Expressing concern over the high incidence of violence against children in the Maldives, Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has appealed for a concerted effort to eliminate violence against children and protect the rights of children.
In his concluding remarks at the national conference on working together for the protection of children, the Vice President noted the lack of coordination between concerned agencies in working to protect children.
However, he welcomed the declaration of the conference which decides to form a stakeholder working group to coordinate and oversee the child protection efforts in the country.
The Vice President highlighted the areas that require more attention in order to protect children.
Increasing public awareness on the causes and effects of violence against children and the rights of children, he identified, as the foremost task for all agencies working for the protection of children.
Vice President Dr Waheed also underscored the importance of strengthening primary protection, and restorative justice that focuses on rehabilitating offenders back into society rather than punishing them, in dealing with juvenile offenders.
In addition, the Vice President spoke on the importance of reaching out to families with violence victims and vulnerable children, highlighting the role of social workers in a comprehensive child protection system.
At this afternoon’s closing session of the conference, the Vice President launched the Social Workers’ Code of Conduct.
The two-day conference held at Bandos Island Resort and Spa was jointly organized by the Department of Gender and Family Protection Services and UNICEF.
