THE National Office for Child and Family Services (NOCFS) is committed to ending all forms of violence against children in the country, says Chief Executive Officer Jerry Wap.
Mr Wap said this during the “Walk for Peace and Human Rights” event held in Port Moresby last Wednesday (Dec 10).
The walk, which started around 8am at the Sir John Guise Stadium and ended around 9am at the Parliament Boulevard, was attended by Mr Wap, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop and Unicef head to Papua New Guinea Dr Veera Mendonca, and other dignitaries.
Mr Wap and officers from the NOCFS joined hundreds of citizens, including school children, for the walk to advocate and raise awareness on human rights, peace and violence against children.
Mr Wap said as a pathfinder member of the Global Alliance to End Violence Against Children, PNG through the NOCFS, remains committed to end all forms of violence against children.
“As the 33rd pathfinder member of the Global Alliance to End Violence Against Children, PNG has demonstrated unwavering commitment to end all forms of violence against children,” Mr Wap said.
“On November, 2024, PNG made a historic pledged in a Global Ministerial Conference on ending violence against children in Bogota, Colombia. Our nation joined the international community in committing to hold strategic actions in ending all violence against children,” he said.
“This pledge has since materialised into our event—ending violence against children roadmap—developed through an inclusive and central process, bringing together government agencies, civil society organisations and development partners,” Mr Wap said.
“This roadmap now sets a compass for us to achieve a future where every child in PNG growsup free from violence,” he explained.
Mr Wap highlighted some of the key programmes of the NOCFS to protect children and end violence against children in the country.
These includes:
- Reviving of the National Child and Family Services Council.
- Strengthening governance and coordination mechanisms to protect children in PNG.
- Launching and working on establishing Provincial Child and Family Services Councils.
- Providing National Child Protection Training in partnership with the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance (three levels).
- Conducting street children survey, identifying and processing street children in NCD, Lae, Mt Hagen and Kokopo (Regional centres).
- Supporting and working with Out-of-Home Care Centres.
- Working towards establishing Early Childhood Development Centres; and,
- Implementing Positive Parenting programmes.
Citing Unicef statistics, Mr Wap said more than 75 per cent of children word-wide face violence daily growing up.
He said given this scenario, it was fundamental for everyone to work together to address violence against children in PNG.
“Our vision remains unwavering—a PNG where every child grows up free from violence, abuse and neglect,” Mr Wap said.
“The journey ahead is challenging but with continued partnership, political will and dedication, we will transform this vision and mission into reality,” he said.
He thanked and acknowledged Governor Parkop, who is also the chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Children and Youths, for taking up children’s issues at the parliamentary level.
Mr Wap also thanked Unicef and other development partners for working closely with the NOCFS to ensure programmes and activities to improve the welfare and wellbeing of PNG children are properly and adequately addressed.