Kinshasa, December 12th, 2022 (CPA).- The signing of the decree creating the National Council for Children (CNE) by the Prime Minister paves the way for the installation of a children’s parliament throughout the DRC, said the Minister of Gender, Gisèle Ndaya Luseba.
“The signing of this decree is only the beginning of a fight for the implementation of child protection rights. We are going to fight to take the step of installing a children’s parliament throughout the DRC. This parliament will be an appropriate framework for children to recognize their rights and obligations,” she said, during a reception she organized for children on Saturday at the Villa Royale in the commune. from Gombe to Kinshasa, to celebrate the signing of this decree.
For her part, the children’s representative, Miss KetsiaPassou, thanked all the members of the government in general and more particularly the Minister of Gender for having taken up the children’s plea with a view to wresting this decree which has dragged on since log dates.
“It is since 2009 that we had presented, without success, our plea to the various governments which succeeded one another in the DRC to have the decree creating the National Council for the Child. But today, in just one year of advocacy thanks to the Minister of Gender, Maman Gisèle Ndaya, who got personally involved, we have just won the signature of this decree. This is why we thank all the members of the current government in general, and in particular the Minister of Gender, Family and Children », she said, before stressing that the children are impatiently awaiting the installation of the said parliament. .
A long-term fight
To extract this decree, Minister Gisèle Ndaya led a long-term fight with certain partners.
“This long-term fight was carried out in oncert with UNICEF, children’s rights NGOs, the directorate of child protection and the children themselves. It is after more than 12 years of advocacy that this merit has just been snatched by Minister Gisèle Ndaya who has shown keen interest in including this issue in her agenda », said the director in charge of the protection of human rights. the child, Gauthier Luyela.
Mr. Gauthier Luyela, who also dwelt on the history of the pleas that led to the signing of the decree establishing and operating the CNE, said that the CNE is a platform for all the actors in the sector responsible for children. to discuss anything related to their protection.
For their part, the former president of the children’s parliament of Beni (North Kivu), Jason Kahya Muhiwa, the children of the soldiers and the police said they were honored and proud of this giant step taken in the accomplishment of the mission of the gender ministry.
The National Council for the Child (CNE), it is recalled, is a body aimed at the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.
Before the reception, the Minister of Gender had led a delegation made up of children and organizations operating in the children’s sector, in particular the NGO CAFED and UNICEF, to Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, in order to thank you for this commendable act in honor of the children of the DRC.
ACP/
