Moldova marks 25 years of adoption of UN Convention on Rights of Child

Chisinau, 21 November /MOLDPRES/ - Leading personalities in the field of children's rights in Moldova were awarded prizes during a gala organised by UNICEF in Moldova on 20 November. The event marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the parliament's communication and public relations department has reported.

Parliament Speaker Igor Corman, Deputy Parliament Speaker Liliana Palihovici, former Moldovan President Mircea Snegur, First Lady Margareta Timofti, UNICEF Representative in Moldova Nune Mangasaryan, diplomats, civil society representatives, children and parents attended the event.

The eight winners were selected within a public competition organised by UNICEF Moldova in July - September 2014. The jury considered over 100 nominated candidates. The Special Award of UNICEF was awarded to the director of the school in the Stefanesti village, Floresti district, Aurelia Bodiu, for promoting educational inclusion of children with special needs.

Addressing the participants in the ceremony, Igor Corman referred to parliament's efforts on improving the legal framework on children's rights, noting the adoption of a series of laws designed to provide greater protection for children. At the same time, Corman stressed the need to improve the justice system for children, calling on joint efforts on behalf of the authorities, civil society and external partners. The parliament speaker thanked the institutions that promote children's rights for their work and offered the UNICEF prize to the Institute for Penal Reform.

Igor Corman noted the efforts of the authorities to promote the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. "The Convention has transformed the world, including at the level of mentality and vision, having a major impact on the way children are viewed and treated. In the 21 years since the Convention had been implemented in Moldova, the sides managed to build a system to protect children, but we still have many things to do. The implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU will bring more results in this area", said the parliament speaker.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Liliana Palihovici handed the UNICEF prize to the Keystone Human Services organisation for their valuable contribution in improving the legal framework on social assistance and child protection, as well as in the field of reforming the care system for children with disabilities. "Children must remain one of our daily concerns, as parents, citizens, dignitaries. I am proud of the fact that I am a member of a team who constantly fights for the present and future of children in Moldova", said Liliana Palihovici.

Moldova ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993, showing continued commitment in this area. Moldova is the only state within the Eastern Partnership to include a chapter on children's rights in the Association Agreement with the EU.