RIYADH: Plans are under way to train young Saudi girls to become specialists in counseling families against child abuse, said Princess Adela bint Abdullah, vice president of the National Family Safety Program (NFSP), while opening the scientific session of a three-day conference on child abuse here yesterday.
The event — entitled “Third Arab ISPCAN Regional Conference on Child Protection: Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect in the Arab Countries” — was inaugurated on Sunday by Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah before 1,500 delegates from across the Arab world.
More than 60 local, regional and international speakers are presenting papers during the event whose theme is “Working Together For a Safer Childhood.”
“These programs will be conducted in cooperation with international nongovernmental organizations that have experience in protecting children against abuse and violence,” the princess said.
She added that people who successfully complete the training course would be in a position to attend the social, medical and psychological needs of children and their families. She said the NFSP would also organize an awareness program among parents and schoolchildren to fight the problem.
She pointed out that the Kingdom, which follows Islamic law in protecting children, also signed the International Convention on the Rights of Child in 1996. Quoting figures released by the United Nations, Princess Adela said 40 million children under the age of 15 are under the threat of abuse and violence. “Most of these children are neglected by their parents for various reasons,” she said.
“Child maltreatment is among the most important causes of injuries and death not only globally but also in the Eastern Mediterranean Region,” WHO Regional Director (EMRO) Dr. Hussein Jezairy said, adding that every year millions of children visit hospitals worldwide for violence related injuries.
“Those who survive can hardly lead the same lives again, dragging with them long-term emotional and mental scars that outlast the physical harm.
“Developments in human rights law, forensic medicine and public health have resulted in the problem of child maltreatment becoming more visible, but to a degree that is far from sufficient,” he added.
Dr. Aymen Abu Laban, UNICEF representative for the Gulf region, said that child protection is a high priority for his organization.
“Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international treaties, all children have the right to be protected from harm,” he said, adding that preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse is essential in ensuring children’s rights to survival, development and well being.
The conference is being held under the aegis of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. It is sponsored by the National Family Safety Program (NFSP) in collaboration with the International Society For Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and the National Guard Health Affairs.
Established in November 2005 following a Royal Decree, NFSP is directly funded by the king and its functions are streamlined through National Guard Health Affairs. It is led by Princess Seetah bint Abdul Aziz and her deputy is Princess Adela bint Abdullah.
