Latest news with #UNCRC
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Children most at risk of poor outcomes denied rights
Children most at risk of poor outcomes in care, education, housing, disability and mental health services, continue to be denied their rights, according to new research. A report titled 'Meeting the Legal Needs of Children and Young People in Ireland and Enhancing Access to Justice – A Children's Rights Analysis' says challenges are compounded by limited awareness of rights among children as well as inadequate legal support for organisations working directly with children. It also stressed that there is a lack of effective remedies to challenge such breaches. Commissioned by the charity Community Law and Mediation, the study points to a lack of awareness of children's rights frameworks among duty bearers. It also points to gaps in professional knowledge among lawyers in how to support children whose rights are violated and challenges in pursuing strategic litigation work that could deliver systemic change. While there has been progress with legal incorporation of specific provisions of the UNCRC into Irish legislation, the report stated that "this has been described as piecemeal" and "is not consistent or comprehensive". The study consulted a youth advisory group who identified legal issues across different areas of life. They included bullying, school exclusions, lack of support for educational needs, issues relating to custody in family law matters, not being listened to by social workers and difficulties accessing health services and mental health supports. The study also cited a frightening and intimidating criminal justice system as well as being exploited at work and issues relating to homelessness and lack of available housing. Family problems raised included parental mental health problems and drug addiction, separation or divorce and young people having their voice heard or wishes shared with the judge when they want to express them in court proceedings. The report outlined how a child rights-based approach to legal services is an important part of access to justice for children and the pursuit of a child-friendly justice system. As a result, it has recommended a specialist children's legal service. It also recommended that the State ensures that commitments in relation to children's rights in the National Policy Framework Young Ireland and within the Child Poverty Unit of the Department of the Taoiseach include an access to justice component. Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC pointed to the Irish Government's long-standing stated policy of seeking to make Ireland one of the best countries in Europe to grow up. Critical to this, she said was ensuring compliance with Ireland's obligations under both the Constitution and the UN Convention on the Rights of the child both in practice and in principle. "Securing such compliance requires a child-friendly justice system and access to justice for children growing up in Ireland. I welcome this timely and important Report, which addresses these vital issues and sets out proposals for change," she said. More children experiencing deprivation - ESRI Meanwhile, more children are experiencing deprivation despite being above the official poverty threshold according to research by the Economic and Social Research Institute. Its latest study found the number of children defined as deprived but not at risk of poverty has increased, with 17% of children defined as such in 2023 compared to 12% in 2020. The ESRI found that more than half of deprived children, not at risk of poverty, live in households with incomes slightly above the poverty line— between 60% and 80% of the median income. However, when incomes are adjusted to account for housing costs, it moves many of these children below the poverty line. The researchers said this highlights the burden of housing expenses on family living standards. The study found that 39% of children who are deprived, live in households where at least one person over the age of 16 has a disability, and 41% live in lone parent households. Due to the extra costs associated with disability, households that include a disabled person do not have the same standard of living as households with the same income but without a disabled member. Other risk factors include migrant status, low education levels and unemployment of adults in the household. Households of children who are deprived but not at risk of poverty also experience significant financial strain according to the report, with debt problems and heavy burdens from loan repayments comparable to those in consistent poverty. The ESRI said poverty measures may not fully capture the extent of deprivation experienced by children in Ireland. It added that future poverty measurement should consider a range of income thresholds to identify those households already experiencing a lower standard of living and who are at risk of falling into consistent poverty. It has suggested adjusting income measures for housing costs to capture the impact of the current housing crisis on the standard of living of Irish households. The report also highlighted the need for a multi-faceted policy approach to reach children experiencing deprivation.
Gulf Today
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Pakistan's Punjab province approves landmark child protection policy
Gulf Today Report In a historic move that underscores an unwavering commitment to children's rights, the Punjab cabinet has officially approved the province's first-ever Comprehensive Child Protection Policy. Developed by the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau with technical support from Unicef Pakistan, this policy represents a pivotal step toward ensuring a safer, more just, and nurturing environment for every child in Punjab. The policy sets a new benchmark for child welfare in Pakistan and reflects the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Punjab,Maryam Nawaz, whose steadfast focus on child protection has been instrumental in this achievement. Chairperson of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, Sarah Ahmad, expressed heartfelt gratitude on the occasion: 'I extend my sincere thanks to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for her unwavering dedication and leadership in championing the rights of our children. The approval of this policy is more than a government decision—it is a beacon of hope, a transformative milestone that strengthens our resolve to protect and empower children across the province.' She further added: The newly approved Child Protection Policy of Punjab lays the foundation for a robust and integrated child protection system across the province. It is designed to safeguard all children from abuse, violence, neglect, exploitation, and harmful practices, ensuring their safety and dignity. Anchored in both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Constitution of Pakistan, the policy reflects international standards and national legal frameworks. A core strength of the policy lies in its emphasis on multi-sectoral collaboration, bringing together families, schools, communities, and government departments to form a united front in the protection of children. It establishes clear rules, procedures, and services to respond effectively to child protection concerns and seeks to strengthen both legal and social systems for sustained impact. To build a capable support system, the policy includes provisions for the professional training of social service workers, enabling them to respond to the needs of vulnerable children with skill and sensitivity. Furthermore, it introduces a digital Case Management and Referral System (CP-CMRS), which will help track individual cases and ensure timely interventions. Alongside this, a centralised Management Information System (MIS) will facilitate data collection, inter-agency coordination, and effective follow-ups. Lastly, the policy establishes strong mechanisms for provincial and district-level coordination, with a focus on regular monitoring, transparent reporting, and accountability.
