Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 19/11/2017
It is my pleasure, on the Universal Children’s Day, to extend my sincerest wishes for a blissful and safe life to the children of the world.
The Universal Children’s Day is an occasion for the global family to renew its commitment to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1959 and 1989 respectively. On this important date, and in line with its overall goals and vision, the OIC reiterates its commitment to accord high priority to the issues of the children of the Muslim world.
This is all the more crucial, since sons and daughters are the adornment of life and the greatest wealth one can possess. Today’s children are the leaders and architects of tomorrow. This is why the international community is encouraging countries to take actions accounting for the interests and wellbeing of children.
The OIC, like other stakeholders, places childhood issues high on its agenda. In the fourth session of the Islamic Ministerial Conference on the Child, held in 2013 in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijani, participants adopted a plan of action to address issues relating to children’s right to education and adequate healthcare, protection against abuse and violence, child forced labor, child recruitment, and child trafficking.
Preparations are underway for the conference’s fifth session, to be organized by ISESCO at its headquarters in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on 18-19 December 2017, on the theme “Together for a Safe Childhood”. The conference will deliver commitment from the OIC Member States on children’s right to physical, intellectual and psychological development, necessary protection as well as medical and psychological care, particularly in war and conflict zones.
I want to take this opportunity to call again on the international community, and the OIC Member States in particular, to pay greater attention to the issues of children, especially those living under harsh conditions. We need to work together to help ease the suffering of the victims of civil strife, conflicts and natural disasters, particularly Palestinian and Rohingya children that are subjected to unprecedented ordeals.
Ours is the duty to guarantee children a life free from abuse and violence, safe from early labor and recruitment, and immune from chronic diseases. We have to give our children sound upbringing and quality education, instill in them the human values of tolerance, and meet their mental and physical health needs.
I should also seize this opportunity to reiterate the OIC’s call on those countries that have not yet ratified universal child rights instruments to do so.
Our children’s future depends on us; we must cater to their needs in the best way possible.
