Cooperation in children’s rights protection discussed at Russia–Africa Forum

A panel session entitled ‘Cooperation in the Protection of Children’s Rights: Areas of Development and Forms of Interaction’ has been held as part of the business programme of the just ended Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

It was held under the ‘The Humanitarian and Social Sphere: Working Together for a New Quality of Life’ track.

Speakers and experts who took part in the session included Yuliya Bragina, Deputy Head of the Social Development Department, Russian Railways; Karina Kadyrova, Head of Preschool Education Department, City Hall of Grozny; Metropolitan Leonid of Klin, Patriarchal Exarch of Africa; Evgenia Kotova, Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation and Sylvie Nzeyimana, Minister of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS of the Republic of Burundi.

Others are Alexey Petrov, Director, Country for Children Charitable Foundation; Aleksandr Ryabchenko, Managing Director, Mantra Tanzania, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM; and Beatrice Kadeveresia Elachi, Member of Parliament, National Assembly of the Parliament of the Republic of Kenya; Chairman of the Council of the orphanage, Shelter childrens home.

 The session was moderated by Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner of the Russian Federation for Children’s Rights.

In her initial address Maria Lvova-Belova said “Africa is a new area of work for the Russian institute for children’s rights. African countries are experiencing a period of active growth, the economy is improving, but at the same time a number of problems remain: high child mortality, poverty, hunger, lack of medicines, and lack of access to schools. The Forum will provide an opportunity to discuss applied issues in different areas of assistance to African countries.”

Mr Alexander Kinshchak, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, drew attention to the role of business in the development of charitable initiatives.

 “Our business in Africa is actively working and earning. And this can mean the participation of business in charity projects. This seems to me a promising area that should be developed,” he said.

 Alexander Kinshchak. Sergey Chestnoy, Official Representative for External Relations of RUSAL, throwed more light on the company’s existing humanitarian programmes in Africa.

“Our programmes go in two main directions: healthcare and education. Today we talked about child mortality. I can say that in 2021–2022, the maternity department of our hospital had 501 childbirths, including 130 caesarean sections. And there were no deaths recorded. This shows that, if we try very hard, we can successfully fight this problem,” he said. 

In African countries where poverty levels remain high, children have limited access to vital resources such as food and water and to medical care.

 In addition, the issues of education of minors, integration of orphans, children with limited abilities and disabilities into public life are high on the agenda. Cooperation between Russia and African countries can help solve these problems if mechanisms for targeted assistance from Russian ministries, socially oriented business, the Russian Orthodox Church, and civil society are worked out.

For example, Metropolitan Leonid of Klin told us that orphanhood with living parents had become a glaring problem in modern society.

 “Providing such children with spiritual and material help, caring for their involvement in spiritual and social life, the Church sees its most important duty as strengthening the family and making parents realise their duty, which would eliminate the tragedy of an abandoned child,” Metropolitan Leonid of Klin said.

The Sylvie Nzeyimana, Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS of the Republic of Burundi, outlined plans to support childhood and adolescence in Burundi.

 “This strategy should strengthen work in areas such as health, nutrition, hygiene, habitat improvement aimed at improving health and life expectancy and protecting early childhood,” the Minister said.

 She also listed Burundi’s policy projects to support early childhood – the National Health Policy, the National Sanitary Development Plan, the National Plan to Combat the Spread of AIDS, support for motherhood and childhood, the fight against adolescent diseases, and many others.

The participants also discussed key areas of cooperation with African countries in promoting child well-being, the formats of this cooperation, possible risks, necessary measures and mechanisms for their implementation.

BY TIMES REPORTER