PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE
La Paz, April 8, 2013.

The Bolivian National Coalition for the Rights of the Child and Adolescents,a group of more than 21 non-governmental organizations at national and international level committed to promote and defend the rights of the Bolivian child and adolescents, CONGRATULATES the Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia for ratifying the “Optional Protocol tothe Convention on the Rights of the Child ona communications procedure”.

Out of all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean who are members of the United Nations Organization (UN), Bolivia is the first country to ratify this important legal instrument.The new Optional Protocol will benefit Bolivian children and adolescents, since it will allow them,their parents, tutors or their representatives to denounce the violation of their rights by the State.To date, 34 members States signed the Optional Protocol but the only countries that had ratified it were Thailand, Gabon and Germany.

The Bolivian Coalition for the Rights of the Child and Adolescents, an active member of the Latin American Network for the Defense of the Rights of the Child and Adolescents (REDLAMYC)that has the network’s permanent support,has been advocating for the ratification of the new Optional Protocol together with the Parliamentary Network for the Child and Adolescents (of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia). The Parliamentary Network is chaired by the Member of Parliament Javier Zabaleta who has shown strong commitment tothe ratification of this international mechanism.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the only core international human rights treaty that did not include a communications procedure.  The new Optional Protocol:

•    Will acknowledge children as rights holders
•    Will fully cover all of the rights included in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols that were not previously covered under communications procedures of other human rights treaties.
•    Children will have an international mechanism to turn to when national solutions do not exist or are inefficient.
•    Expertsfrom Committee on Rights of the Child will consider the complaints regarding violation of the rights of the child.


For more information:
Julia Velasco
National coalition for children´s rights of Bolivia
Email:  jvelasco@ecojovenes.org

Posted in: ANNI BOLIVIA