SAARC countries sign Colombo declaration to reaffirm their determination to end violence against children.
Colombo. The SAARC countries reaffirmed their determination and renewed their commitment to end violence against children in all forms and all settings during the group's meet at Colombo. They unanimously adopted the South Asia Call for Action on Ending Violence against Children. The representatives were meeting as a follow up on regional consultation on the UN study on violence against children, which was held at Colombo between 26-31 May, 2012.
The Colombo declaration signed by the member countries take stock of progress made since 2005 in order to strengthen measures and processes aimed at ending violence against all children in all settings. The members renewed the commitment made by ministers in the Rawalpindi resolution on children of South Asia (1996) and the Colombo statement on children of South Asia (2009), and the recommendations endorsed at the ministerial meeting of SAIEVAC (South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children, an apex body of SAARC) in June 2010 in Kathmandu.
There was also a recognition of the fact that despite the progress made across South Asia to address violence against children, children continue to experience serious forms of violence and child protection challenges, including child labour, corporal punishment, sexual abuse and exploitation, child trafficking, migration and displacement, imprisonment, discrimination related to HIV/AIDS, disability, minorities, orphans, street children and children in need of care and protection, as well as various forms of harmful practices such as child marriage.
