(MENAFN - Arab News) .The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) will be organizing a roundtable dialogue on social protection policies for children.
The dialogue, to be held on Jan. 15-16 at UNICEF's headquarters in Riyadh, will bring together academics and representatives from civil societies as well as policy makers of some Gulf countries. The move is within the framework of UNICEF's new direction to organize as well as participate in dialogues concerning policies that affect children in the Gulf countries to bring the latest international trends in this area. Learned lessons from local and regional expertise will be presented.
The ACCD is an Arab nongovernmental organization with a legal personality. It was established in 1987 upon the initiative of Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz, who is also the chairman of the board of trustees, and is based in Cairo. The ACCD works to support and coordinate governmental and nongovernmental efforts, adopt ideas for the protection and development of Arab children, and ensure their rights according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The forum seeks to expand the concept of child protection to include economic and social factors as well as the known aspects, such as violence and abuse. It pursuits the development and integration of various protection systems existing in the Gulf states to ensure the growth of children in a safe and supportive environment.
Policy makers in relevant ministries, research bodies, and civil society representatives will be invited to this meeting to discuss three papers prepared by experts from Egypt and Lebanon who were designated by the ACCD. The ACCD works in cooperation with the Arab League. It is a permanent member in the league's childhood committee, a member of the UN Economic and Social Council, and a representative of the Middle East and North Africa in the advisory board of nongovernmental organizations, charged with the follow-up on the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General study on violence against children.
The ACCD carried out a number of projects to promote civil society and activate the Arab and international strategy and conventions on children, such as the Arab project for street children and the Arab strategy for the development of the language of the child. The ACCD also issued reference reports on a number of Arab children's issues and problems.
