UN expert encourages Senegal to move even further on child protection

DAKAR (3 November 2009) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Ms. Najat Maalla M’jid, asked the Government of Senegal to rapidly elaborate and implement a national integrated and global strategy on child protection, in order to ensure a more complete protection of the rights of the child.

 

“The phenomena of sexual exploitation and abuse of children, and of exploitation of children through begging, are of strong concern to all parties,” said the UN expert at the end of her nine-day visit to Senegal, where she undertook visits and meetings in Dakar, St. Louis and M’bour.

 

“Nevertheless,” noted Ms. Maalla, “their true scope is unknown due to the absence of a centralized information system, limited knowledge of rights or laws protecting children, non denunciation due to fear of reprisals or stigmatization, and varied understandings of the concepts of trafficking, sale, migration, economic exploitation and apprenticeships.”

 

The Special Rapporteur welcomed the Government’s political commitment and numerous actions by a wide variety of actors regarding the rights of the child, stressing the need to secure effective implementation of harmonized legislation, the promotion of positive social norms, accelerating the process of regulating coranic schools, encouraging child participation as well as partnerships with other actors (private sector, media, civil society), and an information system as well as a follow-up and evaluation mechanism.

 

A cooperation and coordination mechanism amongst partners in development must also be established, in order to guarantee quality and protection of children in the long term, as well as the respect and promotion of their rights.

 

Ms. Najat Maalla M’jid ( Morocco) was appointed Special Rapporteur on the sale of children in May 2008. She is independent from any government or organization. Ms. M’jid Maalla is a member of the Commission on the Rights of the Child of the Moroccan Consultative Council on Human Rights, and the founder of the non-governmental organization BAYTI, the first programme addressing the situation of children living in the street in Morocco.