Children's Day
Kathmandu, Sept 23: The Children as Zone of Peace (CZOP)-National Campaign has called for ensuring the child rights in the National Cadet Corps Bill.
The Campaign has also suggested incorporating the provision of imparting training as ‘cadet’ to school-level students through National Cadet Corps (NCC) and mobilizing them in national service as per the need.
Issuing a press statement in the context of the bill passed by the House of Representatives, CZOP Chairperson Tilottam Poudel shared that however, non-military programme included in the bill which are aimed at fostering discipline, leadership, disaster management and civic responsibility among the children has been positive.
Poudel underlined that military types of training, and armed related exercise are considered not appropriate in view of child rights.
The statement recalls that the Constitution of Nepal, Act relating to Children, Convention on the Rights of the Child and Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Child on the Involvement of Children in armed conflict have guaranteed best interests, protection, development and safety of the children from armed conflict.
CZOP has urged the government and federal lawmakers not to impart military or armed related training to the children below 18 years, not to mobilize them in war, armed conflict, internal security and law enforcement work as well as to make school-level national service programme non-military, child friendly and optional.
Saying fostering a spirit of serving to the nation is positive, militarization of children is incompatible with national and international norms and obligations regarding child rights, the organization demanded necessary amendment to the bill to ensure its aligns with child rights, child protection and constitutional provision.
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