UN children’s agency UNICEF announces two commemorative events this November to bring to light the situation of children’s rights in the Philippines. The one year commemoration of Typhoon Yolanda and the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) gives the country an opportunity to look back on the gains and challenges of growing up in a country facing multiple disasters, amidst a rapidly changing and socio-economic reality.
The CRC, the most widely ratified international human rights treaty, is focused on protecting and promoting children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation. Countries that have adopted the CRC—including the Philippines — are bound by its international laws and are required to always act in the best interest of children.
“The Philippines made a set of promises to children when it adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. While more and more Filipino children are growing up happy and healthy, looking back on 25 years of progress reminds us what is still left to do and how the vision for Filipino children must shape up,” said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Representative in the Philippines.
