Youth and children’s issues and opportunities in post 2015 development agenda
The (Moroccan) National Observatory for Children's Rights (ONDE) held a meeting on youth and children’s issues and opportunities in post 2015 development agenda, at the World Human Rights Forum (Marrakesh 2014), on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. The meeting celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that the international community celebrates every Nov 20th.
Eminent personalities, experts and UN officials took part in this meeting. They called for strong mechanisms to make stakeholders responsible and make them aware of their responsibilities in the implementation of children’s rights. They also called for a more appropriate legal framework and indicators to monitor and assess children's full enjoyment of their rights.
Mr. Jean-Benoît Manhes, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Morocco, highlighted the need to develop integrated measures to meet the Millennium Development Goals relating to children's rights. Different governmental stakeholders should be involved in the implementation of the relevant indicators, he said, hence the need for coordination, among these actors, and for strong mechanisms to make them aware of their responsibilities in this regard.
Mr. Juan Chebly, Coordinator of the World We Want 2015, stressed the importance of social inclusion and participation in building a sustainable development program that takes human rights as a fundamental and core principle.
For his part, Mr. Hatem Kotrane, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, shed light on the progress of children's rights since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Nov. 20, 1989. He highlighted the major steps in this process, including the adoption of the three optional protocols to the Convention.
Ms Suzane Alzner, officer in charge of the New York office of the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS), shed light on the responsibility of non-governmental organizations and civil society in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
Mr. Said Aouita, an Olympic Champion, talked in his statement about the importance of sports in educating children, preventing juvenile crimes and in inculcating the values of justice, equity and work in children’s minds. The Moroccan athlete supervised and participated, on the morrow of the meeting, in a half-marathon for children's rights, held on the sidelines of the World Human Rights by the ONDE.
Prior to this meeting, the National Observatory for Children's Rights, and its partners, held the Model United Nations Morocco Conference, MUN-M, from the 16th to the 19th of November 2014. The MUM is a United Nations simulation, during which the youth handle political analysis, public speeches, editorial notes, conflict resolutions… like any real meeting or council of the world organization.
Held on the sidelines of the World Human Rights Forum (Marrakesh 2014), the MUN Morocco was the first Moroccan International MUN, gathering participants from all over the world who could learn about democratic concepts and tackle different subjects. They focused particularly on children and youth issues.