DATE=1/13/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N / SIERRA LEONE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-258041
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A Sierra Leone delegation has told a United
Nations committee that the government is taking action
to try to improve the lives of children traumatized by
the country's long-running civil war. Lisa Schlein in
Geneva reports the committee is examining how Sierra
Leone complies with the U-N Convention on the Rights
of the Child.
TEXT: The Sierra Leonian delegation says its
parliament is expected to adopt a draft bill soon,
which will complement the Convention on the Rights of
the Child. The United Nations treaty seeks to promote
the basic rights of children and protect them against
violations. The Convention was adopted in 1990 and
ratified by virtually every country in the world.
(Eds. Except the United States and Somalia.)
Iris Juxon-Smith is Sierra Leone's Chief Social
Development Officer. She says the draft bill before
the country's parliament deals with issues such as the
age of consent for marriage, the age of recruitment in
the army, and measures regarding health, welfare and
education.
/// JUXON-SMITH ACT ///
Issues like family situations, which would
involve maybe the family reunification of
children. Issues that would affect the well-
being of children because some of the children
have lost their parents and we need to look at
things like placement for these children,
reintegrating them into our society.
/// END ACT ///
Sierra Leone's Deputy Minister of Health and
Sanitation, Sidikie Brima, says his country is coping
well considering its limited means. For example, he
says the country recently held several national
immunization days in which 95 percent of the country's
children were immunized against diseases. He calls
this amazing considering the reality of his war-
ravaged country. Mr. Brima says Sierra Leone is
trying to rehabilitate health facilities that were
destroyed and is trying to help children who are badly
affected by the war.
/// BRIMA ACT ///
We have them in these displaced camps. They are
going through healing processes, psychological
healing processes so that they can be restored
to normal life.
/// END ACT ///
The United Nations committee agrees that children who
have been subjected to atrocities require special
protective measures. During the war in Sierra Leone
for example, between 10 and 15-thousand children were
abducted, forced to serve as child soldiers, sexually
abused, or had limbs amputated.
Joanna Van Gerpen, the representative in Sierra Leone
of UNICEF, the U-N Childrens' Fund, says the situation
of these children is tragic. But, she says they
account for a relatively small percentage of Sierra
Leone's two million children.
/// VAN GERPEN ACT ///
These children shouldn't be segregated in
society by being provided with specific
assistance that's targeted to them directly.
That, in a sense, would separate them more from
the general population.
/// END ACT ///
Ms. Van Gerpen says the whole population of children
and adults in Sierra Leone has been devastated by the
war. And, the whole population has to be healed.
(Signed)
NEB/LS/GE/JO
13-Jan-2000 11:22 AM EDT (13-Jan-2000 1622 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
