Myanmar works for protection of children

YANGON (Xinhua) - Myanmar is working to improve the protection of children, planning to launch a birth registration week soon in three states and regions as a pilot project before a nationwide coverage to ensure children get registered after birth.

With technical and financial support from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union (EU), the pilot birth registration campaign will be implemented in 44 townships in Magway, Chin and Mon, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Population.

A recent forum on accelerating birth registration in Myanmar revealed that 72.4 percent of the country's under-five children hold birth certificates.

UNICEF Myanmar, however, pointed out that around 1.6 million children in the country have not officially been registered, stressing the need to address challenges in registering over-five and offspring of migrants.

The UN organization predicted the planned birth registration week will see a huge enhancement in public awareness, as about 400, 000 children in the pilot areas could benefit from the project.

It warned that children without birth certificates are exposed to greater risk of being trafficked for forced labor or sexual slavery.

In November 2012, the Myanmar government and the UNICEF signed a basic cooperation agreement (BCA) for a 5-year national-level project for the development of children in the country.

The agreement covers young children survival and development, accessibility of water, environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene, access to basic education and gender equality, HIV/AIDS and children, protection of children and education, supervision and assessment of social policy.  

Myanmar is also implementing a National Plan of Action for Children 2006-2015, making arrangement for the opening of early childhood care and development center in Yangon.

Currently, the UNICEF is focusing on work aimed at reducing child mortality, improving access to and quality of education and protecting children from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Myanmar's National Committee on the Rights of Child has also pledged to make endeavors to ensure the rights of child in the nation, including the rights to survival, to develop to the fullest, to protection from harmful influence, abuse and exploitation and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

As a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Child, Myanmar has also reiterated its commitment to implement child-labor- related Convention-182 of the International Labor Organization ( ILO), which will come into force from Dec. 18, 2014.