The National Human Rights Commission hosted a series of activities in collaboration with nongovernmental organization CRC Watch, Taiwan, to celebrate International Children’s Rights Day and the 35th anniversary of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), highlighting government efforts to raise public awareness of related issues.
According to the NHRC, an exhibition on children’s rights in the areas of education, leisure, multiculturalism, participation, protection and survival is running until Nov. 24 at Taipei Expo Park. A total of 15 groups from around the country are spotlighting Taiwan’s successes in implementing the CRC during the event.
NHRC Chair Chen Chu said that Taiwan incorporated the CRC into domestic law and began implementing its provisions in 2014. Since then, the country has compiled a national report every five years and invited U.N.-recognized experts to visit Taiwan to review the country’s progress, she added.
When children’s rights are protected and adults provide support and respect, younger generations thrive, demonstrating the resilience of democratic societies, Chen said.
The chair went on to address ongoing challenges such as cyberbullying and identity crises, concerns echoed by Wang Shih-chin, chair of the Taipei City-based Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare. Wang said that the exhibition details the diverse needs of children and conveys a message that every child should be treated as a rightful individual and that their voices cannot be ignored.
Preceding the current exhibition, an expo also organized by the NHRC and CRC Watch, Taiwan, took place Nov. 16 at Pier-2 Art Center in the southern city of Kaohsiung. The event brought together 14 groups and featured activities including board games, performances, picture book readings and short lectures on children’s rights.
Chen said that the NHRC is committed to realizing the CRC’s four pillars—the right to survival, protection, development and participation—for every child in Taiwan while strengthening support for those living outside urban areas to ensure that each child can enjoy equal protection and opportunities. (YCH-E)
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