Humaidan: Childhood projects are witnessing a remarkable development.. Bahrain celebrates the International Day of the Child and the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on

11-11-2019

The Kingdom of Bahrain joins the world in marking Universal Children's Day, observed on 20 November each year. This year’s commemoration is distinguished by the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Kingdom ratified in affirmation of its commitment to safeguarding children’s full rights, protecting them, and developing their capabilities across all spheres of life. The occasion provides an opportunity to promote a culture of children’s rights across society and to raise public awareness in Bahrain of measures that protect children’s rights and ensure their healthy upbringing in physical, intellectual, psychological, and social dimensions. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is among the most prominent international instruments adopted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, which ratified it in 1992. Bahrain has taken the initiative to establish institutions and programmes that translate the Convention’s provisions into practice, and it supports related initiatives at international and regional levels to protect children’s rights, most notably through the formation of the National Commission for Childhood and the launch of the National Strategy for Childhood and its implementation plan. This day is also an occasion to underscore the importance of continuing efforts to protect children’s rights and to support families in fulfilling their role in child‑rearing and education by promoting positive parenting practices and strengthening constructive family interaction. On this occasion, His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Chairman of the National Childhood Committee, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain is among the leading countries in enacting laws that guarantee children’s rights. This has been achieved through a range of legislation governing the registration of births and deaths, licensing conditions for kindergartens and nurseries, and laws on education, health, labour, juveniles, family custody, and penalties, in addition to Law No. (37) of 2012 with respect to the Promulgation of the Child Law, which has become the primary reference for legislation related to children and the protection of their rights. Humaidan highlighted the international recognition Bahrain received regarding the reality of children’s rights in the Kingdom following the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s 80th session in January of this year, during which the Kingdom’s comprehensive report on children’s rights was reviewed and discussed. He stressed that the Committee’s commendation of the legislative, executive, and human‑rights measures taken to secure the best attainable reality for children’s rights elevated Bahrain’s standing among countries committed to protecting human rights, and children’s rights in particular. This achievement reflects the lofty directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country’s great King, may God protect and preserve him, and his support for all measures aimed at protecting children’s rights within the framework of His Majesty’s comprehensive development process, as well as the full support provided by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the esteemed Prime Minister, and the tireless efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister, may God protect and preserve them, in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals and out of their conviction in preserving children’s rights, protecting them, and ensuring their proper upbringing. Humaidan noted that childhood projects in Bahrain have witnessed remarkable development aimed at promoting positive educational methods and providing an enabling environment for implementing the principles of protection, care, and development for children. He stated that mechanisms and initiatives implemented by authorities concerned with childhood reached 79% of the targets monitored in the National Strategy for Childhood action plan, which the Kingdom launched in 2012 and implemented over five years. He further noted the Cabinet’s decision to extend the National Strategy for Childhood for a further five years, from 2018 to 2023, to complete the remaining elements of the executive plan and consolidate gains in child development and protection. His Excellency confirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain has taken pioneering steps in child protection and care through a number of initiatives and measures, most notably the establishment of the Child Protection Centre and the dedicated child rescue and support helpline 998 to receive reports of abuse, physical or psychological harm, neglect, or sexual assault, and to provide guidance and referral services to the competent authorities when necessary. In addition, a juvenile court has been formed with procedures that preserve the child’s privacy, in a location separate from other courts, to instil reassurance appropriate to the child’s age group. In this context, Bahraini children enjoy a relatively high standard of living according to the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index for 2017, with the Kingdom ranked 43rd globally among 189 countries. The Human Development Index rose by 13.4% between 1990 and 2017, accompanied by increases in average life expectancy and average years of schooling, alongside an increase in Bahraini national income to 10.5%. This national development reflects continuous improvements in the health, education, and labour sectors, in tandem with unemployment indicators remaining within safe levels.