The First Regional Consultation Conference for Child Rights Institutions in South Asia Convenes in Maldives

The inaugural Regional Consultation Conference for Child Rights Institutions in South Asia, cohosted by the Children’s Ombudsperson’s Office and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commenced in the Maldives. The two-day conference will evaluate the status of children’s rights, share experiences, and enhance the expertise of organizations in the region. The conference is taking place at Bados Maldives and was opened by the First Lady of the Maldives, Fazna Ahmed.

The conference gathers prominent child rights institutions from all across seven South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. During the conference, each country will deliver papers, highlighting the efforts undertaken in their respective countries to protect children’s rights and their current trajectory in cross-regional collaboration.

In addition to this, the conference will also serve as a valuable floor to explore avenues of cooperation and collaboration between participating institutions and identify potential areas for future collaboration. The conference will also see a paper presented by the children, giving their perspectives and opinions on children's rights, and underscoring the importance of incorporating their views at decision-making levels.

Before concluding the conference, a Joint Action Plan will be formulated for independent institutions working on children’s rights in the South Asian region. The plan will outline a timeline of activities to be conducted at a regional level and will include a report drawn up with recommendations from the papers and presentations from participating countries.