CAIRO: Firm commitment to further advance efforts to fight violence against children throughout the Arab region and renewed pledges to enhance national infrastructures to eradicate its diverse manifestations was reiterated here, as the 3-day conference on the subject reached its conclusion today. The final declaration, which includes a proposal to develop an Arab strategy to stop violence against children has generated outspread condemnation of female genital mutilation, child trafficking, early marriage, corporal punishment and violence in schools, domestic servitude and exploitation of street children, among others, and seeks to adopt new perspectives concerning child rights which are to take gender issues more systematically into account. With participation by regional and national institutions, child rights experts and government officials from of at least 14 Arab countries, the regional forum, sponsored by Egypt s First Lady Suzanne Mubarak and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, NCCM, agreed to undertake a comprehensive review of national legislations with more vigilant observation of the infringement of child rights -especially those displaced- in the context of conflict, man-made emergencies and natural disasters. Enhancement of regional databases on the status of Arab children constitutes another key agreement reached here today, which entrusts the League of Arab States to follow-up on country-by-country implementation.
