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Rights of Child Commission still to meet

Mar 16, 2010 News

… almost one year since members sworn in

It has been almost one year since 13 persons were sworn in to serve on the Rights of the Child Commission, but the body is yet to have its first meeting.
The matter is even more complicated in that the Commissioners are at a loss as to who has to call the first meeting. The Commission is also yet to elect office bearers such as the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.
Those with whom Kaieteur News spoke said they had no idea who was responsible for calling the first meeting.
The Commissioners were sworn-in by President Bharrat Jagdeo on May 8, last. One member, Banmattie Ram, has already resigned.
Further, one of the Commissioners noted that the constitution says that the Secretariat for the Human Rights Commission will serve as the secretariat for the Rights of the Child, Indigenous, and the Gender Equality Commissions, but there is no Human Rights commission as yet.
The four commissions are constitutional commissions agreed to by Parliament for the “promotion and enhancement of the fundamental rights and the rule of law.”
The Office of the President was responsible for swearing-in the members of the Commission, but several inquiries made by Kaieteur News to that office for information regarding the holding of the first meeting of the Commission proved futile.
According to the Constitution, the Rights of the Child Commission reports to the National Assembly, and is responsible for providing an annual report “as soon as practicable after the end of each year of its operation.”
When the Commissioners were sworn in, President Jagdeo impressed upon them the importance of their task, since they “deal with the future of this country.”
The Commissioners of the Rights of the Child Commission are Kaloutie Nauth and Yvonne Fox (representing Service organisations); Kwame McCoy (representing the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security); Vidyaratha Kissoon; Sarojanie Rambarran, Aleema Nasir, and Colleen Anthony (representing religious organisations); Marissa Massiah, Michelle Kalamadeen and Suelle Findlay-Williams (representing youth organisations) Sandra Hooper, Rosemary Benjamin-Noble (representing women’s organisations); Hyacinth Massay (other); Bibi Alli from the Ministry of Education given that Banmattie Ram has resigned; and Shirley Ferguson, representing the National Commission on the Rights of the Child.
The legislation that supports the setting up of the Rights of the Child Commission, stipulated that the Commission’s functions would be to promote initiatives that “reflect and enhance the well-being and rights of the child.”
The Commission is tasked with ensuring that the rights and interests of children are taken into account at all levels of Government, other public bodies and private organisations.

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