Child protection issues in highlands region’s most populace province, Western Highlands, will now be given prominence and adequate support.
This will be made possible because Western Highlands now has a Provincial Child and Family Services Council (PCFSC) in place.
The council was launched last Friday (July 17) and its members sworn into office by acting senior provincial magistrate Ms Kimberly Berem.
Those sworn-in were: Mr Joseph Mangbil (provincial administrator), Mr John Sagom (provincial police commander), Mr Dannax Kupamu (chief executive officer, Western Highlands provincial health authority), Ms Rose John (education services executive manager, Western Highlands provincial administration), Mr Joshua Levi (provincial child protection officer), Ms Agnes Mek (president, provincial council of women) and Reverend Michael Pena (early childhood care and development centre representative).
Those who were unavailable and will be sworn-in at a later date included; Ms Betty Jacobs (senior provincial magistrate), Sister Christi Banas (out-of-home care centre representative) and Archbishop Clement Papa (churches representative).
The swearing-in ceremony was witnessed by Minister for Community Development, Youth and Religion Jason Peter, Western Highlands Governor Wai Rapa, Community Development secretary Mr Jerry Ubase and National Office for Child and Family Services (NOCFS) chief executive officer Mr Jerry Wap.
Western Highlands is the third province to have the PCFSC established, following Enga and Morobe who had established theirs in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Sections 24-26 of the Lukautim Pikinini Act (LPA) makes it mandatory for all provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to have a PCFSC in place to address issues affecting children in their localities.
The purpose of establishing the PCFSC is to administer and implement provisions of the LPA in the provinces, strengthen partnership and coordination efforts among stakeholders in addressing child protection issues and bridging the gap between provincial and national governments in the child development space.
Minister Peter, who was the keynote speaker at the occasion, described the swearing-in as a very important milestone for the province.
“Today is a very important day for Western Highlands; through this council, children in the province will have a voice,” Mr Peter said.
“The purpose of the council is to protect and take care of our children as well as strengthen our families. Every child has the right to education, love, care and support,” he said.
Minister Peter challenged the council members to visit all the villages, communities, wards and districts in the province and identify issues affecting children and families and find ways to address them.
Governor Rapa, who also spoke at the event, said all things have small beginnings so the creation of the provincial council was a small step in a much bigger journey the province is taking in the child protection space.
“We have to start small somewhere in order to achieve big things,” Mr Rapa said.
“The council is very important because it will address a lot of issues affecting our mothers and children,” he said.
The Governor said children are important because the future of the province and country rests on their hands.
Mr Rapa said Western Highlands is the centre of the highlands region so it was fundamental for his administration to set the precedence by establishing the
PCFSC. He also pledged his administration’s support to the council.
Meanwhile, NOCFS chief executive officer Mr Wap thanked Governor Rapa and his administration for providing the environment, leadership and support for the council to be established successfully.
Mr Wap said child development concerns are no longer obscure but are gaining increasing attention around the world including in PNG.
He said last week two different reports were presented in Parliament by National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop and Minister Peter on the plight of children in the country and the measures taken to address these concerns.
“We must continue to address child protection issues. If we do not properly address issues affecting children and families, we will not take this country back,” Mr Wap said.
“Every child in this country must go to school, every child must have nutritious meals and every child must have the proper physical, spiritual and mental development,” he said.
Mr Wap explained that Western Highlands brings the total number of provinces having the PCFSC to three, following Enga and Morobe.
He said 19 more councils will be established in the remaining provinces in the country.