Daily News Egypt
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Punjab Province in Pakistan approves first Child Protection Policy
Pakistan's Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved the province's first Comprehensive Child Protection Policy, a measure developed to enhance the safety and well-being of children in the region. The policy was formulated by the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau with technical support from UNICEF state it aims to establish a safer, more just, and nurturing environment for every child in Punjab. The policy's creation has been linked by the Bureau to the focus of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on child protection. Sarah Ahmad, Chairperson of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for her leadership in relation to children's rights. She said the approval of this policy is more than a government decision—it is a beacon of hope, a transformative milestone that strengthens our resolve to protect and empower children across the province. Ahmad further added: 'The newly approved Child Protection Policy of Punjab lays the foundation for a robust and integrated child protection system across the province. It is designed to safeguard all children from abuse, violence, neglect, exploitation, and harmful practices, ensuring their safety and dignity. Anchored in both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Constitution of Pakistan, the policy reflects international standards and national legal frameworks.' The policy emphasises multi-sectoral collaboration, bringing together families, schools, communities, and government departments to address child protection. It seeks to establish clear rules, procedures, and services to respond effectively to child protection concerns and aims to strengthen both legal and social systems. To support its implementation, the policy includes provisions for the professional training of social service workers, enabling them to respond to the needs of vulnerable children. Furthermore, it introduces a digital Case Management and Referral System (CP-CMRS) to help track individual cases and support timely interventions. A centralised Management Information System (MIS) will also be utilised to facilitate data collection, inter-agency coordination, and effective follow-ups.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Madras High Court restrains media from reporting Tamil actor's matrimonial dispute
The Madras High Court has restrained the media, both print as well as online, from posting, hosting, or debating any information concerning the matrimonial dispute between a popular film actor and his wife, as it would have deleterious effect not only on them but also their minor children. Justice G.R. Swaminathan ordered that all online portals and websites must take down the offending, defamatory contents that they had already published regarding the matrimonial dispute between the couple, to respect the right to privacy of the two children as well. The judge directed the High Court Registry to mark a copy of his order to the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to ensure prompt and effective compliance of the generalised order passed by him with respect to all media houses across the country. The orders were passed at the request of senior counsel Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing the actor who had approached the court to prevent his estranged wife and the latter's mother from making defamatory statements against him on mainstream and social media. Biblical saying During the course of hearing of the case, the judge said, there was a biblical saying that one should do to others what he/she would want them to do to him/her. Negatively put, it would mean that one should not do to others what he/she would not want them to do to him/her. 'The applicant herein does not want the respondents to defame him. Fair enough. But the applicant also should conduct himself likewise,' the judge said and obtained an undertaking from Mr. Naidu and senior counsel J. Ravindran, assisted by S.P. Arthi, representing the actor's wife, that neither party would issue statements against the other. 'Super injunction' against media After giving the undertaking, Mr. Naidu urged the court to pass a 'super injunction order', restraining the media in general from reporting any information regarding the matrimonial dispute, since there was always a possibility of 'inspired leaks or sponsored reporting' from either party. While examining the need for passing such an injunction, the judge took note that the marital relationship between the actor and his estranged wife was under severe strain, and because he happened to be a celebrity, the issue had evoked great amount of public attention. 'The footprints of the negative campaign are there for all to see in the virtual world. I am worried about the impact it will have on the psychological health of their children. Article 8 of European Convention on Human Rights states that everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life,' the judge wrote. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Further, Article 16 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) states that no child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home, or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation. 'A child has the right to protection of the law against such interference or attacks. This convention was ratified by the Government of India in 1992 itself, and Article 51 of the Constitution emphasises the need to foster respect for international law and treaty obligations,' the judge pointed out. He went on to state: 'Section 9(2) of Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, too mandates that a Data Fiduciary shall not undertake such processing of personal data that is likely to cause detrimental effect on the well-being of a child. I have referred to these provisions to emphasise the need to bear in mind the paramount interests of the children in such matters.' Supreme Court verdicts The judge recalled the Supreme Court to have held in Sukhwant Singh versus State of Punjab (2009) that the reputation of a person was a valuable asset and a facet of his/her right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Privacy too had been declared as a fundamental right flowing out of the same Article in the famous K.S. Puttaswamy case (2017). Further, the top court in Kaushal Kishor versus State of Uttar Pradesh (2023) had declared that a fundamental right under Articles 19 and 21 could be enforced even against persons other than the State or its instrumentality. 