Singapore - Over 200 people representing a cross-section of individuals and organisations working with children met here today to discuss Singapore‘s progress in the promotion and protection of children‘s rights.
The meeting, moderated by Singapore‘s Institute of Policy Studies Director Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, involved policy-makers from various government agencies, students, educators, social workers, medical and other professionals, and volunteers working with children.
They gave and exchanged views on a draft report that Singapore is preparing for final submission to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Geneva later this month.
The participants touched on issues such as the provision for better protection of children, efforts to improve child development outcomes, education, and enhanced standards and practices for early childhood development in Singapore.
State Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Yu-Foo Yee Shoon said at the meeting that Singapore‘s success in furthering children‘s rights was a result of strong people, and public and private sector commitment to the creation of an enabling environment for children to grow and flourish as individuals.
She said it was a distinctive formula of collective responsibility in the best interests of their children which had served them well, and that Singapore‘s approach of collective responsibility would continue to be a key ingredient in the ongoing work to make Singapore an even better place for children.
The meeting was jointly organised by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the National Council of Social Service, and the Singapore Children‘s Society.
The UNCRC is a comprehensive charter on the rights of children, setting minimum standards that governments should meet in providing healthcare, education, legal and social services in their countries.
Singapore has been a signatory to the UNCRC since October 1995. As State Party to the convention, it is obligated to provide periodic updates on key developments promoting and protecting the rights of children. By Zakaria Abdul Wahab
Source: http://www.bernama.com.my (July 02, 2008)