An Article

On
Policy Advocacy of National
Child Policy 2011: The Role of
National N.G.Os

Submitted by:
Tanjina Kabir
Roll: 1703124
3rd Batch
Master of Development Studies
Session: 2016-17
Bangladesh University of Professionals
Table of Contents

Abstract .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Methodology ...................................................................................................................................... 4
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ..................................................................... 4
Changes in Bangladesh National Child Policy 2011 ........................................................................... 5
Inputs of National N.G.Os in Bangladesh National Child Policy 2011 .............................................. 6
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 7
References .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Interviews ........................................................................................................................................... 8

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Abstract
Children are the future of the nation. They are the foundation upon which the development and
prosperity of a nation occur. A proper child development program is indispensable towards
overall progress of the nation. Everyone should participate in the efforts to bring up the children
as worthy citizens of the country. Children are the future leaders of the nation. To lead the
nation towards prosperity comprehensive child development program is needed on a priority
basis.
Provisions for fundamental rights of all citizens of Bangladesh including the children are
included in the Constitution of the Peoples' Republic of Bangladesh. In 1990, Bangladesh is
one of the countries that signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
1989. The first National Child Policy was made in 1994. In 2006 the UN Charter concerning
the rights of the disabled has ensured the enjoyment of fundamental and human rights of the
disabled children equally with other children. The government of Bangladesh has signed and
ratified this Charter. In view of the recommendations of the UNCRC committee the
government of Bangladesh has decided to prepare a modern and timely child policy by
updating the National Child Policy adopted in 1994.
The main purpose of this paper is to find out the advocacy policy adopted during the
formulation of Bangladesh National Child Policy 2011. To conduct the study mainly qualitative
method has been followed where both primary and secondary data were used. This study has
found that the government followed the mainstream policy making process and included both
international and national N.G.Os during the policy making as well as respected experts on the
field.

Introduction
The field of children’s rights has long been fraught with both controversy and confusion. The
conundrum arises from the fact that even self-described child advocates typically fail to reach
consensus about the scope of children’s rights. Some are child-savers committed to societal
engagement in children’s protection. Typically, they focus on children’s vulnerability and
dependency, and they often set a low threshold for state intervention in the lives of children
and families, whether for protection of their interests or assurance of the requisites for healthy
development. After a 10-year drafting period, the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC)
was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly, subsequently signed by all national
governments (an action that signals an intent to work toward ratification and that pledges not
to adopt measures contrary to the treaty), and then adopted as a matter of law through
ratification, accession or succession by all but two consensually recognized nation-states
(Somalia and the United States). Optional protocols to the CRC on children in armed conflict
and on sexual exploitation of children have also been widely ratified (respectively, by 139 and
142 nations). Hence, the Convention of the Rights of the Child was adopted far more quickly
and broadly than any previous human rights treaty. Accordingly, every member of the United
Nations except Somalia reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, an
international panel of experts elected by the states parties to oversee the implementation of the
CRC. It is about a child’s needs and rights being recognized and met, being protected and
provided for, and feeling cared for, respected and included. It is also about having opportunities
to express personal agency and creativity, feeling able to contribute, love and care for others,

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to take on responsibilities and fulfil roles, to identify with personal and community activities,
and to share in collective celebrations. Such recognition is fundamental to the child’s
personality, as the term is used in international human rights law. The child’s right to
personality is meaningful from the moment of birth. Thus, for example, the CRC requires states
parties to register children at birth, ensure that they have a name and nationality, and protect
and support the family relationships that ensure their survival and healthy development. In
effect, the CRC requires the development of national and international structures and processes
to ensure that children are noticed and cared for, both individually and collectively, as people
worthy of respect. Such recognition serves ultimately as the foundation for children's
development of a sense of identity and their participation as productive citizens contributing to
the well-being of the community and enjoying its concern for them as human beings. Therefore,
In pursuance of the fundamental principles of the Constitution and the UNCRC the
Government of Bangladesh decided to formulate and implement a National Policy on Children
to ensure the security, welfare and development of children in 1994.
The process of social and economic development involves accelerating economic growth,
increasing incomes, creating jobs, eradicating poverty, tempering inequality, improving
education, ameliorating health, reducing crime, providing security to families and
communities, and protecting the environment while creating the conditions that enable people
to achieve their potential, live lives of dignity, and maximize their choices. Achieving these
goals, however, is not easy and the processes that lead to their attainment are difficult to hasten.
History and practice have demonstrated that promoting improved living conditions requires a
sophisticated and multidimensional approach involving an array of skills, resources,
institutions, and policies.
The ultimate aim of public policy is to promote the wealth of nations, communities, families,
and individuals. When determining whether a particular public policy is worth pursuing, it is
often useful for citizens and policy makers to weigh the benefits of the policy against its costs.
However, it is not always possible to measure or quantify in dollar terms all the costs or benefits
of a particular policy.
There are needs to have policies and procedures to help guide the actions of all individuals
involved or related to the matter. They ensure and endorse the well-being of all families,
children and everyone who is connected to them. When policies and procedures are well
thought out and, most importantly, implemented they provide common understanding and
agreement on how things should be done at a national level. Procedures provide clear
instructions and guidelines on what should/must be done in a particular set of circumstances or
with regard to a particular issue.
The National Child Policy 2011 has been a far-reaching vision in building the present and
future of the children of Bangladesh. In making all national development policies, planning,
program implementation and budgeting shall take into due consideration the contextual
importance of the National Child policy 2011.

