(CARICOM Secretariat Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) When the Twelfth Special Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) meets in Guyana next week (17-19 March 2008), it will be making a strong case for the establishment of a comprehensive child legislative framework and efficient implementing mechanisms for greater protection of children in the Caribbean.

With its focus on children, the COHSOD will be discussing the issues relating to children without adequate parental care, children affected by migration, justice for children and violence against children, and is expected to support the move towards the harmonization of legislation, regulatory standards and advocacy mechanisms to protect children.

The proposed legislative framework will complement the revised Regional Framework of Action for Children, which Member States of the Caribbean Community will be expected to implement as an important contribution to national development priorities.

In October 2002 in Georgetown, Guyana, during the first Special Meeting of the Council of Human and Social Development (COHSOD) on children, the CARICOM Member States endorsed the Regional Framework for Action for Children’s Rights and Development in the Caribbean.

This Framework was conceptualized based on the commitments contained in the Kingston Consensus (2000), The Declaration of World Fit for Children (WFC, 2002) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2000), and requires Member States to report on progress made in the implementation of children’s rights. The Framework was constructed on six themes: Early Childhood Development, Child Protection, HIV/AIDS, Education, Infant Mortality and Maternal Mortality. The child protection element underscored protection against abuse, exploitation, violence, child labour including the worst forms, discrimination and neglect in all Member States.

The implementation of the revised framework will create a more enabling environment for the development of policy and services in child development, participation, health and protection at both national and regional levels and in relevant ministries and agencies responsible for education, youth, health, justice/legal affairs, national security, and social development.

Senior decision-makers in those ministries will also be updated on the contribution that adequate legislative framework and protection programmes and services can make in achieving national human resource development goals and objectives.

Decisions will be made to endorse strategies that can advance child development, participation and protection as priority development goals and formulate within the Regional Framework of Action for Children, 2002-2015, revised priority actions covering the three year period 2008-2011 in support of overall goals set in the Framework for child survival, development, participation and protection at regional and national levels.

The long-term value of the Second Special COHSOD on Children will be gauged by the political commitment of the CARICOM Member States and on the quality and sustainability of the follow-up at the national and regional levels.