Kathmandu: The South Asian Regional Consultation meeting on Child Rights today stressed on the need for increasing coordination amongst NHRCs of SAARC region with the objective of protecting and promoting rights of the children.
Thirty five government officials and child right activists from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka participated in the two-day meeting, which concluded here today, organised at the joint initiatives of Save the Children, Sweden and National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC).
The meeting has reaffirmed a need to establish and strengthen independent National Human Rights bodies in all countries of South Asia and establish a network of cooperation among them in the region to deal with the violations and protect and promote the rights of the child.
In his inaugural remarks chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal Kedar Nath Upadhyaya has stressed that any government should not hesitate to punish the perpetrators of human rights violations and expressed hope to reform the situation of human rights in South Asia by consolidated efforts of NHRIs.
The meeting also acknowledged the importance of access to quality education to all children focusing on most deprived, to appeal the national governments to have a proper mechanism to protect the rights of children affected by armed conflicts and trafficking.
According to a press release issued after meeting, its recommendations will be presented during the forthcoming summit of the NHRCs being held in India in January 2009.
