From His Excellency the Prime Minister of Somalia, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed: “Somalia adopts the Convention on the Rights of Child”
Mogadishu, 26 September 2014 – Today, the Honourable Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs for the Federal Government of Somalia adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which provides children protection under the law.
His Excellency the Prime Minister of Somalia, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed said: “It was more than ten years ago, more precisely on 9 May 2002 that Somalia initially signed the convention. In 2009 and more recently on 20 November 2013 last year, this Government committed to adopt and ratify the convention. Today, I am happy to announce that this Government has kept his promise to its children, to its people and to the world and will officially join the international community in protecting children rights as soon as the law is ratified by Parliament.”
HE the Prime Minister continued: “For the past 10 years Somalia’s young generation and children have been victims of violence and war. Many of them even spent their childhood in refugee camps or were taken away by force from their home to become child-soldiers. Children have been at the forefront of my agenda. Our children are Somalia’s future we must invest in them. We must seriously commit to protecting them from war, sexual abuse or any kind of violence and we dedicated to ensure their full development though proper educations, sports and job programs. Somalia’s youth and children are the foundation on which this country will re-emerge as a secure, stable and, economically prosper nation.”
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) provides for the child-specific needs and rights and requires that states, act in the best interests of the child. For more information on the UN Convention of the Child visit the UN WEBSITE: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/