Children’s rights violations have reached alarming proportions across the world

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Education, Guidance and Psychological Counseling Program academic staff Assist. Prof. Dr. Bengü Berkmen stated that World Children's Rights Day is important in terms of all children in the world obtaining their right to have their living, developmental, protective, and participatory rights, bringing the rights violations they face to the agenda.

Highlighting the fact that the Children’s Rights Convention was established by an agreement being reached upon the international platform, Berkmen went on to say, “The Convention was established upon the principles of sheltering children in safe and healthy conditions, regardless of gender, religion, language, race, and social status. However, despite the fact that the convention contains standards and obligations that cannot be changed, the number of children rights violations are frightening”.

Berkmen advised that according to a UNICEF report, within a year they provided 307 million children under the age of 5 who did not have the opportunity of regular meals with meals, provided 18 million children with drinking water, the opportunity of education to 17 million children who cannot go to school of kindergarten, primary and secondary school levels, and basic healthcare services to 15 million children.

Reminding that this support was only able to reach a certain section of the child population and that the negative conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic added to this picture, Berkman also reminded that

that there are still millions of children waiting for their basic needs to be met.

Stating that according to the data deriving from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), should states fail in taking the necessary precautions in relation to child related risks that it is predicted 167 million children will face hunger in 2030, Berkmen noted that in this case, 69 million children under the age of 5 will die.

Noting that despite this depressing picture, new education and prevention programs are being developed every day to combat these issues, Berkmen noted that it is important to work together as adults, especially parents, and to provide children with the world they deserve, in order to eliminate this dire picture.