Premier's directives to protect children to be implemented

Manama, Aug. 13 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa’s directives to re-consider child-related legislation to ensure that tougher and more deterrent punishment is inflicted on whoever targets children or abuses them, and to activate the role of the Labour and Social Development Ministry’s Child Protection Centre have been lauded by the Labour and Social Development Minister and Chairman of the National Commission for Childhood, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan. The Premier’s directives reflect his constant follow-up on conditions of children and interest in ensuring protection for them through creating a healthy environment for them by reviewing and updating laws and legislation and developing the services provided for children and youngsters in the kingdom, he said. Humaidan added that the Labour and Social Development Ministry and the National Commission for Childhood would do their utmost to translate HRH Premier’s directives on the ground through revising the existing legislation to ensure they meet the renewed needs of children. They will also activate the National Strategy for Childhood which stipulates the right of every child to health, physical and psychological safety, education and capacity-building, protection, participation and non-discrimination, he also said. Regarding the Labour and Social Development Ministry’s Child Protection Centre, the minister said the role of facility would be activated in the coming period to ensure the provision of integrated services for children, especially those suffering from domestic or social violence, ill-treatment or negligence, in coordination with the relevant sides, including the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Public Prosecution, the Health Ministry, as well as the Labour and Social Development Ministry’s specialists. Humaidan explained that the Ministry had launched the toll-free Child Help Line (998) which is devoted to receiving reports of any form of child abuse or violence. It is worth noting that the National Commission for Childhood was re-organised as per ministerial edict 4/2016. A strategic specialist from the UNDP was appointed to lead a ministry’s team entrusted with following up on the implementation of the executive plan of the National Strategy for Childhood (2013-2017). Work is also in full swing to prepare the fourth national report regarding the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Bahrain in 1991. The Labour and Social Development Ministry said that 620 had benefited from the Child Protection Centre in 2015, while the number of beneficiaries has reached 330 in the first half of this year. The 998 Child Help Live had received 1200 calls, the ministry also said.