SINT EUSTATIUS - The government of Sint Eustatius has launched an action plan that puts children’s rights at the centre of all policy decisions, making it the first island in the Caribbean Netherlands to do so. The plan was developed in partnership with UNICEF and more than 200 children and young people.
The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) Action Plan focuses on three main areas. The government will now consider children’s rights in all decisions. Children and young people will also get more say in policies that affect them. Mental health support will improve and more safe places to play will be created.
Visit to all schools
Island Commissioner Rechelline Leerdam and CFCI Coordinator Monica Smith visited all schools on the island on Friday 13 February. They went to Golden Rock School, Governor de Graaff School, Seventh-day Adventist School (Lynch Plantation), Bethel Methodist School and Gwendoline van Putten School.
During the visits, they distributed a special youth edition of the action plan. This booklet explains in clear language what the government promises and how students can participate in community life.
Involving children in policy
"We must take children’s rights into account in every decision we make as a government," says Leerdam. "That includes policymaking, infrastructure, and public programmes and spaces. As the first island in the Caribbean Netherlands to join UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative, we are putting this into practice."
The full technical action plan for parents, educators and other stakeholders is available on the Statia Government website.
