Child Protection - UNICEF in action
In child protection UNICEF focuses on two priority areas: the development of an enabling and protective legal framework and the strengthening of governmental and community capacity to provide an adequate safety net to vulnerable children and women. As part of these efforts, UNICEF supports the Government to align Mozambican laws with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). With support from UNICEF, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Women and Social Action carried out a legal review of all laws relating to children. The review identified major areas in legislation where child rights were ignored. On the basis of the review, the Government is now working to establish a comprehensive Children’s Act, which should be completed in 2005. It intends to streamline protection measures and address all aspects of children’s lives based on the principle of the “best interests of the child”, as set out in the CRC. The Children’s Act will also define clear responsibilities and roles of implementing institutions, and institute a monitoring mechanism to ensure quality control and adherence to the law. UNICEF aims at setting up an independent National Commission for Children to coordinate activities related to the care and protection of children. In order to prevent commercial and sexual exploitation as well as abuse of children, UNICEF is supporting the Ministries of Interior (police) and Labour in documenting such incidences. In addition, UNICEF is supporting the systematic training of the police on prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and violence against women and children. Another area of support is the establishment of community monitoring systems, and the sensitisation of communities on the incidence of sexual exploitation and abuse. Progress in 2004 ▪ UNICEF provided technical support to the elaboration of a new Family Law, adopted by the Parliament in August 2004. It awards equal rights to children born out of wedlock, and increases the minimum age for marriage. Moreover, the programme actively supported the adoption of a new Birth Registration Code extending the period of free birth registration from 30 to 120 days. This measure, coupled with the suspension of late registration fees for a two year period is expected to go a long way towards increasing the number of Mozambican children registered and facilitating their access to basic services. UNICEF also supported birth registration campaigns reaching 70,000 children in six provinces. ▪ The programme also actively supported efforts to increase the number of centres providing assistance to abused children and women. In 2004, a total of 16,000 victims of violence - both children and women - benefited from psycho-social support offered at these centres. There are 21 such centres now working in all provinces, run by the police. UNICEF assisted in improving the quality of assistance provided by organising training for almost 250 police officers in Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado provinces.
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