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Methodology

Assessing the role of national N.G.O s behind the formulation of national child policy 2011
was daunting task as it dates backs a few years. To reach the purpose of the study two methods
are used in collecting data namely content analysis and in-depth interviews. Content analysis
includes collecting relevant data and information from all topical documents, books, online
articles etc. This study also includes interviewing some key personnel involved with Ministry
of Women and Children Affairs and the representative of the local N.G.Os. During the policy
making process 4 N.G.Os were included.

1.Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum

2. Save the Children

3. Bangladesh Child Development Forum

4. Unicef Bangladesh

Here Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum represented the national N.G.Os and conveyed their
opinions on behalf of them. They were constantly having meeting with local N.G.Os about the
topics of the National Child Policy 2011 and also were engaging in discussion with the
respective ministry of the government frequently. Therefore, we have focused on gathering
most of the data from Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum to prepare this paper as they were the
representative of the national N.G.Os.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC
or UNCRC) is a human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health
and cultural rights of children. The Convention defines a child as any human being under the
age of eighteen, unless the age of majority is attained earlier under national legislation.

Nations that ratify this convention are bound to it by international law. Compliance is
monitored by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is composed of members
from countries around the world. Once a year, the Committee submits a report to the Third
Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which also hears a statement from the
CRC Chair, and the Assembly adopts a Resolution on the Rights of the Child.

Governments of countries that have ratified the Convention are required to report to, and appear
before, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically to be examined
on their progress with regards to the advancement of the implementation of the Convention
and the status of child rights in their country. Their reports and the committee's written views
and concerns are available on the committee's website.

The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention and opened it for signature on 20
November 1989 (the 30th anniversary of its Declaration of the Rights of the Child). It came
into force on 2 September 1990, after it was ratified by the required number of nations.
Currently, 196 countries are party to it, including every member of the United Nations except
the United States.

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Two optional protocols were adopted on 25 May 2000. The First Optional Protocol restricts
the involvement of children in military conflicts, and the Second Optional Protocol prohibits
the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Both protocols have been ratified
by more than 160 states.

A third optional protocol relating to communication of complaints was adopted in December

2011 and opened for signature on 28 February 2012. It came into effect on 14 April 2014.

The Convention deals with the child-specific needs and rights. It requires that the "nations that
ratify this convention are bound to it by international law". Ratifying states must act in the best
interests of the child. In all jurisdictions implementing the Convention requires compliance
with child custody and guardianship laws as that every child has basic rights, including the
right to life, to their own name and identity, to be raised by their parents within a family or
cultural grouping, and to have a relationship with both parents, even if they are separated.

The Convention obliges states to allow parents to exercise their parental responsibilities. The
Convention also acknowledges that children have the right to express their opinions and to
have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate, to be protected from abuse or
exploitation, and to have their privacy protected, and it requires that their lives not be subject
to excessive interference.

The Convention also obliges signatory states to provide separate legal representation for a child
in any judicial dispute concerning their care and asks that the child's viewpoint be heard in such
cases. The Convention forbids capital punishment for children. In its General Comment 8
(2006) the Committee on the Rights of the Child stated that there was an "obligation of all state
parties to move quickly to prohibit and eliminate all corporal punishment and all other cruel or
degrading forms of punishment of children". Article 19 of the Convention states that state
parties must "take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures
to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence", but it makes no reference to
corporal punishment. The Committee's interpretation of this section to encompass a prohibition
on corporal punishment has been rejected by several state parties to the Convention, including
Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Changes in Bangladesh National Child Policy 2011

There were a lot of changes updates made in Bangladesh National Child Policy 2011 from that
of 1994. One of the major change was on the age limit for defining a child in various statutes
of Bangladesh. The age limit was changed from 14 years to 18 years meaning anyone under
the age of 18 will be considered a child while the 14 to 18 is also defined as adolescent.

The scope of the aims and objectives was also broadened in Bangladesh National Child Policy
2011. Most notable change here was the inclusion of following sub-sections:

5.3 The children shall be developed interested about his/her country and conscious of it through
creation of educational and child friendly environment so that they can flourish as honest,
patriotic and responsible citizen of this country.

5.4 The children shall be developed as a scientifically inquisitive generation considering

science and technology to be inseparable ingredients of education to make them capable of
keeping pace with the demand of the nation and the world in future.

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5.6 Initiatives shall be undertaken to reflect their views in deciding and planning that affect the
lives of the children and adolescents.

