Government of Somalia ratifies UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

  • January 22, 2015

PRESS RELEASE

NEW YORK, 20 January 2015 – As the world enters into the 26th year of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Somalia has become the 195th state party to ratify the Convention, setting a course to improve the lives of its youngest citizens.

“By ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the government of Somalia is making an investment in the wellbeing of its children, and thus in the future of its society,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. 

UNICEF applauds this important step for Somalia and looks forward to supporting the nationwide effort to translate the rights of the Convention into practical action for every child. 

“The central message of the Convention is that every child deserves a fair start in life,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “What can be more important than that?”

The ratification process will be finalized once the Government of Somalia deposits the instruments of ratification with the United Nations in New York.

Note to editors:  UNICEF has worked in Somalia since 1972, developing a nation-wide network of partnerships with over 200 international and national NGOs and community-based organizations to deliver programmes and services in the areas of health, nutrition, WASH, education and child protection.  The programme is implemented and monitored by more than 160 staff based in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Galkayo, Hargeisa and Garowe.

About UNICEF:

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do.  Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. 

For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

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For further information, please contact:

Susannah Price, UNICEF Somalia, Mobile: +254 722 719867; sprice@unicef.org
James Elder, UNICEF Eastern & Southern Africa Mobile: +254 71558 1222; jelder@unicef.org
Melanie Sharpe, UNICEF New York, Mobile: +1 917 251-7670; msharpe@unicef.org

SOURCE: Unicef Canada

For more information: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child