Southern African Leaders Pledge to Safeguard Children’s Rights

Walvis Bay, the leaders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe renewed their commitment to creating safer environments for children in their respective countries. This pledge was made during the UNICEF World Children’s Day commemoration, attended by Namibian President Hage Geingob, Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi, Zambian Minister of Community Development and Social Services Doreen Mwamba, and Zimbabwean Vice President Kembo Mohadi, along with over 500 children and dignitaries.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), The three-day event, held under the theme ‘For Every Child, Every Right,’ provided a platform for children to interact with their countries’ leaders and discuss solutions to protect and fulfill every child’s rights. The leaders committed to improving education quality, ensuring safe-to-learn school settings, and making education accessible to all children.

President Geingob emphasized the importance of empowering children, including the most vulnerable and those with disabilities, with knowledge and opportunities to foster a generation of future leaders and innovators. President Masisi highlighted the need for collaboration between leaders and children and stressed the importance of developing measurable success criteria.

Zambia’s Mwengo underlined the significance of protecting children and providing them with quality education to prepare them as future leaders. Zimbabwe’s Mohadi pointed out the country’s dedication to children’s rights, including the establishment of a Child Parliament to advise the government on child-related issues.

The event concluded with an interactive panel discussion between the heads of state and child leaders from the four countries, followed by children presenting calls of action to the leaders.