NEW DELHI, Dec 10: Highlighting the various injustices faced by children, President Pranab Mukherjee today said programmes and actions for children should take the centre-stage in national policy-making.
”We have a shared responsibility to reduce the inequalities that harm the underprivileged children more than any other age group. The path towards an equal future will come through prioritising. The programmes and actions for children have to take the centre-stage in national policy-making,” Mr Mukherjee said addressing the opening session of the first ever “Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit” here at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The President said problems of varying degree afflicts children from the seemingly less severe like bullying at school to cases of sexual harassment, child marriage and trafficking.
Children are also denied education in several parts of the world and they are still suffering from malnutrition and are dying of preventable diseases, he added.
“The disparities in education, health and poverty indicators will have to be eliminated. The factors hampering the progress of disadvantaged children will have to be removed,” Mr Mukherjee said.
“We have a moral obligation towards our children and their development and security, and give them equal opportunity. Let us commit ourselves to the noble task of fulfillment and protection of child rights everywhere,” the President said.
Mr Mukherjee said our children will inherit a world that we would devolve them and it is our responsibility to ensure that such a world is a better place than what we were given.
Expressing his concern over exploitation of resources and degradation of the environment, the President said, “it is posing a serious challenge to sustainable development.”.
Spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, former President of Timore-Leste and Nobel Peace Laureate also addressed the gathering on the occasion.
The two-day Summit organised by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation will deliberate on the way forward in building a strong moral platform for protecting children from violence, and ensuring a world where children are free to be just children. (UNI)
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