Education is the right solution of addressing child labour. It has been chosen as the topic in the membership meeting of NGOCRC. Also, it is the topic for the celebration of International Children Day this year. International Children Day – June 1, this year, was celebrated on June 3 at Samdach Decho Hun Sen Park and presided over by His Excellency Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in charge of Council of Ministers and the representative of Samdach Akag Moha Sena Padey Decho Hun Sen – Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The celebration was sponsored by Plan International, Save the Children Norway, Save the Children Australia, Children Welfare Organization and World Vision Cambodia. NGOCRC has organized anti-child labour and mainstreaming Child Rights campaign in such occasions as parade, arts performance, singing songs, children’s short educational role plays, pictures and messages printed on banners, leaflets and T-shirt, broadcasting on mass media, painting, question and answer competition etc. Local and international guests who participated in the occasion were senators, lawmakers, government officials, representatives from embassies, local and international organizations and donors, total to 170 people. This program was celebrated in cooperation among National Council for Children, NGO CRC, Ministry of Women’s and Veteran’s Affairs, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Phnom Penh Municipality, local and international NGOs. There were 4,000 participants, 931 from NGOCRC – 762 children and 169 adults.

His Excellency Sok An stated that some national rules, policies and plans had been prepared and enacted, especially “Education for All” policy. About 93.3% of children are studying at primary schools. And according to the UNESCO’s report, Cambodia is ranked 21th out of 129 countries in achieving high rate of primary school enrolment. In the meantime, promoting children’s role is reflected in the forth angle of Royal Government’s rectangular strategy that considers children as the future resource of the nation and source of real driving force in development. That means every citizen, especially the parents, is obliged to take care of their children’s welfare by focusing on their nutrition to improve their welfare, physical development and mental growth as well as to provide them with appropriate education to build up their future on their own and to contribute to the nation development. To decrease the level of vulnerability of children and increase the level of attention to infant and children’s health care, the Royal Government of Cambodia has implemented the prevention and treatment of communicative diseases, safeguard of mother and infant, and emergency programs to eliminate fatality rate of mother and children and to educate mother and children to better understand the infant and child health care. In the meantime, the Royal Government also urges the preparation and law enforcement and the enforcement of related regulations on health in a more effective way to ensure the standard and quality of health care and medical service and security on nutrition.

His Excellency Sok An further stated that the Royal Government of Cambodia clearly understands that Child Rights protection must be aligned with effort, laws enforcement, rehabilitation, vocation training for children, and especially quality education and no discrimination to ensure that every child acquires knowledge and know-how and that they can prepare themselves in their lives and live together. He also appreciated the idea expressed by the children representative stating “Good Bamboo Shoot will never replace bad old Bamboo” which holds a profound meaning with a long-term vision. This vision awakes everyone who wishes to have a good future. One must try hard to maintain their new generation.

His Excellency Ith Samheng, the president of the National Council for Children and the Minister of Social Affairs, Former Youth and Rehabilitation, stated in the auspicious occasion that on December, 2007 Cambodian delegates led by himself along with children’s representatives participated in the Great U.N Conference under the scheme of “Proper World for Children” to review the results from the special meeting for children. The meeting reached the announcement containing six points such as the motivated assessment on the achievement made since 2002 in creating a proper world for children; world facing challenges in responding to the need of Child Rights protection and improvement; urging to improve the international cooperation and to improve the attention to partnership from private sector and the world, regional and national initiation to speed up the effort toward the creation of a proper world for children; announce to parents, in charge persons, family, care agencies and the whole society to participate in caring children to grow in a secured environment; acknowledge children or youth’s voice and ideas; and encourage the commitment in fully enforcing the statement made in the 27th special meeting of United Nations on Children.

Mr. Meas Samnang the president of NGO CRC stated in the occasion that so far NGO CRC has closely collaborated with National Council for Children in improving the Child Rights enforcement and sending Cambodian Children’s representative to participate in Children Conference of Southeast Asia region, Conference of Great Mekong Sub-region and lately the World Conference on a proper World for Children which was celebrated in New York, United States on December, 2007. Besides, five NGO CRC’s representatives have joint in the process of producing the government’s second and third report on the implementation of Child Right Convention in Cambodia and participated in the process of preparing some child-related policies etc.

On behalf of NGO CRC, Mr. Meas Samnang extended his thank and warm welcome to the great effort of the Royal Government of Cambodia, especially the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, National Council for Children, Sub-national committee of Child Labour and Exploitation that has enacted and put into use the declaration, which related to Child Labour and the process of the creation of national plan to combat the heavy forms of child labour, of Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training recently. And NGOs group would like to request the Royal Government of Cambodia to adopt the essential national plan as quick as possible to make related government institutions, NGOs and general public practice. In the name of NGO CRC and the president himself, he showed a firm stand in supporting and actively participating with the Royal Government and other development partners in implementing this national plan, law and other statements under laws to prevent and eliminate the child labour in Cambodia to offer chances to children who are involving in this matter to access to education.

Ms Dr. Sou Omi Sakay, the president of UNICEF in Cambodia announced to all related stakeholders as well as the general public to continue collaborating with one another to make Cambodian women and children be able to access to interventions on time. The most effective approach and least cost in eliminating the infant’s fatality rate is to focus on the simple intervention in the family and community through building up the understanding and knowledge and improvement of practice in family and through giving high priority to children’s issues in the process of preparing the government policies.

Mr. Empy Josef, the chief of technical advisor to ILO/IPEC stated by highlighting the warm response of Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Sok An in the International Children’s Day and the International Anti-Child Labour Day in 2007 while he stated that he would try all his best to take action to speed up the national plan adoption on combating the heaviest form of child labour. The chief of technical advisor has also announced the cooperation and support from His Excellency, Deputy Prime Minister again to speed up the national plan adoption on combating the heaviest form of child labour from 2008-2012.

Schoolboy Eng Chansopheap, Cambodian Children’s representative, showed his great pleasure that he had a chance to participate in such a wonderful program. He also showed his sincere appreciation to the celebration of International Children’s Day on June 1 under the scheme of “Caring Infant and Children’s Health is the Nation’s Development” and the celebration of World Anti-Child Labour on June 12 under the scheme of “Education is the proper solution for Child Labour”. This shows the attention of the Royal Government, NGOs and related institutions, especially Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in promoting Children’s education in a direction which makes the children in Cambodia obtain a full right respect as stated in the Convention of Child Rights.

The boy who represented the Cambodian Children requested teachers, parents, general public, the Royal Government, local and international NGOs as well as the related institutions to kindly pay more attention to children’s education. The request intended to ask the Royal government to continue strengthening the quality of education through the provision of teachers with their skills to teach and the pay rise for them to ensure their proper living, values and respect. On the other hand, on behalf of all Cambodian Children, Sopheap requested to the government to consider June 1 as the public holiday again. Lastly, in the name of Cambodian Children, Sopheap committed to make himself to be good child, good student, good friend and good citizen by not getting involved in any unacceptable act and not following those who committed wrong acts with the only attention to a saying stating that “Good Bamboo Shoot will never represent the Bad old Bamboo.”