Making children voices heard
On the 22nd anniversary on the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), Members of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis met with the nation’s Children’s Parliament, an event which helped emphasise the importance of involving Uzbekistan’s children in their nation’s social and governmental decision-making processes. Encouraging the participation of Uzbekistan’s youth in their nation’s government and development has provided them with an opportunity to learn and practice their rights, while helping them become responsible and active citizens in the future.
The Children’s Parliament of Uzbekistan, otherwise known as ‘Yosh Avlod Kengashi’ (the Council of the Young Generation), is just one initiative by UNICEF to strengthen the participation of children and young people in the decision-making processes regarding matters which directly influence their lives. Since the parliament’s initiation by the Uzbek Children’s Fund in 2002, it has helped to connect hundreds of children across the nation with similar interests and aspirations, while providing them with the right to participate in their government and communities. By participating in the Children’s Parliament, the young delegates have gained new knowledge and leadership skills while working with their schools and communities to promote child rights. A highlight of the work conducted by the Children’s Parliament has been the drafting of the law on the Guarantees of the Rights of the Child, as adopted by the Oliy Majlis in 2008.
2011’s sessions of the Children’s Parliament took place on the eve of the anniversary of the CRC, conducted under the slogan ‘No Child Left without Attention’. As of the 17th of November 2011, 29 out of 199 deputies from the Children’s Parliament came to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis where they met with adult parliamentarians. This ‘joint session’ was hosted by the Parliamentary Committee on Democractic Institutions, NGOs and Citizens’ Self-Governing Bodies, and was supported by both the Association for Special Children and Families (ASCF) and UNICEF. While welcoming the young deputies to this event, UNICEF Representative Jean-Michel Delmotte expressed his appreciation to the young delegates for their work in promoting the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He stressed that “with your creative energy, we will be able to achieve even more good results and ensure that we translate all CRC articles into practice for all children, including the most poor and vulnerable.”