MANILA, 30 October 2024 – Members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Dr. Rinchen Chophel and Professor Thuwayba Al Barwani, ended a recent weeklong visit to the Philippines to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s efforts in implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the progress made on the 2022 concluding observations, especially in key areas of concern.
The Situation Analysis of Children in the Philippines website launched on 21 October at the start of the mission provided the committee members an excellent insight on the progress and challenges for children’s rights in the Philippines and a basis for their conversations with different stakeholders. The committee members spoke to government officials, civil society organizations, and children in Metro Manila and Cotabato. They discussed progress made and advocated for more efforts to address remaining challenges to ensure the full realization of children’s rights,.
In the country’s capital, the committee members met representatives from the National Economic and Development Authority, the Council for the Welfare of Children, and the Commission on Human Rights. They discussed the implementation of the CRC and the integration of child rights into national policies. Civil society organizations added to the diverse perspectives in advocating for children’s rights.
The visit to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, included a key meeting with Chief Minister H.E Ahod B Ebrahim, marking a significant step in advancing the region’s child rights agenda. The dialogue centered on strengthening policies and programmes to further reinforce the protection, education, health, nutrition, and overall well-being of children in the region. The committee members emphasized the need to prioritize the approval of the Bangsamoro Children’s Code, which will serve as a comprehensive tool to guarantee the rights and development of all children in the region.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to further enhance collaboration with the committee, UNICEF, and all other partners in addressing the critical issues on child rights and ensuring that children’s voices are heard in policy-making processes.
The committee members also urged the Bangsamoro Government to implement stringent child protection mechanisms during the election period so that children remain shielded from any violence, intimidation, or disruption.
One of the visit highlights was interacting with a group of well-informed and motivated children and youth leaders. It underlined how important child participation is in understanding the real-life impact of policies and programmes on children’s lives. The committee members also found the dialogues with civil society groups useful to increase understanding of the quality and access of services for children.
Dr. Rinchen Chophel, the Vice Chairperson and Rapporteur, said, “The insights we gained from the frank conversations here are invaluable in guiding our recommendations and ensuring that the voices of children are heard at the highest levels.”
Professor Thuwayba Al Barwani said, “Our goal is to ensure that every child in the Philippines can fully enjoy their rights. We listened, learned, and encouraged all sides to bolster the efforts of the government and civil society in following up the CRC recommendations.”
UNICEF Philippines Country Representative Oyun Dendevnorov said, “This visit underscores our joint commitment to children. Disasters, conflict, and climate impacts heighten risks for children and young people, including violence, abuse, exploitation, child marriage, child labor, family separation, conflict, and public health emergencies.
“As the Philippines is poised to reach upper middle-income status and hold pivotal elections next year, it is essential to recognize the importance of investing in children, realizing their rights through effective policies and allocations of public investments in social sectors to build resilient communities. Children play a crucial role in building human capital, growth, and development,” she added.
UNICEF is the United Nations organization mandated to safeguard the rights of every child and works with the Government and other partners to act on the CRC recommendations for the Philippines following the country’s 2022 CRC periodic reporting.
Media contacts
Lely Djuhari
Chief of Advocacy and Communication
UNICEF Philippines
Tel: +639175675622
Email: ldjuhari@unicef.org
Marge Francia
Advocacy & Communication Specialist
UNICEF Philippines
Tel: +63 917 858 9447
Email: mfrancia@unicef.org