Although UNICEF has noted “progress made” in child protection in Côte d’Ivoire, it still lists “persistent challenges” in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mr. Jean François Basse, UNICEF’s Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, was the guest of the editorial staff of Fraternité Matin, the pro-government newspaper, on Monday, November 18, 2024. On this occasion, he reviewed the actions of the UN organization in the country.
He spoke on the theme “35 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: What progress has been made in Côte d’Ivoire?” Adopted in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified in 1991 by Côte d’Ivoire.
“Thanks to this agreement, Côte d’Ivoire has made great progress: increased access to education, reduced infant mortality, increased protection against violence,” results that demonstrate the commitment of the government and local communities, he said.
Each year, some five million children are vaccinated in Côte d’Ivoire with the support of UNICEF in the country’s 113 health districts, where 12,359 community health workers carry out vaccination campaigns, thus preferentially reducing infant mortality.
Notable progress
The UNICEF resident representative in Côte d’Ivoire praised the government’s efforts to facilitate access for every child to birth registration and legal identity, while noting that today 78% of civil status centers in municipalities and sub-prefectures are digitised.
Regarding the prevalence of child labour, Jean François Basse noted that the trend is “steadily declining,” which shows that the country is on “the path to completely eliminating dangerous child labour reforms.”
Today, Côte d’Ivoire has more than 3,000 social workers who manage the issues that children and young people face. Mr. Basse announced that UNICEF plans to intensify awareness-raising on child protection with
the blogging community.
In terms of education, the Ivorian government has made massive investments, which has increased the school enrollment rate in Côte d’Ivoire, especially in rural areas. UNICEF also supports the state in supporting children with disabilities.
“UNICEF is proud to have helped position the youth agenda among the national priorities. Through the government’s Youth Program, many adolescents have developed their skills and seen their employability
improve,” he went on to say.
With the U-REPORT program, which now has over 4 million members, many adolescents and young people have been able to take action in favour of their communities, said Mr. Jean François Basse.
“Persistent challenges” to be met
“Despite remarkable and undeniable progress, persistent challenges persist. Progress made for the most marginalized children must be intensified and accelerated,” said Mr. Jean François Basse.
He noted that there are still some who die from preventable and curable diseases. In addition, climate change and environmental degradation darken the future of children and call for more immediate action.” Mr. Basse also reported the birth registration rate for children under one-year-old set at 57.9 percent in 2023. This means that children do not yet have a birth certificate, limiting their access to essential services such as education and health.
He highlighted “the silent urgency of violence against children with a notable increase in cases of sexual violence against girls,” mentioning that “preventing early marriage and pregnancy requires solutions and an approach associated with the whole of society.”
The UNICEF country representative expressed confidence in a promising future for the children of Côte d’Ivoire, where the UN institution plans to invest $202 million, or 125.1 billion CFA francs, in various projects over the period 2021-2025.
Universal Children’s Day will be celebrated on November 20, 2024 in the country. It will be coupled with the 35th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This day is intended to be a time of advocacy on the rights of children for their well-being.
AP/Sf/fss/as/APA