UNICEF has celebrated 30 years of adoption of the UN Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC) that played a vital role to improve the livelihood of children around the world.

To mark the day, UNICEF organised nine dialogues titled “CRC@30 Forum” at the divisional levels to facilitate young people from 300 electoral constituencies to discuss their views on the status of their own rights and the policies.

The CRC@30 Forum, Dhaka was held today at a city hotel where Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Fazle Rabbi Miah was present as the chief guest.

President of Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights Shamsul Haque Tuku, MP, Parliamentary Standing Committee of Women and Children affairs Meher Afroze, MP, Economist Hossain Zillur Rahman and Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh Country Office Tomoo Hozumi were present, among others.

The children presented different solutions to ensure their rights in health, nutrition, education and protection from violence, exploitation and abuse.

Fazle Rabbi Miah emphasized to create awareness both in children and parents to face the challenges. The speakers suggested for quality school feeding, sending the allocation of budget properly, creating more job facilities, introducing technical educational institutions at divisional levels.

According to the UNICEF, Bangladesh has made great strides in promoting child rights over the last three decades. These are — reduction in under- five mortality rate from 151 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 40 in 2019, increase in the percentage of fully vaccinated children from 52 percent (pc) in 1991 to 82pc in 2016, reduction in stunting among children under five years of age from 72pc in 1993 to 28pc in 2019, increase in the use of improved sources of drinking water from 79pc in 1990 to 98.5pc in 2019, increase in the use of improved sanitation facilities from nine percent in 1990 to 85pc in 2019 and increasing net primary school attendance ratio from 65pc in 1990 to 86pc in 2019 among others.

Around 4.3 million children aged 6 to 15 years are still out of school. The birth of 44pc of children under-five years of age are reported not to be registered with a civil authority.

More than 4.4 million children under five years of age suffer from stunting. Nine out of every 10 children experience physical punishment or physiological aggression by caregivers. Over half of all the marriages take place too early before 18 years of age. More than one million youths are unemployed. Further, the lives of over 19 million children are threatened by climate change.

However, the records of Bangladesh in the last three decades amply demonstrate that these remaining and emerging challenges can also be successfully addressed as far as there continues to be political will and determination to do so in the country.