WALVIS BAY - The coastal town of Walvis Bay will play host to this year’s sub-regional World Children’s Day celebrations on Sunday.
A statement issued by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said this year’s celebrations will be held under the theme “Renewing Our Promise for Children’s Rights”.
UNICEF was established in 1946, in the aftermath of World War II, to help children and young people whose lives and futures were at risk.
President Hage Geingob, his counterparts Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia), Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana), and Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa are expected to attend this year’s celebrations.
“Heads of State are expected to grace the event to build on the regional engagements established in Botswana in 2021 and Zambia in 2022, where a commitment was made to create a Heads of State Network. This network serves as a platform to discuss issues of mutual concern, and develop concrete strategies to address children’s rights in their respective countries,” the statement reads.
South African musician and UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who launched a song she recorded with children with disabilities at the Walvis Bay Sunshine Centre, is also expected to perform at the event.
Namibia’s Paralympic gold medallist Johanna Benson will be the Torch of Hope-bearer, which she will hand over to Geingob.
This year’s celebrations will also bring together over 200 children from Friday to Sunday from the four countries, with thousands of others joining virtually to discuss and share insights on how leaders can create an enabling environment for children to realise their full potential.
The UN General Assembly in 1989 adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improve children’s welfare. Subsequently, UNICEF adopted 20 November as World Children’s Day (WCD).
The WCD unites governments worldwide in celebrating advancements made in achieving child rights, shedding light on critical issues affecting children’s lives, and supporting children and young people as advocates for their rights. Hence, the 2023 World Children’s Day sub-regional celebrations offer a renewed opportunity for the four Heads of State to reaffirm their commitments to children’s rights, champion the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and ensure that no child is left behind.
- edeklerk@nepc.com.na