The Deputy Minister of Solidarity participates in the First African Forum of the Children’s Parliament in Rabat

Engineer Margaret Sarofim, Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity, participated in the launching activities of the First African Forum for the Children’s Parliament, which was held at the headquarters of the House of Representatives in Rabat, under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, King of the Kingdom of Morocco, and headed by Princess Maryam, President of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child in the Kingdom of Morocco.

This was in the presence of Rachid Talbi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghizlane Benjelloun, Vice President of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child in the Kingdom of Morocco, and Mohammed Mithqal, Ambassador and Director of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, and a wide participation of official delegations representing heads of parliaments from a number of African countries and child parliamentarians from the continent. The accompanying delegation included the Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Hanem Omar, Director General of the General Administration for Children’s Affairs.

Engineer Margaret Sarofim, Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity, expressed her happiness to participate in this event, which represents a new beginning in the path of joint efforts to support African children, as these initiatives are a platform. It enables children to freely express their opinions, and clearly affirms their inherent right to participate and formulate policies that affect their lives and affect their future.

These efforts also contribute to developing children’s sense of responsibility and belonging, and give them the skills of dialogue, critical thinking, and teamwork, paving the way for preparing a generation capable of positive participation in society and decision-making in the future.

It opens up new horizons for them to interact with diverse cultures and exchange experiences, which enhances the values of cooperation and tolerance, and their ability to lead The future is towards a brighter reality.

The importance of this participation comes at a very precise timing, in light of the increasing challenges faced by the children of the African continent. Starting from the difficulties of obtaining quality education, the spread of poverty, and health care challenges, all the way to the effects of conflicts and displacement in some regions.

 These challenges clearly reflect the urgent need to enhance cooperation and integration between the countries of the continent in order to confront them effectively and achieve a more stable future for children.

Sarofim stressed that the Egyptian state is firmly committed to respecting children’s rights, as it signed the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and a system of National legislation, the Egyptian Constitution, and the launch of the National Human Rights Strategy in September 2021. 

In recent years, Egypt has witnessed a tangible boom in supporting children’s rights, with broad support and interest from the political leadership, especially in the early childhood stage, which is considered a fundamental focus within comprehensive development plans. 

This interest was reflected in specific programs and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of children’s lives and ensuring their rights to care, protection, and education.

The state was keen on Egyptian  To launch advanced initiatives that constitute real platforms for empowering children and enhancing their participation, the most prominent of which is the “Vanguard Parliament.” Which simulates the Egyptian House of Representatives, and the “Egyptian Children’s Parliament” Launched by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood.

 These are initiatives aimed at instilling the values of democracy, developing dialogue skills, and enhancing children’s awareness of their rights. This empowerment is not limited to the national level, but extends to the regional arena through the participation of Egyptian children in activities, such as the Arab Parliament for Children, which contributes to expanding their awareness and enhancing their abilities to actively engage in public affairs in the future.

The Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity added that the Egyptian government has succeeded. During the last ten years, an integrated package of policies has been implemented to build a strong social safety network for the most needy groups, in line with the goals of sustainable development and Egypt’s Vision 2030. About 4.7 million families, with a commitment to the educational and health conditionality of the program’s children.

In addition to the efforts directed at persons with disabilities, the Egyptian Constitution and the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities guarantee comprehensive rights, aiming to achieve equality and full inclusion in society, and to ensure living in dignity and equal opportunities with other citizens.

These initiatives and programs reflect the national concern that investing in children is the real investment in the future of the nation.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity confirms its handling of the issue of children’s rights. From an integrated perspective that combines health, educational, cultural and economic rights, in a way that guarantees the child the right to development, well-being and investment in his abilities. 

In this context, the Ministry worked to provide an integrated educational environment, by expanding the establishment and development of nurseries, modernizing educational curricula, and training qualified personnel to work with children, in a way that enhances the child’s comprehensive development, as the program of the National Program for Early Childhood Development

Saroufim indicated that it is in implementation of the directives of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt to develop Early Childhood Development File: The Ministry of Social Solidarity announced the results of a comprehensive national inventory of nurseries in Egypt, in an important strategic step towards supporting this sector and building updated databases that help decision-makers set a clear vision for development. The programs that the Ministry is working on are numerous; Through the “The First 1000 Days of a Child’s Life” program for families of the “Takaful” program, we target children under two years of age, and the number of beneficiaries has reached more than 55 thousand children. The program focuses on integrated care for children from the mother’s pregnancy stage until weaning, with the aim of improving the nutritional status of pregnant and breastfeeding women and infants, in a way that enhances physical and cognitive development and protects against the effects of malnutrition.

The Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity, in concluding her speech, directed With thanks  To those in charge of this Parliament, I would like to express my welcome  By actively participating in implementing the Forum’s recommendations, which contributes to promoting children’s rights and supporting paths for their advancement on the African continent, as  The future of our children is our shared responsibility, and the active presence of children we see on these platforms confirms that we are on the right path towards empowering them to be true partners in development.

The forum comes within the framework of strengthening parliamentary cooperation and exchanging experiences on childhood issues on the continent. It is discussed via  Its main session is the role of makers in facilitating the exercise of children’s right to participate in public policies in Africa. It also included 5 workshops that dealt with children’s right to participate in public policies and strategies, Africa facing the challenges of fair and comprehensive education, access to health care and the place of mental health in Africa’s programs, child labor, building effective responses and concrete approaches  To confront the phenomena of children on the street and early marriage.

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