The steps to implementing child rights were also changed to a wider degree and Specific
planning and Undertaking of Programs were described under section 6.

The new children policy has vastly elaborated and enhanced these following sub-sections from
the former one. Such as: Ensuring Safe Birth and Overall Growth of The Children, Child
Health, Child Education, Child Protection, Child Protection during and after a disaster.

New sub-sections were also included like: Alleviation of Child Poverty, Pre-Primary Education
for Child Development (3-5 year), Recreation, sports and cultural programs for Children,
Special Program for the Disabled Children, Special Program for the Autistic Children, Birth
Registration of the Children, Special Program for the backward and small ethnic group
children, Opinion Sharing and Participation of the Children.

Apart from these, following sections have been added in the National Child Policy 2011 to
incorporate the latest development and practices. These sections are:

7. Adolescents Development,

8. Development of the Girl Children,

9. Steps to Mitigate the Child Labor,

11. Coordination of GO and NGO Activities,

12. Transparency and Accountability,

13. Research, Monitoring and Evaluation,

14. Financing Implementation of the Child Policy and

15. Making Legislations and Provisions.

Inputs of National N.G.Os in Bangladesh National Child Policy 2011

The formulation and policy making of Bangladesh National Child Policy 2011 did not happen
overnight. It was the result of various meetings, discussions, studies, surveys etc. over a few
years and much hard work from all the parties including government, experts, international
children N.G.Os and off course the national N.G.Os. Here, we will be discussing the inputs
from the latter one in the policy. These inputs were formed via extensive research, surveys,
different children’s projects (implemented at root level and nationwide) Though none of the
specific inputs were granted by the government outright. They were first discussed among all
the parties involved, modified and finally incorporated in the National Child Policy. Here are
some of the recommendation and inputs provided by the national N.G.Os that made the cut and
found their way into the policy.

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 1. Child development programs and pre-primary education for the age group 3 to 5 were
advised. Opening of pre-primary education center was seen as a resolution.
2. All forms of physical and mental punishment in educational institutions must be
prohibited and a child friendly system should be introduced.
3. child friendly books, magazines, papers and cinema matters, Creative art practice and
materials for articulating and practicing fine arts should be supplied either free of cost
or at subsidy supported price to establish moral, human, cultural, scientific and social
values.
4. Each school shall have recreational programs, facilities and equipment.
5. Necessary steps should be taken to bring all children under secondary education.
6. The Social Safety Net has to be expanded to ensure the rehabilitation of all poor
children and street children.
7. Children should be protected against all forms of violence, physical, mental and sexual
abuses. Public awareness programs and campaigns should be conducted to stop
violence on children and abuse of them.
8. Measures should be taken for mainstreaming of the disabled children in the society and
for ensuring their active participation in each area of life.
9. Appropriate institutional programs should be taken for education, treatment, training
and rehabilitation of the autistic children.
10. Appropriate measures should be taken for safety and security of the children during
disaster emergencies.
11. Emphasis should be given to the education of the children and their physical and mental
health alongside food during post-disaster emergencies.
12. The special needs of the adolescent boys and girls should be considered and they must
be protected from violence, marriage, trafficking and forcing into commercial sex etc.
13. Proper development of the physical and mental health of female children should be
ensured along with their security from sexual harassment, pornography and physical
and mental abuses.
14. It should be safeguarded that the children employed in various establishments do not
victimized to any kind of physical, mental or sexual assault. They must be entitled to
education, food, lodge and recreation and should not be made to perform any risky job.

Conclusion
This National Children Policy has been adopted as a commitment to the children of the country.
It will play an effective role in the overall development of children and in making them worthy
citizens. Under the National Children Policy all children of Bangladesh irrespective of cast,
creed, color, sex, language, religion or opinion, social status, wealth or birth shall enjoy equal
rights and opportunities. The government of Bangladesh is trying its best to ensure the proper
development and environment for all the children of Bangladesh which constitute 45% of total
population of our country according to the national consensus 2011. There remain some
drawbacks for this child policy. Some of the recommendation of the national and international
N.G.Os and experts were ignored. Prohibition of child marriage under any circumstances,
exclusion of child labor from all industries are a few examples. Though, all these sanctions
could not be incorporated in the National Child Policy 2011 due to various socio-economic
circumstances, it remains a massive positive step towards ensuring the rights and development
of the children of Bangladesh.

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References
Child Labour in Bangladesh by UNICEF, June 2010
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child: Bangladesh, June 2009
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Report on National Child Labour Survey, 2002-2003
BBS/ UNICEF, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2006, October 2007
www.child-encyclopedia.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.factsforlifeglobal.org/
Kail, Robert V (2011). Children and Their Development (6th Edition)

Interviews
Mir Umme Taohida – Assistant Programmer - MOWCA (March 7, 2018). Personal Interview
Azmi Akter – Program Officer – Bangladersh Shishu Adhikar Forum (April 16, 2018).
Personal Interview