The CRC was a landmark achievement. For the first time, governments explicitly recognized that children are born with rights. They have the right to quality standards of health and nutrition, to clean water and sanitation, to a seat in a classroom and to be safe in their homes and communities. They have also the right to express their opinions and the right to be heard.
Lebanon ratified the CRC in 1990 and, over the past 30 years, the situation of boys, girls and young people has significantly improved, in law and practice. Some examples are the establishment of the Higher Council for Childhood in 1994, which is responsible for the care and development of children in accordance with international conventions, the most recent commitment to free vaccination in all health centers and dispensaries, and the launch of the National Non-Formal Education Framework for Lebanon last year.
The UN in Lebanon, including UNICEF and UNDP, has supported Lebanon to achieve these goals. We continue working for the progress of girls, boys and the youth within the framework of the CRC and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, pursuing the commitment that every child has access to every right.
As we celebrate 30 years of the CRC, it is also important to look ahead to what we must do to continue to translate rights into reality. Despite tremendous progress over the past decades, huge challenges remain for the 1.3 million children in Lebanon. Many of them are still out of school, and safe drinking water is not available to all vulnerable communities. While multiple forms of violence are breaking thousands of childhoods, girls and boys remain engaged in child labor, many girls are faced with early marriage, and a high percentage of young people are out of learning or unemployed. At the same time, children and young people across Lebanon have been coming together in the last few weeks to add their voices for a future that meets the aspirations of their generation.
As governments look to live up to their commitments, we urge them to put children and youth first. The best pathway to a better, more sustainable future for all is to invest in all children and young people today.
Across the world, and in Lebanon, children and young people are speaking up and speaking out for their rights as never before. We should take our lead from them. We must act now – with boldness and determination.