Children plead for observance of their rights

Children aged between 12 and 18 came together for a roundtable meeting involving lawmakers, before the International Children’s Day. They discussed the problems they face and proposed solutions to them, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Not all the children enjoy their rights. The children from boarding schools, the poor children and those whose labor is exploited, the minor mothers and the Roma children are discriminated. The children infected with HIV/AIDS and those of other religions are also discriminated,” said Alina Porombrica, from Taraclia village of Causeni district. Robert Cinciuc from Balti said the right to education is one of the fundamental child rights, but it is not always observed. “The Roma children are forced to beg instead of going to school. They do not attend school because they do not study their history there. Some of them do not have identification papers and cannot enroll,” said the teen. Robert also said that the children from poor families have to work in order to contribute to the family’s budget and thus abandon school. Deputy Head of Parliament Liliana Palihovici said the legislative body should play an important role in protecting the children and preventing any form of abuse, violence and discrimination against them. “We must improve the legislation so that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is fully respected in Moldova. We must also set the highest child protection standards,” said the lawmaker. UNICEF Representative in Moldova Alexandra Yuster said that one of the most important rights set out in the Convention is the right to participation. “By enabling the children, especially the disadvantaged ones, to tell the MPs their problems we help them to become active and powerful citizens. We welcome the Moldovan Parliament’s readiness to provide a platform for free expression, which is crucial for their growth and development,” said Alexandra Yuster. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in November 1989. Moldova ratified it a year later. The Convention is a human rights treaty setting out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. It generally defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless an earlier age of majority is recognized by a country's law. Nations that ratify the Convention are bound to it by international law. The roundtable meeting was held on May 25 at the suggestion of Parliament. It was organized with support from the UNICEF Representative Office in Moldova.