22/01/2015The Somalia Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), consisting of the EU, its Member States, Norway, Switzerland and the US, congratulates and welcomes the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Government of Somalia.
The ratification of this important international convention is a clear signal from the Somali government to the world that it takes the protection and wellbeing of (its) children seriously. The HRWG encourages the Somali government to do all that is necessary to bring the Somali legislation (and its implementation) in line with the standards outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Group strongly encourages the authorities to start the process of becoming party to the optional protocols to the convention as well as to deposit the instruments of ratification in order to finalize the whole process.
The Somali children face daily struggles and challenges due to lack of basic services including education, water, sanitation as well as general insecurity. The latter has forced thousands of children to flee their homes in the search for more peaceful areas.
The HRWG continues to advocate for respect of human rights for all, women, men and children and for a stronger voice of the vulnerable in Somali society.
