Set up ombudsman to safeguard child rights

Speakers call at roundtable

8 October 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Even after 19 years of ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Bangladesh is yet to set up the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO) to safeguard the child rights, said the speakers at a roundtable yesterday. They said under the UNCRC it is mandatory to set up children's ombudsman for the signatory countries. The roundtable titled 'Ombudsman for Child Rights Protection' was organised by the Prothom Alo at its conference room in association with the Unicef. Stressing the need for setting up children's ombudsman, an independent body for litigation of child rights, the speakers said it is high time to work on it. They said a draft law was prepared to set up children's ombudsman in the country in 2006 and it should be revived now. The speakers said setting up of the ombudsman for children's office would be helpful to make different government and non-government bodies accountable and transparent in protecting the child rights. Simultaneously, it would be a platform for the children to place their complaints and listen to them on their rights issues, they added. G Nayeem Wahra of Save the Children Australia said it does not need huge money to set up OCO and if the government wants, it can start the work with the existing set up and manpower. " There are three women commissioners in every upazilas in the country who have little work to do. If they listen to the children of their areas and place it to the authorities concerned, it would be one step ahead," he said. "Child abuse would reduce considerably if an independent children ombudsman could be established," said Advocate Salma Ali, executive director of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association. It might work under the Human Rights Commission, said Sheepa Hafiz of Brac, adding that local representatives also could start the job under the community's watch. Admitting the need for OCO State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury said it is not enough to establish OCO, rather active involvement of all concerned should be ensured. "The experiences of OCOs in different countries should be considered in this regard," she added. The speakers also recommended that the government and non- government organisations should work in a coordinated way to ensure child rights and resolve the complexities regarding the definition of children. Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman moderated the discussion which was also addressed by Quomaran Nessa Khanam, secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Mohsin Ali Khan of BLAST, Aminul Islam Sajal of Unicef, Anisul Haque of Prothom Alo, and Nazrul Islam, additional inspector general of police.