#National News

Gov’t develops comprehensive strategy for child protection

Jun 24, 2020, 1:58 PM | Article By: Njie Baldeh

Women, Children and Social Welfare minister Fatou Kinteh says the government of The Gambia has developed a comprehensive national child protection strategy with plan of action that seeks to address the protection of children’s matters in the country.

Delivering a statement on the celebration of the Day of the African Child 2020 last week, Minister Kinteh said The Gambia has a dual system in terms of the domestication of international legal instruments and human rights treaties.

She said the Childrens’ Act 2005 draws inspiration from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) which are the principal documents that guarantee the rights of all children in The Gambia, other than the constitution, on any matters pertaining to children.

The Day of the African Child is commemorated every 16 June. This year’s theme is: Access to child-friendly justice in Africa which was chosen by the African Union to guide country-level commemoration of events making the day, whereas the National theme is: Access to child-friendly justice in The Gambia.

Sarata Ceesay, Speaker of the Children National Assembly said their Assembly, under the Gambia National Youth Council has joined children across the Gambia and Africa to commemorate the day.