The National Parliament, Government, UNICEF and other partners meet on the Protection Law for Children and Youth in Danger

Dili, Thursday, 28th September 2023 - More than 300 participants from the National Parliament, Government and Civil Society, today participated in a seminar aimed at ensuring that children and youths are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation through the operationalization of the Protection Law for Children and Youth in Danger. The event attracted a number of high-level Government officials including the Vice Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes, President of the National Parliament, H.E Maria Fernanda Lay Vice, [as proposed earlier, please add the vice ministers of MSSI, health, parliamentary affairs, ombudsman, etc etc.] 

The National Parliament’s Commission on Health, Social Security and Gender Equality (Commission F), with support from UNICEF and other partners convened this seminar, which is following up on the successful approval of the law in February 2023 by the National Parliament. 

“At the request of the President of Timor-Leste, Government is creating an inter-ministerial structure to focus on Early Childhood Development (ECD), work. As a country, we need to collectively pay attention to the protection to our children because they are the future of this country.  Our investment to our children is very important.” said Vice Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes. 

“ I look forward to the recommendations that will be born from this seminar, and which will be submitted to the Government.  These recommendations will help the national parliament to monitor progress in the implementation of the Protection Law for Children and Youth in Danger”, said the President of the National Parliament, H.E. Maria Fernanda Lay. 

The ushering in of the Protection Law for Children and Youth in Danger comes at a time when there is urgency to protect children from the multiple challenges to their physical and psycho-social wellbeing. More than 29 per cent of girls aged 15 – 19 years, experience physical violence, almost 53,000 of children are engaged in child labour, while 60 per cent of children under five do not have their birth registered.  

Failure to provide children with their basic rights such as the right to protection and the right to an identity, often increases their risks to child marriage, sexual abuse, violence, child labour and other related dangers, which affect their growth and development.

“Commission F, worked closely with UNICEF during the consultations and debate which led to the passing of the of the Protection Law for Children and Youth in Danger.  I am happy that today, Commission F, UNICEF and Plan International, have again come together, this time to disseminate the law through this national seminar.  This is a show of our commitment to the future and the best interest of children and young people in Timor-Leste,” said H.E. Maria Baretto, President of the National Parliament’s Commission on Health, Social  Security and  Gender Equality (Commission F). 

The Protection Law for Children and Youth in Danger therefore provides for the development of a robust integrated child protection system in Timor-Leste through the establishment of legal frameworks for the protection of children and through assigning responsibilities to relevant authorities for action when children’s rights are violated.

Sharing the protection issues of children through the eyes of a child, UNICEF Country Representative, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, emphasized that urgent actions are needed, such as the finalization and implementation of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy, Juvenile Justice law, Adoption Law, Children’s Code, Open Regime Regulation Decree Law, and the national action plan of the Law on Protection of Children and Youth in Danger. 

Key stakeholders from the Government, Public Prosecutor’s Office, Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, Public Defender’s Office, UN Agencies, and other relevant stakeholders, participated in this seminar. 

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Tetun: 

Parlamentu Nasional, Governu, UNICEF no parseiru sira seluk hala'o sorumutu kona-ba Lei Protesaun ba Labarik no Juventude iha Perigu

Dili, Kinta-feira, 28 Setembru 2023 - Partisipante liu 300 husi Parlamentu Nasional, Governu no Sosiedade Sivil, ohin partisipa iha semináriu ida-ne'ebé ho objetivu atu asegura katak labarik no foin-sa'e sira hetan protesaun husi violénsia, abuzu, neglijensia no esplorasaun hotu-hotu liuhusi operasionalizasaun Lei Protesaun ba Labarik no Juventude iha Perigu. Eventu ne'e atrai ofisiál nivel aas balun husi Governu inklui Vise-Primeiru-Ministru Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes, Prezidente Parlamentu Nasional, S.E. Maria Fernanda Lay, Vise Ministar Sosial Solidaridade S. E.  Dra. Ceo Brites, Vise Ministru Fortalesimentu Institusional Saúde, Vise Ministru Asuntu Parlamentar S. E. Aderito Hugo da Costa, Provedor Direitu Umano no Justisa S. E. Dr. Virgilio Guterres no Defensor Publiku Dr. Cancio Xaviern, nst. 

