Article

Special event in Timor-Leste to celebrate the World Children’s Day 2023

All children have the right to a safe and healthy environment

Dominggus Monemnasi
Special event in Timor-Leste to celebrate the World Children’s Day 2023
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi
20 November 2023

On 20th November 2023, Timor-Leste joined the world in commemorating World children’s Day, with President H.E. Jose Ramos Horta, hosting a special event for children at the President’s Palace.  

The event, which was commemorated under the theme “All children have the right to a safe and healthy environment” brought children, senior Government Officials, CSOs and UNICEF together to renew their collective commitment to protecting and upholding the rights of children. 

Dignitaries attending the event included H. E. Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister for Rural Development and Community Housing, Eng. Mariano Asanami Sabino; H.E. President of Commission F, Ms. Maria Gorumali Barreto; H.E. State Secretary for Equality, Ms. Elvina de Sousa Carvalho; H.E. Secretary of State for Forestry, Mr. Fernandinho Vieira; President of INDDICA, IP. Ms. Dinorah Granadeiro, and UNICEF Representative, Mr. Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani.  

During the event, the National Strategic Plan of INDDICA and the INDICCA website were also launched.  President of INDICCA, Sra. Dinorah Granadeiro said the strategy aims to ensure that child rights are protected in Timor-Leste.
 

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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi Representing children, Elisa Araújo made a passionate plea for more attention and action to be given to development of policies that encourage a clean and safe environment for children. “All decision you make today will determine the quality of our air, the water we drink, and the health of our planet. It is important to advance climate actions which consider the needs and rights of all, especially vulnerable children,” says Elisa.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi The two programme facilitators, on the celebration of the World Children’s Day, 120 November 2023 at the President ‘s Palace in Dili, Timor-Leste, Mize (left) and Noemia (right).
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi Participants of the advocacy event on the World Children’s Day 2023 celebration at the President Palace, Dili, Timor-Leste.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi Participants of the advocacy event on the World Children’s Day 2023 celebration at the President Palace, Dili, Timor-Leste.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2022/Monemnasi Dinorah Granadeiro, President of Instituto para a Defesa dos Direitos da Criança - INDDICA, IP, delivering her opening remarks at the advocacy event of the World Children’s Day celebrated at the President Palace, Dili, Timor-Leste. She emphasised the importance of Government to strengthen the health and nutrition system for children, ensure every child is fully immunised and to promote breastfeeding for the babies and quality education for all children.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi Maria Gorumali Barreto, the President of Commission F of the National Parliament delivering her remarks at the advocacy event of the World Children’s Day 2023 at the President Palace, Dili, Timor-Leste. In her remarks, she said that Parliament will continue to ensure that Timor-Leste’s legal framework aligns with international treaties such as the CRC. She further called on stakeholders, including parents to pay attention to their children's safety and to find ways to ensure that children are well protected from violence and abuse.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, the Country Representative of UNICEF in Timor-Leste delivering his remarks at the advocacy event of the World Children’s Day celebrated at the President Palace, Dili Timor-Leste. “I congratulate the Government for the high-level commitment to children, which is shown through the renewed focus on the importance of first 1000 days (from conception to second birthday), and the government announcement of Early Childhood Development (ECD) as one of the state’s top three national priorities in social affairs,” said the UNICEF Country Representative.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi H.E. President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Dr. José Ramos-Horta delivering his speech during the advocacy event of the World Children’s Day 2023 that celebrated at the President Palace, Dili, Timor-Leste. “In the 20 years of independence, we have prioritised mothers and children, and I am committed to closely review the draft state budget to see that appropriate allocations are made for children’s nutrition, education and health,” said President Horta.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi Participants of the advocacy event on the World Children’s Day 2023 celebration at the President Palace, Dili, Timor-Leste.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi As part of the lineup of entertain, children performed a variety of popular dances such as the ‘piki piki’ dance.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi Children also took part in playing from variety games and performances such as juggling. ©
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi H. E. Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister for Rural Development and Community Housing, Eng. Mariano Asanami Sabino is distributing some gifts to the children during the advocacy event of the World Children’s Day 2023.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Monemnasi H.E. State Secretary for Equality, Sra. Elvina de Sousa Carvalho is distributing some gifts to the children during the advocacy event of the World Children’s Day 2023.
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UNICEF Timor-Leste/2023/Tdossantos H. E. Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister for Rural Development and Community Housing, Eng. Mariano Asanami Sabino visited the UNICEF exhibition stall, where a mural of children’s dreams for a clean and safe environment, was displayed. UNICEF Country Representative of UNICEF in Timor-Leste, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, together with Dominggus Monemnasi, the Communication Officer of UNICEF Timor-Leste, explained to His Excellency on how these murals are a representation of drawings from 40 children, who illustrated the extent of pollution and environment degradation in some of their communities. The children also illustrated the clean and safe environment which they wish to live in.
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@INDDICA/2023/Natalino UNICEF Timor-Leste team at the advocacy event of the World Children’s Day 2023 celebration at the President Palace, Dili, Timor-Leste.

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