CRY welcomes Govt decision to sign optional protocol to CRC
NEW DELHI, Sept 21: Welcoming the Government’s decision to sign the
two optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) regarding children involved in armed conflicts and that of child
prostitution, child rights activists have demanded overhaul of the
“antiquated” national policy on children.Child Relief and You (CRY), an NGO working for the rights of under
privileged children, said the Government decision to sign the optional
protocol to the convention on the rights of the child on the
involvement of children in armed conflict and the optional protocol to
the convention on the rights of the child on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography, “is late and does not go far
enough.”Already 117 countries have signed the optional protocol on the
involvement of children in armed conflict and the 124 nations have
signed the optional protocol on sale of children, child prostitution
and child pornography, CRY pointed out. These include neighbouring
countries like Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“The Government’s decision to sign the optional protocols needs to be
followed up with an early review and substantial overhaul of the now
antiquated national policy on children, 1974,” CRY has stressed.
The CRC is the first legally binding international instrument to
incorporate the full range of human rights including civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights. Ratified by 192 countries, the
CRC stands as the most ratified convention in international law. It
also embraces two optional protocols.
CRY demanded that the Government withdraw the declaration made to the
CRC about time needed to eliminate child labour.
While signing the CRC in 1993, the Indian Government had filed a
declaration subscribing to the objectives and purposes of the
convention but said it was not practical immediately to prescribe
minimum ages for admission to each and every area of employment in
India.
However, the Government had assured to undertake measures to
progressively implement the provisions of Article 32 relating to
abolition of child labour and assuring children the right to education
in accordance with its national legislation and relevant international
instruments to which it was a party.
All Indian Governments, irrespective of ideological orientation, have
subscribed to Article 32 relating to recognising the right of the
child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing
any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the
child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical,
mental, spiritual, moral or social development, it pointed out.
The specific section that India mentioned in its declaration,
paragraph 2(a) states “states parties shall take legislative,
administrative, social and educational measures to ensure the
implementation of the present article. To this end and having regard
to the relevant provisions of other international instruments, states
parties shall in particular provide for a minimum age or minimum ages
for admission to employment”
“It is open to question if even in 1993, the Government should have
asked for time to completely implement Article 32. But that is now
history. The Government of India now should take an unqualified stand
on advancing all children s rights” CRY observed and urged the
Government to withdraw its declaration on paragraph 2(a) of Article 32
of the CRC.
It pointed out that states like Goa did not wait for the Centre’s
decision to take the new dangers to children seriously. They have
alredy refined their legal systems and put in place additional
safeguards on protecting children from the trafficking and pornography
industry, through the Goa Children’s Act. It urged the Centre and
other states to follow the suit to protect the rights to children.
(UNI)http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/04sep22/national.htm#4