Nouakchott Hosts Parliamentary Meeting on Children

Representatives of parliaments from the Maghreb, western and central Africa are holding a meeting in Nouakcott under the topic "For a world movement in favor of children."

The three-day meeting that started proceedings Saturday is to draft a plan of action and a series of recommendations, part of Africa's contribution to the special session of the UN general assembly on children slated for next September.

The meeting is sponsored by the UNICEF in a bid to promote awareness among law-makers to children's rights and to prompt them encourage children-oriented economic investments.

In her opening address, UNICEF regional director for western and central Africa, Rima Salah, launched a call so that the child be "at the core of socio-economic development policies of African countries."

She said children and women in this part of the world are prey to poverty, wars and instability and are used in the adults' heinous wars.

She called parliamentarians to fulfill their role in setting up an institutional framework likely to protect children and provide them with better living conditions.

The meeting is debating the promotion of children rights, peace, security and democracy, and struggle against poverty.