Lisa briefs UNICEF

Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna last week travelled to New York where she updated officials of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on the initiatives being undertaken by the Government to ensure the well-being of children in Jamaica.

Hanna pointed to the Government's increased budgetary allocation and/or other resource commitment to children-related areas of operations, including the Child Development Agency (CDA), the Office of the Children Registry and the Office of the Children's Advocate.

Hanna also told UNICEF that the missing children recovery system, Ananda Alert, is being strengthened, having recently been transferred to her ministry.

She noted several recent decisions of the Cabinet arising out a submission by the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on children who come in contact with the law.

Reaping success

The youth minister highlighted what she said was the success being experienced as a result of a coordinated approach to children's issues which the Government has been pursuing in a more determined way since last year.

Hanna argued that a more medical, therapeutic and rehabilitative approach is being taken by the Government to the issue of antisocial behaviour by some children, while efforts are underway to introduce more non-custodial sentences for children who commit criminal offences.

She claimed that more children in the care of the CDA are being placed in suitable family environments with financial support from the State.

Hanna reiterated Jamaica's commitment to the various international protocols on children to which the country is a signatory.

She said the Government is moving speedily to correct the situation where some female children in juvenile correctional facilities come in contact with adults wards through the use by juveniles and adults of some common areas.

Hanna said this is being done through the creation of short-term female juvenile-only correctional facilities, as well as plans which are in train to construct a new female juvenile correctional centre.

According to Hanna, the assistance of civil society is also being engaged through the creation of a Children Support Taskforce.

CAPTION - Minister of Youth Lisa Hanna (third left) is flanked by (from left) acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, Sydney Bartley; UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director for External Affairs, Yoka Brandt; UNICEF's Associate Director for Child Protection, Dr Susan Bissell; Jamaica's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Courtenay Rattray; and UNICEF's Senior Advisor on Intergovernmental Affairs, Kyungsun Kim. - Contributed