Save the Children has submitted a landmark report highlighting the opportunities and challenges children face growing up across the Solomon Islands.
The child rights agency submitted the first ever Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 'Alternative Report' for the Solomon Islands.
The report, which was endorsed by local and international NGOs working in Solomon Islands, highlights the progress the government has made in protecting the rights of children in the country.
The CRC was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 and is the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history.
The report outlines the specific rights children have, including protection from violence and abuse, access to education and healthcare and special legal provisions.
Solomon Islands has been a state party to the CRC since 2000. As part of the process to monitor the progress of states in implementing the CRC, the Committee on Rights of the Child periodically reviews the performance of each state that is party to the treaty.
To understand the impact of the work of governments for children, it is essential for the Committee to have the perspective of NGOs, national human rights institutions and children themselves.
The recently published report is termed an "Alternative Report" as it was developed in response to the State Report submitted by the Solomon Islands Government.
While the state report comments on the legal and policy frameworks of the country in line with the CRC, the alternative report examines the implementation of these and what the reality is for children in Solomon Islands.
According to the report, the key issues facing children in Solomon Islands are violence against children, sexual abuse and exploitation, and access to quality education.
The development of the report included child and community consultations in Honiara, Guadalcanal, Malaita and Western Province as well as NGO workshops and interviews with key stakeholders.
The alternative report was endorsed by Caritas, Homes of Peace and Empowerment (HOPE) Trust, Liven and Learn, Oxfam, People with Disabilities Solomon Islands, Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision.
Preparation of the report was funded by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights through Save the Children's project work protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
For more information or for a copy of the report, please contact Save the Children at receptionist@savethechildren.org.sb