Children Rights Round Table Conference January 28th through 30th 2015 Discussion topics such as “Child Abuse” and “Absent Father” in the Home

The Department of Youth Affairs will be hosting  a round table conference on Children Rights

on January 28^th, 29^th, and 30^th  2015.  The conference will focus on five (5) priority areas which have been identified by the  “ Children Rights Kingdom Taskforce” and which were also highlights of the United Nations Children Funds ( UNICEF)  Report  known as  “ The Situation of Children and Adolescents in Sint Maarten.

 

The priority areas are Family as the Central, Child Abuse, Safety Net, Absent father in the upbringing of the child, and Pre-conditions/Infrastructures.

 

The purpose of this conference is to provide the opportunity to all community stakeholders  to contribute their views on the various topics and come up with possible tangible solutions.

It is also the intention that the conference will formalize ways and means of collaboration between the Kingdom partners on the outlined priority areas.

 

 

In an effort  to support the countries in the Dutch Caribbean, UNICEF Netherlands has decided to sponsor the services of an expert in the area of Children Rights and in particular Child Abuse to serve as a “Facilitator” at the round table sessions.  Mr. Nils Kastberg has already facilitated sessions in Saba and is presently in Statia conducting similar sessions and will arrive on St. Maarten on Tuesday January 27^th 2015 .

 

 

 

 

 

The conclusions will also be forwarded to the Children Rights Kingdom Taskforce which includes representatives from the governments of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten. This Taskforce was able to  meet the target date of November 20^th 2014 to disseminate an initial “ Action Plan Children Rights” ( Plan van Aanpak Kinderrechten Eerste Aanzet ) to the various governments. It is the intention that this Kingdom Taskforce will present a final document to the Kingdom Conference scheduled to take place in April 2015.

 

The conference will take place at the University of St. Martin from 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m. daily on January 28^th, 29^th and 30^th 2015.

 

All invited stakeholders are requested to make a special effort to attend these sessions as their contribution will serve to contribute towards coming up with tangible solutions towards these challenges faced in this society.