The government should see children’s rights protection as an investment and listen to children’s voices, said Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post, she said although the Thai government had a strong commitment to tackle violence against children through a national strategy, action plans and laws, only the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is responsible for protecting children and their rights.
"All government agencies need to take part in the protection of children's rights. Ministries like public health, education, finance and the interior should get involved because each has a piece of this job. It is not an exclusive job for one ministry, and it is not exclusively for one sector,” she said.
She said Thailand still lacks a social workforce whose job is crucial for child protection.
Their responsibilities are not only about protecting children from violence but also detecting children who may be at risk of violence in different contexts such as children in poverty, migrant children or children from poor families in rural areas.
It is also important to have well-trained social workers who can provide direct and quick action to help children exposed to violence or any well-being problem.
The key is a quick response to remove children from violent situations while the government should have a means by which children can report violence when they come across it, to help eliminate a climate of fear in which child victims do not dare to speak out.
As such, child protection and the protection of their rights should be seen as an "investment" for the government, especially the Finance Ministry.
“When you are strengthening your child’s rights protection system across all sectors, you are supporting children, families and communities.
"It also means investing in people and it means investing in competency. It starts with children because children are not just the future but they are the present. They are also parents of the next generation.
"The issue should be seen by the Finance Ministry as an important investment, not just additional expenditure,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of listening to children’s voices.
Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children