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Zanzibar is undergoing legislative reforms to facilitate protection of children's rights in the isles, the Minister for Labour, Women and Children Development, Mrs Asha Abdallah Juma, said. She said the rate of abuse and violence against children in Zanzibar was high and urgent measures were needed to rectify the situation. The minister said this while opening a consultative meeting organised by UNICEF on promotion and harmonisation of laws with international and regional standards on children's rights. She said right laws and policies were essential for protection of children from violence and other forms of abuse. "Enacting laws to eliminate inequalities is at the heart of promoting equality and empowerment of individuals, without that Zanzibar cannot meet the promises made and outlined in the Poverty Reduction Strategy-Mkuza," the minister said. Mrs Juma said international treaty commitments relating to children and general measures of implementation were legal obligations that states were required to fulfill, but they were also an expression of a society's commitment to the realization of children's rights. Her ministry with support of UNICEF, she said, had sought to move forward the process of legal reforms for children's rights by August, next year. "In the coming months it is intended that this process will be further completed by conducting a comprehensive studies on compliance of domestic legislation with international and regional instruments for children's rights," the minister said. Speaking at the same meeting, UNICEF representative Francois Rumeci said while there were existing statutes which contain provisions for child protection, the current laws lacked precise definitions, are outdated and do not adequately protect children from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Mr Rumeci pointed out further that the fundamental principals of non discrimination and the best interests of the child were not enshrined in legislation and there was no single definition of a child in Zanzibar law. Therefore, he said, the reforms of children's legislation in Zanzibar would be an effective way for the government to meet their obligations under international law and would create a focal point for the children's rights. Further information
pdf: http://dailynews.habarileo.co.tz/editorial/index.php?id=8684Association: Daily News, Tanzania