SAARC Ministerial Conference on Children

by Nadira GUNATHILEKE

The fourth SAARC Ministerial Conference on Children and the fourth SAARC Senior Officials' Conference on Children will be held on July 9 and 10 at Hilton Hotel, Colombo. The event is significant for the region and especially for Sri Lanka because it is going to be held after a period of 13 years and Sri Lanka hosts the event after defeating terrorism after 30 years, a Child Development and Women's Empowerment Ministry spokesman said.

The inauguration of the 4th SAARC Senior Officials' Conference on Children will be held from 9.30 am to 10.40 am on July 9 at Hilton Hotel, Colombo and the 4th SAARC Ministerial Conference on children to be inaugurated on July 10 at 9.15 am under the patronage of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka.

He said that Sri Lanka hosts this historical event after defeating terrorism which hindered such international events during the past three decades. Ministers and officials of SAARC countries will take part in these two conferences.

It is timely to hold this event in Colombo because at the moment the Sri Lankan Government is carrying out various large scale welfare projects and programs for IDP children in the welfare villages.

The conference will be focused on several important issues such as poverty, income anomalies, natural disasters,regional conflicts and several other issues which have a direct impact on the region's children.

The two conferences were held in 1986 in New Delhi, India and the second conference held in 1992 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The third and last conference was held in 1996 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.