'Thus, there can be a horizontal application of the fundamental right to reputation and privacy even against private entities,' he observed. John Doe orders Posing a question to himself as to whether a super injunction could be issued against media houses which remain unrepresented before the court, the judge answered it by asking: 'What are John Doe (or Ashok Kumar) orders then? They are exparte orders issued against unidentified people in order to prevent them from indulging in activities that breach the copyrights of the applicants. John Doe orders are issued not only to uphold copyrights but also to protect the right to reputation and privacy.' Also invoking the doctrine of ubi jus ibi remedium (if there is a right, there must be remedy), the judge said, once the right to privacy of the couple as well as their children had been acknowledged, such a right could not be frustrated merely because it would not be immediately possible to exhaustively catalogue the names of persons/media houses who had infringed the right or may infringe in the future. UK Supreme Court judgment Justice Swaminathan heavily relied upon a 2016 judgment of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in PJS versus News Group Newspapers Limited, which dealt with the competing claims of a claimant's right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression. 'In that judgment, Lady Hale spoke on the interests of the children involved in the case. Her Ladyship noted that the children would definitely be affected by the publication of private information about their parents... Editors must demonstrate an exceptional public interest to override the normally paramount interests of children under Article 16 of UNCRC,' the judge said. Matrimonial dispute has no public interest at all Stating he was inclined to adopt the same approach in the present case, Justice Swaminathan said, the matrimonial dispute between the actor and his wife had no element of public interest at all, and said that it was basically the subject matter of divorce proceedings pending between them before a Family Court in Chennai. 'Just because the applicant is a celebrity, the negative development in his personal life has attracted general attention. People are curious to know every petty detail about the intimate aspects. We are in the age of social media and voyeurism is on the rise. To gain more and more viewership, every sleazy information is magnified, distorted and presented. The interests of the two children of the parties cannot be sacrificed at the altar of mass consumerism,' the judge observed. 'There is another sacred principle which all of us have forgotten; the doctrine of sub judice. When a court is seized of the matter, it is not for the media to conduct a parallel trial. Media would include social media also. Therefore, injunction has to be granted against the world at large to uphold the principle of sub judice too,' the judge concluded.
RTÉ News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Children's Ombudsman 'utterly dismayed' by rise in child homelessness
The Children's Ombudsman has said he is "exasperated and utterly dismayed" with the rise in child homelessness. Niall Muldoon was speaking as the Ombudsman's for Children's Office (OCO) publishes its annual report for 2024. "There were upwards of 4,500 children availing of homeless services at the end of 2024," Mr Muldoon said. "We still get complaints from people trying to access emergency accommodation. "It is clear that the delays these families are experiencing, due to the lack of available and affordable housing, is having a significant adverse impact on their children's lives," he added. Mr Muldoon said that the Ombudsman office has consistently called on the Government to review the support in place for children and families in homelessness. In a statement, the Department of Housing said child homelessness is not Government policy, however, addressing homelessness is a priority. "The new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, sets out a number of commitments around addressing family homelessness. "The plan commits to providing emergency accommodation for everyone who needs it, with special support for children impacted by homelessness; ensuring a holistic, cross departmental approach to homelessness prevention and focusing social housing allocations on getting families out of long-term homelessness," it added. "Increasing supply is key to addressing homelessness. The overall capital funding available for housing in 2025 is now over €6.5 billion. "In the first quarter of this year nationwide, 642 households, including 850 adults and 369 families, were prevented from entering emergency accommodation by way of a tenancy being created and in addition 628 households, including 796 adults and 277 families, exited emergency accommodation by way of a tenancy being created," the statement said. As well as highlighting the year-on-year rise in the number of families in emergency accommodation, the ombudsman's report also highlights the high volume of complaints the OCO receives about children's public services. In total, the OCO received 1,772 complaints in 2024. The complaints are increasing in complexity; 16% of complaints related to more than one agency, while 33% included multiple categories of concern. Education is the issue which OCO received the most complaints about, followed by Tusla and then children's health services. The OCO was established in 2004 to protect and promote the rights of children. Mr Muldoon said that many of the issues the OCO was advocating for two decades ago, are still not resolved. He emphasised that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is not fully and directly incorporated into Irish law. Although there has been "much progress" in that time, according to Mr Muldoon, there are still many areas where the complaints made to his office in its 20th year, are the same as what they heard in the first year. Complaints related to special education, access to health services, the standards of healthcare, access to disability services were all made in 2004 and also in 2024. "The consistency of the issues raised 20 years apart highlights for us again the need to properly place children's rights, all of them, at the forefront of policy decisions and service provision," Mr Muldoon said.
