BY LORETTA B MANELE
Save The Children Solomon Islands (STCSI) and its partner, DSE, are calling for ‘urgent action to protect and promote human rights’.
There continues to be persistent gaps in national strategy and policy implementation, limited resourcing, and service delivery challenges that leave many children, particularly girls and those in rural and remote communities at risk, the two NGOs say.
STCSI and Development Services Exchange (DSE) made this call in a joint statement yesterday ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) pre-session which is set to take place February 10-13.
The UPR pre-session is an advocacy forum usually held one month before a country’s official review by the United Nations. The UPR is held every four-and-half years.
STCSI said it will be participating at the UPR pre-sessions to raise strong, child rights-focused recommendations that ensures: Enforcement of laws to end child marriage and violence against children; and increased investment in child protection, education and health systems
“The Solomon Islands government has a great opportunity to dramatically improve the ability of children to grow up healthy, safe and educated by ending child marriage. Now is the moment for the government to follow through on its commitment to raise the legal age of marriage from 15 to 18,” Tory Clawson, country director for STCSI said.
While acknowledging progress in policy commitments and national strategies, the two organisations highlighted persistent gaps in implementation, limited resourcing, and service delivery challenges that leave many children, particularly girls and those in rural and remote communities at risk.
“DSE has contributed to previous UPR cycles and continues this commitment in the 4th cycle. We strongly support raising the minimum age of marriage to 18, as one in five girls in Solomon Islands are married before reaching adulthood. This reform reinforces the child rights commitments we have consistently advocated for through the UPR 4th Cycle,” Jennifer Wate, general secretary for DSE said.
Key concerns for the Solomon Islands’ UPR Pre-Session include child marriage, gender-based and other violence against children, limited access to early childhood education, and gaps in maternal, newborn, and adolescent health services, with girls and children in rural communities most affected, the statement said.
Save the Children Solomon Islands and DSE reaffirm their commitment to working with the government, CSOs, communities, and development partners to ensure UPR recommendations are implemented effectively, leading to measurable improvements in children’s lives.
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