Somalia ratifies UN convention to improve children rights

Somalia government has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), setting a course to improve the lives of its youngest citizens, the UN children's fund said on Tuesday.

A statement from UNICEF issued in Nairobi said the ratification process will be finalized once the government of Somalia deposits the instruments of ratification with the United Nations in New York.

"By ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the government of Somalia is making an investment in the wellbeing of its children, and thus in the future of its society," the statement said.

The ratification means that Somali children now hold legally binding rights with the CRC providing a framework for the Government to promote and protect those rights.

The Somali Government will have to bring its legislation, policy and practice into accordance with the standards in the CRC. The ratification provides the basis for the system building and capacity development of the Government.

By ratification, the Horn of Africa has become the 194th state party to ratify the Convention as the world enters into the 26th year of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

"The central message of the Convention is that every child deserves a fair start in life. What can be more important than that?," UNICEF said.

UNICEF lauded the crucial step taken by Somalia and vowed to continue supporting the nationwide effort to translate the rights of the Convention into practical action for every child.

According to UNICEF, Somalia's children continue to face daily challenges posed by conflict, displacement, malnutrition and disease. Child and maternal mortality rates are among the worst in the world.

One in seven children die before reaching the age of five mostly from preventable illnesses and a polio outbreak still poses a risk. Only four in ten children are in school while nearly 800 children were recruited by armed groups last year.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted on November 20, 1989 by the UN General Assembly.

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