Cabinet Endorses Report on Progress Toward Achieving UN Fit For Children Action Plan

Cabinet has endorsed a report detailing the progress that the country has made toward achieving the goals of the United Nations (UN) World Fit for Children Action Plan, which was adopted at the conclusion of the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002.
The report covers six major areas including national action taken to protect children; resource allocation trends for children; monitoring strategies; enhancing partnerships; and alliances for children.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Faith Innerarity, who made the disclosure at the (Dec. 12) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, said the report was concluded in September after a long period of consultation among stakeholders.
“This is a comprehensive report, which outlines how well we have done in terms of the benchmarks established and what we plan to do in the future. This report is a very substantive report, which reflects the views of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society,” she pointed out.
Mrs. Innerarity cited the Child Care and Protection Act of 2004, the establishment of the Office of the Children’s Advocate, the International Programme for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, as indicators of the government’s commitment to the UN World Fit for Children Action Plan.
The UN General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002 culminated in the official adoption, by some 180 nations, of its outcome document, ‘A World Fit for Children’.
The document declaration commits world leaders to completing the unfinished agenda of the 1990 World Summit for Children, as well as to achieve other goals and objectives, in particular those of the UN Millennium Declaration.