World Children’s Day today
Like other parts of the world, Universal Children’s Day, the United Nation’s annual day of action for children, by children, will be marked in Pakistan on Friday (today) to promote international togetherness and awareness among children.
The United Nations Children’s Fund promotes this special day for improving children’s welfare. According to UNICEF, this year, the Covid-19 crisis has resulted in a child rights crisis. It said that the costs of the pandemic for children are immediate and, if unaddressed, may last a lifetime.
Many educational institutions have made a special effort to inform children of their rights according to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Teachers will explain the idea of the “rights”.
On December 14, 1954, the UN General Assembly recommended that all countries should introduce an annual event from 1956 known as Universal Children’s Day to encourage fraternity and understanding between children all over the world and promoting the welfare of children.
On November 20, 1959, the UNGA adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and on November 20, 1989, it adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since 1990, the day marks the anniversary of the date.
Many countries, including Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, hold the Children’s Day events on November 20. However, other countries hold events on different dates, such as the fourth Wednesday of October (Australia) and November 14 (India).
Universal Children’s Day is not observed in the United States, although a similar observance, National Child’s Day, is held on the first Sunday of June.
In Pakistan, more than 25 iconic landmarks and monuments in Islamabad and the four provinces turned blue on Thursday evening as a symbol of the country’s commitment to children’s rights. “We will continue to work to make sure that our children, who are our assets and the future of our nation, can live in a safe, enabling environment,” Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari said.
UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Aida Girma said that millions of girls and boys in Pakistan have seen their lives improve, but millions of others continue to grapple with poverty, inequality, and lack of access to the essential services. “We will continue to support the government so that no child in Pakistan is left behind,” Girma added.