Children right to be angry with adults for state of world says Commissioner

Despite the progress achieved, children’s unhindered access to their rights remains an open challenge, Children’s Comissioner Despo Michaelidou said on Sunday, International Children’s Rights Day.

“Wars, the migration crisis, the energy crisis, the pandemic, natural disasters, including the climate crisis, are pushing, every day, more children into poverty, misery, social exclusion and migration,” she said.

Listening to children’s demand for a shift to a new, environmentally friendly way of life, Michaelidou said her office sets as a top priority the need to make decisions that guarantee their right to a healthy environment, with particular emphasis on access to climate justice.

The office supports child environmental activists and urged all those responsible to ensure their right to participate in peaceful protests. “The children are rightly angry with the adults and about how we managed to almost reach the brink of disaster,” she said.

Meanwhile, poverty and social exclusion limit children’s chances in later life, she said, adding that the state has a responsibility to support low-income households.

“We cannot afford another delay. Creating the conditions that will allow children to grow up in a healthy and safe environment, in which they enjoy their rights is imperative,” Michaelidou said.

But in order to achieve this, children themselves must be included in the decision making, she said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Legislation Louisa Christodoulidou Zannetou said Cyprus is committed to respect children’s rights in a practical way and has promoted legislative developments.

World Children’s Rights Day was first established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20 around the world. The aim is to promote children’s rights and raise awareness at national, regional and international level.

A concert will be held in Nicosia on Sunday night called The Sound of Rights, performed by the Sistema Cyprus programme which teaches migrant and other vulnerable children to play musical instruments.