The Saarc member states have agreed to develop a specific strategy to help one another to end violence against children within next five years.

A meeting between the eight nations composing the South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC) held in New Delhi  last week saw delegates from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka assess the progress of the last decade of regional effort towards combating violence against children and identify the priorities in the coming days. 

Child marriage, child labour, child trafficking (especially girl child), commercial sexual exploitation of children and corporal punishment are the five thematic issues the SAIEVAC has been concentrating on to end violence against children. The Saarc delegates agreed to incorporate these burning issues in the sustainable development goals programmes.

“The fourth ministerial meeting of the SAIEVAC revolved around building national strategies and also a common ground between the Saarc members to help combat violence against children,” said Kiran Rupakheti, under secretary at the Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare.

Rupakheti added that Nepal as member of the SAIEVAC will try to incorporate plans and programmes related to the five issues in its budget and also include them in the sustainable development goal programmes.