UNICEF praises Govt’s Children’s Rights Protection policy

Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Marita Perceval on Thursday praised the Guyana Government’s stance on children’s rights, especially in the area of education.

Perceval, who is in Guyana for the Hague Convention Conference on International Family Law, Legal Cooperation and Commerce: Promoting Human Rights and Cross Border Trade in the Caribbean, met with President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency.

During the meeting, Perceval noted that the President and his ministers have shown a strong commitment to the wellbeing of the vulnerable groups in the country, especially children. This she said is a characteristic which must be emulated.

“We recognise your leadership and your drive for adolescents and children. You have our respect for the decision to prioritise, for children and adolescents, education and child protection. These are core issues for the region…We, as humanity, need people like you, need people that could be shocked by the inequities that you find near you and try to fix them. I appreciate your team, your statement, your support to UNICEF and know that you can count on us,” the Regional head for UNICEF told the President.

Just Wednesday evening, the President at the opening of the Hague Convention Conference, reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to ensuring that every Guyanese child is cared for and protected.

Perceval also praised the President’s Five Bs (Boats, Buses, Bicycles, Books, and Breakfast) programme, born on the President’s birthday last year, which is aimed at ensuring that every child has access to and stays in school, as she noted that this is a shining example of the human side and commitment of the President to ensuring that every child is taken care of.

“We at UNICEF are very proud of the programme… We speak on children, adolescents and women. We are touched by the President’s statement that every child must live with its family… this helps the country greatly and this point is in the best interest of the child,” she said.

The Five Bs programme has reached almost every Region across the country. Already, ten buses, nine boats and hundreds of bicycles have been donated to children and communities in an effort to reduce inequalities and hindrances to accessing education.