Child
Protection Alliance (CPA) launched on Monday the general comments on a
child-friendly budget at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Senegambia, as part of
on-going activities of popularising the comments.
The
General Comments document is a report written by the UN Committee of Experts on
the rights and welfare of children, which they write annually.
The
launching brought together stakeholders, senior government officials, protocol
officers and children across the country to popularise the general comments,
which assist state parties to involve children in realising their rights by
allocating special budgets for children.
The
general comments report is developed to improve understanding of the obligation
under the convention in relation to budgeting for children’s right so as to
strengthen the realisation of those rights, as well as to promote real change
in the way budgets are planned, enacted, executed and followed up to advance
implementation of the convention and its optional protocols.
Speaking
at the launching ceremony, Famara Darboe, CPA board member, said the event
marked another historic milestone for CPA as they embark on great work to
promote and protect the rights and welfare of children.
He
said as a leading child right organisation, they wish to engage ministries,
departments, CBOs, NGOs and other bodies and children focused on the effective
implementation of the general comments document to advance the rights of every
child.
He
thanked all child right organisation partners for accelerating the call to
promote the rights and welfare of children, adding that a lot needs to be done
in the realisation of the rights and welfare of children.
Mr
Darboe said CPA is committed to reaching a society where children are protected
from all forms of abuse and exploitation and are given the opportunity to
participate in the deliberation of all issues affecting their own lives.
In
her remarks on the occasion, Fanta Bai Secka, director of Social Welfare
department, said priority should be given to children and special budgets
should be allocated for them to realise their rights. “The greatness of a
nation is nurtured by the investment made towards children,” she said.
Social
protection makes child protection functional, she said, adding that she would
ensure families take off their primary responsibility to protect their children
in an enabling environment for children to develop their full potential.
Children
issues cannot be addressed without funding families as a subset of an
intervention for children, on the participation and corporation of families and
the communities.
‘We
should go with the principle that every child is special and should be prepared
beyond tomorrow,” she noted, saying government should therefore invest
adequately in their development, especially in their early childhood stage.
For
her part, Fatoumatta A. Jallow, President of Voice of the Young, said state
parties should ensure that priority is given to children across the world in
budget allocation, especially in relation to survival, protection and
participation as they are the future leaders.
She
said state must not discriminate children in budget allocation, resource
mobilization and sending of public funds, the interest of the child should be
the primary focus in the budget allocation at all times.
Hon.
Abdou Colley, National Assembly Member, deputising for the speaker, and
officially launched the ceremony, said budget planning and allocation are
crucial process to which children should be included at all times.
He
said if the nation should have good future leaders, government should seriously
invest in children, education, health and social service for children across
the country.
He pointed out that budget allocation is not
all about how much money is available but it is about ensuring that the
available resources are in favour of children, who should also be included and
made to participate in the budget process.
