Children are a future of a country, hence they should be treated with care and respect.

Minister of Labour and Employment made the remarks at a one-day roundtable lobbying session on the enactment of Child Protection and Welfare Bill on Tuesday.

Mr. Relifloe Masemene said the bill should be scrutinised to comply with international standards.

'A bill has several stages to go through before being published and the Law Reform Commission has to legislate as far as possible in order to give country good laws,' he said.

He however assured the session that the bill will be approved by Parliament before October this year, further adding that Lesotho operates on the basis of common law.

National Director of World Vision, Mr. Martin Silutongue said their priority is to help empower the poorest and most vulnerable children together with their families to improve their status.

'We measure transformation by the impact that our interventions bear on the wellbeing and future opportunities for the nation's most vulnerable members who are its children,' he said.

He added that World Vision has partnered with various stakeholders and Non Governmental Organisations on the Rights of the Child (NGOC) in united effort to call attention on children's rights.

He cited training of paralegals in a number of districts on various legal provisions relating to protection of women and children as one example of their efforts.

Also present at the occasion was a UNICEF representative, Mrs. Nafisa Binte Shafique, who commended World Vision for creating an enabling and protective environment for children.

She pointed out that this critical piece of legislation that they are discussing enshrines principles of best interest of a child, further showing that UNICEF has supported the cause, since its inception and that it continues to support government in advancing the situation and lives of children here in Lesotho.

The Ministerial round table session was organised by World Vision Lesotho.

A similar lobbying session has already been held for Senators and two
Parliamentary Portfolio committees on Social Cluster and HIV/AIDS in the National Assembly.

Source: LENA 02/07/2008