Master plan for reducing child labour: PM

POST REPORT KATHMANDU, NOV 20

PRIME Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday urged the ministries concerned to endorse and effectively implement the National Policy on Child Rights. Addressing a programme organised by the Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN) to mark the 25th year of the child rights movement, PM Bhattarai urged the ministries to implement the policy that ensures every child’s right to education, basic health and proper nutrition. Bhattarai asked all the stakeholders to work together with his government to protect and promote child rights. November 20 is marked as the International Children’s Rights Day, to commemorate the ratification of the Children’s Rights Convention by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1989. The child rights movement in Nepal started in 1987, with CWIN playing a leading role. While children’s access to education has increased and the admission rate in the primary level has reached 95.1 percent, the fact that five percent of children are still deprived of proper schooling is a cause for concern, said Bhattarai. “There are still challenges for qualitative health and education and the present status of child labour in the country,” he said. Bhattarai said that the government had amended its 10-year work plan on child rights and was planning to endorse a master plan on reducing child labour. “A work plan to rehabilitate children affected by the 10-year conflict has been prepared,” said Bhattarai while assuring childfriendly local governance, national policy and procedures for its implementation and also designating schools as a “zone of peace”. INT’L CHILDREN’S RIGHTS DAY Bhattarai said that the government had amended its 10-year work plan on child rights and was planning to endorse a master plan on reducing child labour