UNICEF, partners celebrate inclusion, child rights on World Children’s Day

AMMAN — Events are taking place across Jordan on Sunday to celebrate World Children’s Day — UNICEF’s annual day in support of the realisation of children’s rights — with a special focus this year on inclusion for every child.

World Children’s Day, which marks the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989, is a day of action for children by children. 

Children in UNICEF-supported Makani centres will be taking part in theatre and musical activities focused on child rights, while a football match organised together with Special Olympics Jordan will highlight the power of sport to drive inclusion, according to a statement from UNICEF.

“Every child has the right to an equal start in life, to be included and to be protected,” said Samuel Kipngetich Too, Acting Representative, UNICEF Jordan, adding that “this year World Children’s Day is particularly momentous coming after the adoption of the Child Rights Law, a historic achievement from the Government of Jordan and the National Council of Family Affairs, to help improve children’s wellbeing and development”.

“The year 2022 is a special year for children of Jordan with the adoption of the Child Rights Law, allowing Jordan to enter its second centenary, realising the importance of investing in childhood, and realising the law’s compatibility with the Economic Modernisation Vision, including the law’s emphasis on educational reform as a basis for economic development”, said Mohammad Miqdadi, Secretary-General of the National Council of Family Affairs. 

The Child Rights Law aligns with Jordan's adoption of the CRC over three decades ago, Jordan’s Vision 2025 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – as well as Jordan’s position as a pathfinder country to end all forms of violence against children in line with the CRC, read the statement. 

UNICEF will continue to work with the Government of Jordan and all national institutions to ensure that all girls and boys in Jordan have full access to their rights and that their voices are heard and acted on, leaving no one behind.