No more excuses! World must target child protection

No more excuses! Children speak out on a Plan-sponsored child rights project

20 November 2007: Global targets to protect children from violence, trafficking and abuse are vital if governments are to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of young people, warns Plan.

Speaking on the 18th birthday of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – Universal Children’s Day – Tom Miller, Plan chief executive, warned there can be "no more excuses" for failing to protect children from violence.

"Targets to promote children’s rights should be given the same status as the Millennium Development Goals and a UN special representative should be appointed with powers to hold countries to account if they fail to protect children," said Mr Miller.

Legal obligations

Currently every country in the world (except the United States and Somalia) has signed the UNCRC, which requires states to "protect children from all forms of physical and mental violence". Yet many countries have failed to live up to their legal obligations.

Throughout the world, millions of children are being physically and emotionally punished, often by those charged with looking after them. Despite signing the convention, fewer than 10% of countries have declared a total ban on corporal punishment.

Each year, 53,000 children are murdered, 150,000,000 girls and 73,000,000 boys suffer forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence, and 126,000,000 children are involved in the most hazardous forms of child labour.

Enough is enough

Mr Miller said: "Too many countries have failed to introduce even the most basic laws to protect children from violence in school and at home. In countries that have introduced legislation, too often those laws are rarely, if ever, enforced. Enough is enough. There can be no more excuses for failing to protect children from violence."

Universal Children's Day marks the start of an important month for the world's children. On 11 December, Plan will represent non-governmental organisations at a UN meeting with governments to discuss progress in implementing the strategy, agreed 5 years ago, to make 'a world fit for children'.

Read about Plan's study: 'An Africa fit for children'

Find out more about Plan's work to stop violence against children