Child
Protection Alliance (CPA) in fulfillment of its responsibility Wednesday
commenced a three-day national workshop for its members to develop a composite
monitoring action plan to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the
Rights of Children (CRC), concluding observation and Universal Periodic Review
(UPR) recommendation related to children.
The
workshop being held at the Bahai conference hall was funded by Save the
Children International.
In
his opening statement, Essa Sowe, deputy secretary general of the Gambia
Teachers Union, said the interest of the child must be the first consideration
in all decisions affecting children.
Mr
Sowe added that children have the right to be heard in all matters that concern
them and that their views should be given appropriate consideration.
He
said the CRC recognises equality and respect for children as basic principles,
adding that by ratifying the CRC, The Gambia accepted an obligation, binding as
a matter of international law, to respect, protect and fulfill all the rights
it contains.
According
to him, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has examined the Gambia’s
implementation of the CRC, and has issued its Concluding Observations on
improving children’s rights in The Gambia.
These
Concluding Observations represent the authoritative interpretation of the
action required by Government to implement its obligations towards children, he
pointed out.
Mr
Sowe remarked that they hope government would renew its commitment and resolve
in giving due consideration to the CRC when making new policy or legislation in
principle.
“It is easier to prepare a child than repair
an adult and we hope that the workshop will produce a framework that will
provide a sound work plan for the monitoring of the CRC Cobs and the UPR
Recommendations related to children,” he remarked.
Njundu
Drammeh, Child Protect Alliance (CPA) National Coordinator, said in October
2016, the Human Rights Committee through its Universal Periodic Review (UPR),
issued its recommendations on The Gambia Human Rights Report 2014.
In
January 2015, the Committee on the Rights of Children issued its Concluding
Observations on the Gambia’s combined second and third periodic report on the
CRC, he said.
He
added that the implementation of these recommendations is the primary
responsibility of the government, but civil society has the responsibility to advocate
and monitor the implementation.
He
said the UPR has many recommendations but they are interested in those on
children, adding that a lot of recommendations relating to children were
accepted by the state.
Mr
Drammeh explained that every government has the option to either accept, note
or reject and The Gambia rejected most of the recommendations which includes
media rights, gay rights, death penalty among others.
He
said civil society and media’s role is to monitor the implementation and
encourage the state to implement before the next periodic report.
