Kathmandu, Sept 14

Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Parbat Gurung said the government has placed high emphasis on the protection of child rights from policy, legal and structural fronts.

In a message delivered on the occasion of the National Children’s Day, Minister Gurung noted that the campaign of building ‘street children free country’ has been intensified to protect the rights of poor and helpless children. “A zero tolerance policy has been adopted against any forms of violence meted out against children.

The government is firmly committed to book the perpetrators involved in the violence against children. Necessary arrangement has been made for strong collaboration among the local, state and federal governments to that end”, reads the message. Nepal has ratified and implemented over 16 international instruments related to children including the United Nations Conventions on Child Rights, International Declaration and SAARC-level Declarations.

He further said the government has made necessary investment to make the children as competent citizen of the country so as to realize the national resolution of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’. He also called for all the sides concerned to work with further enthusiasm for the protection of child rights taking it as a shared responsibility. “I urge the teachers and guardians including all the sides concerned to remain sensitive towards the possible vulnerable situation of children getting into ‘digital addiction’ due to critical circumstances stemming from the COVID-19.

He also extended his best wishes for engrossing efforts towards building child friendly society. This year’s National Children’s Day is being celebrated with the slogan ‘Assurance of child rights in crisis, our shared responsibility’