TEHRAN – An international conference on children's rights will be held in Tehran on November 19-20, Mahmoud Abbasi, the deputy justice minister for human rights and international affairs said.

Abbasi who is also served as secretary of the National Body on the Convention of the Rights of the Child (NBCRC) said that “we intend to hold an international conference on children's rights and the national festival of children's rights in November this year.”

He made the remarks in a meeting with the UNICEF representative in Iran Mandeep O’Brien on September 22.

The two officials discussed potential for solidifying partnership on child rights as well as plans for commemorating the 30th anniversary of the CRC.

Organized by the NBCRC bodies and UNICEF, the event will be attended by thinkers, experts, political and executive officials of the region, he added, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

“We put child rights in priority and try to address the key challenges in the field of child rights by the end of the year (March 20).”

 The NBCRC is responsible for policy making, coordination, monitoring and promoting children's rights in Iran, he said, noting, “We have common goals with UNICEF, so holding such meetings can bring our views closer together.”

He also explained that marking the 30th anniversary of the Convention, “we will hold specialized conferences nationwide in 31 provinces of the country, identifying and summarizing the challenges faced by the children.”

“This year is called “children’s right evolution”. So we are striving to establish child rights clinic in all provinces across the country, which offer counseling, education, and social assistance to children and their families,” said Abbasi.

Child right clinics are in line with creating a child-friendly city; so we are looking to promote child rights nationwide, he added.

O’Brien, for her part, said that when countries look at their actions over the past thirty years, they come to the conclusion that promoting child rights is definitely a holistic approach.

She lauded Iran for its efforts on promoting children right, such as reducing child mortality and increasing girls' access to education.

UNICEF has partnered with organizations active in the field of children, but the capacity of the NBCRC, which has more than 16 bodies, is an ideal capacity to pursue children's rights, she highlighted.

The basic philosophy of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is to ensure that all children, especially children at risk, have equal access to quality social services, so with programs and policies pursued by the NBCRC in cooperation with UNICEF, the goals can be achieved, she concluded.

The NBCRC was established under the Ministry of Justice in January 2010 with a special mandate to monitor implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Iran. Since then, UNICEF has partnered with the NBCRC on a number of program for children. As a follow-up to the meeting, the two sides are finalizing areas of partnership for children.

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