KATHMANDU, March 3: A regional meeting of parliamentarians from the eight South Asian countries began in Kathmandu on Thursday. The meeting is aimed at prioritizing and safeguarding children's rights in the region. 

Speaking at the inaugural session of the meeting, Chairperson of Women, Children, Senior Citizen and Social Welfare Committee of the Legislature-Parliament, Ranju Jha said that high child mortality, deprivation of school education, lack of comfortable environment in schools and child marriage, among other issues, are the problems common to all South Asian countries. 

She further said that the meeting should assess the effectiveness of the policies and programs adopted by the South Asian governments to bridge the gap between rich and poor children. 

The two-day meeting will also dwell on the parliamentarians' role in tackling key development challenges affecting children in the region in the larger framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Also addressing the inaugural session of the meeting, UNICEF regional director for Nepal, Jean Gough said that parliamentarians have the power to create a real and lasting change.  “You all play an important role in supporting the wellbeing of children and their families, debating and shaping laws that protect children and securing funds for the social sectors,” she said. 

Jean also said that South Asia spends only limited resources on health, education and social welfare, adding that parliamentarians as policy makers can make a difference here. She also highlighted that child mortality, open defecation, lack of birth registration, out-of-school children, child marriage and natural hazard risks are the main challenges for children in the region. 

Parliamentarians from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Afghanistan and members of Social Welfare Committee of the Parliament of Nepal are attending the meeting. The meeting is also expected to establish a regional parliamentarian platform to ensure broad support and commitment to build public systems that work for children.

 
• regional meeting of parliamentarians
 
• south asian countries