Every day is Children’s Day

Havana, June 1, 2023.- “The International Children’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements made in the field of protection and promotion of children’s rights in Cuba, as well as to identify the challenges we still face,” said UNICEF Representative in Cuba, Alejandra Trossero.

“It is also an occasion to highlight the need to redouble our efforts and work together with authorities and other institutional and social actors, to accompany children and adolescents in their growth and development, with happiness and opportunities.”

A relevant achievement in the last twelve months in Cuba is the approval of the Family Code, a law that recognizes children’s rights as universal rights and children and adolescents as subjects of rights, while promoting positive and violence-free parenting styles. “It is up to us to support them so that they can exercise those rights, have their opinions heard and always be treated fairly and respectfully,” said Ms. Trossero.

UNICEF works on three pillars to ensure children and adolescents education, health and protection against all forms of violence. It also collaborates in the country to safeguard their lives in the face of natural events, such as hurricanes, and to respond effectively to these situations, while promoting resilience building in schools and communities.

“We recognize that children play a central role in Cuban public policy and in many of the great transformations that the country has undergone in the last 60 years. UNICEF accompanies the generation of evidence to show what the real situation of all children is. We believe that this evidence contributes to updating public policies more accurately and monitoring their implementation to ensure that children and adolescents can be part of the transformations that the country needs,” said Ms. Trossero.

On a date like this, we must ask ourselves how much more can be done in favor of children, especially of those who most need support to develop and achieve their dreams. “Today and every day are children’s days, and we can act so that they can achieve the maximum possible development and well-being, without discrimination or exclusion. Accompanying them, at their pace, responding to their questions and alerts, empowering their abilities and skills for life, are ways to show that we are here for every child.”