Having signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2002, the Somali Parliament has now voted to ratify the Convention and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has signed it. UNICEF welcomes this ratification, which it says “means that Somali children now hold legally binding rights with the CRC providing a framework for the Government to promote and protect those rights.” By ratifying the Convention, the Somali government has taken action to make itself responsible for complying with international standards of children’s rights. This is a significant action for a country in which children face many challenges due to armed conflict, malnutrition, lack of education, disease, and displacement.