Komisaun Saúde, Seguransa Sosial no Igualdade Jeneru Parlamentu Nasional nian (Komisaun F), ho apoiu husi UNICEF no parseiru sira seluk, hala'o semináriu ne'e, tuir mai hetan aprovasaun ho susesu husi Parlamentu Nasional iha fulan Fevereiru tinan 2023.

"Tuir pedidu Prezidente Timor-Leste nian, Governu kria hela estrutura inter-ministerial ida atu foka liu ba Dezenvolvimentu Primeira Infansia (DPI). Nu'udar nasaun ida, ita presiza koletivamente fó atensaun ba protesaun ba ita-nia oan sira tanba sira mak futuru nasaun ida-ne'e nian. Ami-nia investimentu ba ami-nia oan sira importante tebes." dehan Vise Primeiru Ministru Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes.

"Ha'u hein hela rekomendasaun sira ne'ebé sei mai husi semináriu ne'e, no sei aprezenta ba Governu. Rekomendasaun hirak-ne'e sei tulun Parlamentu Nasional atu monitoriza progresu iha implementasaun Lei Protesaun ba Labarik no Juventude iha Perigu," dehan Prezidente Parlamentu Nasional, S.E. Maria Fernanda Lay.

Uza Lei Protesaun ba Labarik no Juventude iha Perigu mai iha tempu urjente atu proteje labarik sira husi dezafiu oioin ba sira-nia moris-di'ak fíziku no psiko-sosial. Liu pursentu 29 husi labarik-feto sira ho idade tinan 15-19, sira hetan violénsia fízika, kuaze 53,000 husi labarik sira envolve iha servisu labarik, enkuantu pursentu 60 husi labarik sira ne'ebé seidauk to'o tinan lima la rejista sira-nia moris.

Falla atu fornese labarik sira-nia direitu báziku hanesan direitu ba protesaun no direitu ba identidade, dala barak aumenta sira-nia risku ba labarik sira ba kaben sedu, abuzu seksuál, violénsia, traballu infantil no perigu sira seluk ne'ebé iha relasaun, ne'ebé afeta sira-nia kresimentu no dezenvolvimentu.

"Komisaun F, servisu hamutuk ho UNICEF durante konsultasaun no debate ne'ebé lori ba aprovasaun Lei Protesaun ba Labarik no Juventude iha Perigu. Ha'u kontente katak ohin, Komisaun F, UNICEF no Plan International, mai hamutuk fali, agora daudauk atu fahe lei liuhosi semináriu nasionál ida-ne'e. Ida ne'e hatudu ita-nia komitmentu ba futuru no interese di'ak liu ba labarik no foin-sa'e sira iha Timor-Leste," dehan S.E. Maria Barreto, Prezidente Komisaun Saúde, Seguransa Sosial no Igualdade Jeneru Parlamentu Nasional nian (Komisaun F).

Tanba ne'e Lei Protesaun ba Labarik no Juventude iha Perigu prevee dezenvolvimentu sistema protesaun labarik ida-ne'ebé forte iha Timor-Leste liu husi estabelesimentu enkuadramentu legál ba protesaun labarik no liu husi atribuisaun responsabilidade ba autoridade relevante sira ba asaun wainhira viola direitu labarik nian.

Fahe kestaun protesaun labarik sira-nian liuhusi labarik sira-nia haree, Reprezentante País UNICEF, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, hateten katak presiza asaun urjente sira, hanesan finalizasaun no implementasaun Politika Dezenvolvimentu Primeira Infansia (DPI), Lei Justisa Juvenile, Lei Adopsaun, Kodigu Labarik, Dekretu-Lei Regulamentu Rejime Aberta, no planu asaun nasionál Lei Protesaun Labarik no Juventude iha Perigu.

Partisipa iha semináriu ne'e parte interesada xave sira husi Governu, Ministeriu Públiku, Provedor Direitus Umanus no Justisa, Defensor Publiku, Ajensia Nasoins Unidas no parte interesada relevante sira seluk. 

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