New Delhi, Nobel laureate and noted child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi has said he will demand the formation of Global Task Force for all UN agencies to attain goals related to the welfare of children in a time-bound manner.
Satyarthi has sounded a note of caution to the world over its ‘lackadaisical approach’ that he claims will eventually result in non-fulfilment of its “commitments” towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which calls for immediate measures to eradicate child labour, slavery and human trafficking by the end of 2025.
“This apathy will also leave all children related goals of the SDG framework unfulfilled,” Satyarthi said here on Thursday while addressing the audience that assembled at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, to mark the fifth year of his 2014 Nobel Peace Prize win.
“Keeping in mind convergence, in the best interest of children, ‘Satyarthi Movement’ will demand for formation of a Global Task Force of all UN agencies working on various aspects of children like Unicef, Unesco, ILO, UNHCR and others for attaining the goals in a time-bound and accountable manner,” he added.
Satyarthi, along with singer Malini Awasthi and eminent Hindi poet Kumar Vishwas inaugurated a week-long photo exhibition which will be on display from October 10 to 16, and will showcase the four-decade long struggle of the ‘Satyarthi Movement’ in restoring childhoods.
Satyarthi, who has been advocating for the rights of distressed children since four decades, called upon the global community to be honest, bold, responsible and compassionate to prevent our children from falling off the development agenda.
“At least 225 million children and youths will not be attending school by 2030 (source: Unesco), while 6 per cent of the world’s population (half of which are children) will still be reeling under extreme poverty by 2030. (source: World Bank report),” Satyarthi said.
“Sadly, India continues to be home to largest numbers of children engaged in labour in the world, and there is an urgent need to work diligently to ensure that the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development is fulfilled,” he added.
