Kathmandu, November 19:

The children of Nepal have same entitlements as those of the other countries to the rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, said a press release issued here today by the UNICEF. The statement, quoting UNICEF’s representative to Nepal, Dr Suomi Sakai, said the rights to special care and protection applies to children below the age of 18 in

all countries, irrespective of time and place. The statement said children’s rights cannot be denied even during conflicts and disasters.

Dr Sakai said the signing of the Convention was only the first step for any country in its efforts

to protect children’s rights. Nepal signed the Convention in 1990 and submitted its last progress report to the Committee on the Rights of The Child in May 2005. The committee had come out with a series of “Concluding Observations” on the report in June. The committee had urged the Maoists to respect children’s rights in areas under their control. It had also reminded the government, a State party to the convention, of its obligations to respect the Convention at all times and not to back down form any of its provisions, even under exceptional circumstances.