Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: Members of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Children have praised the progress made by the Sultanate of Oman in the field of child rights.
A report was submitted to the committee by the Sultanate’s delegation during the discussion of the combined national reports on child rights at the 92nd session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.
The committee formed to discuss the report, consisting of a number of different countries of the world, expressed its satisfaction with the efforts of the Sultanate of Oman on “to achieve the best interest of the child.” The committee looked forward to further “progress for children’s rights in the Sultanate of Oman,” and in this context appreciated the “efforts that have been made in the Sultanate of Oman” in the field of childhood in various sectors.
Her Excellency Dr. Laila bint Ahmed Al-Najjar, Minister of Social Development, while heading the delegation of the Sultanate of Oman at the meeting, said: The Sultanate seeks to achieve comprehensive development by embodying the principles of human rights in the various strategies, plans, programs and development projects that have been implemented. Today, the Sultanate of Oman ranks 52nd at the expense of the Human Development Index. According to 2021 data within the framework of countries that have very high human development, as indicated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in its recent report for the year 2022.
She added: Oman has achieved advanced levels in various human rights indicators, and the basic human rights treaties and conventions it has committed to, as the Sultanate has ratified and acceded to seven of the nine basic human rights conventions, beginning with the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1996 AD, and submitted its periodic reports on the conventions to which it joined.
She touched on the legislative developments in the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the issuance of the Basic Law of the State by Royal Decree No. 6/2021, which distinguished in its provisions the promotion of human rights by explicitly stipulating provisions confirming these rights, which constitute the essence of the principles and provisions of international treaties and conventions concerned with human rights, and in continuation of its efforts In finding a legislative reference for the rights of the child, the Sultanate of Oman issued in 2019 the executive regulations for the “Child Law”, and began reviewing some related laws and regulations such as the “Juvenile Accountability Law” which was issued in 2008 AD, and harmonizing the “Law on Care and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities” with the international convention The rights of persons with disabilities promulgated by Royal Decree No. 63/2008 and the “Civil Associations Law 2000”.
She indicated that, as part of the discussions in the National Committee for Family Affairs, a review of the "Children's Law" and its implementing regulations is currently taking place with the relevant ministries and authorities. In order to accommodate the various developments regarding child protection from what was presented by international and regional conventions and protocols in this regard, and to achieve the principles and provisions of the Basic Law of the State, many laws and legislations related to the rights of children, women, persons with disabilities, and civil associations are currently being reviewed with the aim of promoting the rights of children.
