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| Thursday, 16 September 2004 |
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| Active participation of children in Rs. 14b UNICEF Action Plan -President by E. Weerapperuma President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said her Government was comitted to do its utmost to create a world for children that would be fit to produce good and successful citizens of Sri Lanka. Addressing Ministers, officials of the UNICEF, Save the Children, Sarvodaya and children present from all districts including the North and the East at the launching ceremony of the" National Action Plan for Children" at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, the President observed that children were committed and talented and would perform well if given the responsibility in implementing the National Plan of Action for the Children of Sri Lanka since they were consulted in preparing the NPA document. "Going further we hope that we would be able to get the active participation of children "Our Future" in the implementation of the Plan, President Kumaratunga said. In her address the President pointed out that the cost of the Four Year Action Plan beginning from 2004 to 2008 would cost around Rs.14 billion and said that her Government was able to contribute only 20 per cent of this sum for the moment adding that this would be raised with donor assistance. She said children had no agendas and is of little ambition. "We hope the relevant Ministries, Provincial Councils and other donor agencies will make arrangements to bring children to act with us". She recalled the May 2002 Special Session on Children in the United Nations and said that she was invited to address this session organised by the UNICEF where the heads of government present, committed themselves to prepare and implement "An Action Plan" to create a better world for children following the process outlined in the "World Fit For Children" document." My Government and I remain committed doing our best in Sri Lanka to create a world for children that will be fit to produce good and successful citizen for Sri Lanka", she added. President Kumaratunga observed that Sri Lanka has a special problem concerning children. She said children suffered during the past 35 years and were the victims of the terrible violence. Children in different districts suffered differently and the violence witnessed today was perpetrated by youth against adults and it is committed against themselves as well. They have also become victims of drug and alcohol." We have no human resources sufficient to handle the situation. These problems could reach crisis level unless we manage them. We are fully aware of this and we cannot solve it by ourselves. We need the continued support of our friends", the President said. She also noted that the majority of our youth were below the age level of 35. " At one point our young population was 65 per cent but due to various reasons including birth control we have a lower level of the young population today and there is an increse in the number of the aged ". Additional Director General/Department of National Budget B. Abeygunawardena giving the background to the preparation of the NAP for Children of Sri Lanka, said that the Government policy statement had given the highest priority for serving the children and the illiterate among the poorest of the poor. He said that special attention would be given in the areas of education, health, nutrition, child labour, juvenile justice, water and sanitation and protecting the disadvantaged child. UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka Ted Chaiban said that Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to have spoken about the children at the UN special session 2000, and said that over 400 children took part in that session. Three children on behalf of the child population of Sri Lanka spoke in appreciation of the opportunity they got to express their views in the preparation of the Action Plan. |
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