15 Jun 2016

Samoa to seek funding to improve children's rights

7:00 am on 15 June 2016

The ministry responsible for children in Samoa says it will seek more funding to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Samoa's country review conducted by the UN body in Geneva last week called for more work to protect children's rights.

Among its recommendations are prohibiting physical punishment, raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from ten, stopping the use of children as street vendors and compulsory free primary education.

The chief executive of Samoa's Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development Beth Onesemo said all of the recommendations had been taken on board.

"We already have some existing partnerships and we are already working on some of these areas but it is about ensuring that we continue to do justice in terms of resourcing to all of the spectrum of issues that need to be addressed as validated by the committee findings," she said.

Ms Onesemo said they were seeking resources to implement the plan over five years.

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Samoa says it has taken on board all recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Photo: RNZI Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia