KATHMANDU, JUNE 7
The Children's Regulation, 2022, issued by the federal government last week to replace the 1995 regulation allows children to open and run children's club or association for the protection and promotion of child rights.
The existing law considers persons below 18 years of age as children. According to rule No 3 of the regulation, the children's club or association needs to be formed in a way to reflect the age group of its members, gender, tribe, disability, and social and cultural diversity of the society where they live. A key feature of this regulation is that it permits the formation and registration of a specialised children's club comprising differently-abled children only or girls only. Such specialised clubs or associations do not include able-bodied children or boys as its members.
The club or association to be formed and operated under this regulation should be registered with the local level concerned.
"Children may submit an application along with a statute of the proposed club or association and decision on formation thereof to the local level," it says. Upon examination of the application and statute, the local level will issue registration certificate free of charge.
The regulation requires the club or association to get its registration renewed within three months of completion of each fiscal. While submitting an application for renewal, a short description of activities conducted by the club or association and details related to change in members of working committee, if any, should also be attached.
The regulation has also defined nine functions and duties of the club or association. They include operation of club or association providing children optimum opportunity to participate in its activities, conduction programmes that promote rights and interest of children in addition to assisting in their learning activities, providing suggestions for inclusion of children-friendly activities in the plans and programmes of the school, and encouraging peer groups towards patriotism, social harmony, nationalism, territorial integrity, sovereignty, public courtesy and morality. It is also required to discourage caste-based discrimination, child marriage and untouchability without supporting or protesting against any political party. "The club or association shall conduct its activities by ensuring that they do not hamper teaching-learning activities," the regulation states.
The local level may cancel the registration of a club or association if it is not renewed for three consecutive fiscals or if the clubs conduct activities in contravention of the statute. Similarly, the local level should maintain upto-date details of clubs or associations registered with it, besides making provision for disclosure of their progress report.
The club or association is prohibited from carrying out any financial transactions and collecting donation. The registration and renewal of a club or association will be free of charge.
"The local level may provide necessary support to the club or association for its smooth and effective operation," the regulation says.
Children's club or association prohibited from carrying out any financial transaction
A version of this article appears in the print on June 8, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
