Solomon Islands

Supporting an advisor on children's rights

Political instability has weakened health, education and social support services in Solomon Islands, as funding to these areas has been diverted elsewhere. Young children in Solomon Islands face increased risk of death and malnutrition due to the lack of health services and medical supplies. In the absence of social support structures and security personnel, human rights violations against children and women have increased.

In 1993, the National Advisory Committee on Children (NACC) was established in Solomon Islands to help implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and to advise the government on key issues relating to children’s rights. The NACC has developed policy on the implementation of the CRC, but putting it to work has been disrupted by civil unrest and the resulting sharp reductions in government capacity across all sectors.

In June 2001, the NACC identified a number of strategies to refocus, reactivate and strengthen it’s activities. A key strategy was to establish a Children’s Desk within the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Women and to employ a Child Development Officer to work with the NACC to implement the CRC and promote children’s rights. Save the Children New Zealand is supporting the salary of the Children’s Development Officer for a period of 12 months. Following this period, the Solomon Islands Government will assume responsibility for this salary.

Other components of the project include training teachers and parents on children’s rights, and working with schools to incorporate children’s rights issues into the curriculum.

Our partners in this project are Save the Children Australia, the Solomon Islands Government (Ministry of Youth, Sport and Women), the National Advisory Committee on Children and UNICEF.