own initiatives and creativity and help them become responsible and active members of the Seychellois society.
