Children’s Rights celebrated

Organised by UNICEF in parnership with the Oceania Football Confederation, the Just Play Sports Day brought together children from west Auckland schools as well as members of the international and local football teams taking part in the OFC President’s Cup this week.
Children were given a taster of the award-winning Just Play Programme and took part in a drawing activity, which children from around the Pacific have also completed.
The activities were completed with members of Auckland City FC (NZL), Busaiteen (BHR), Fiji U-20 (FIJ), Amicale FC (VAN), Bodden Town (CAY) and Singapore U-23 (SIN) all watching on and even participating, much to the delight of the children.
An extra treat was the presence of the FIFA U-20 World Cup trophy, with the competition due to take place in New Zealand with both New Zealand and Fiji representing the Oceania region.
UNICEF New Zealand Executive Director Vivien Maidaborn oversaw the event as MC and says it was a fantastic opportunity for the children to not only learn about the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but also to celebrate their right to play.
“They’re playing great games, they’re having great fun and they’re learning about how being physically active is important and how fun and sports are an important part of child’s rights,” Maidaborn says.
She adds that the addition of players taking part in the OFC President’s was a real boost to the event.
“It’s really exciting and it’s exciting for the children to see adults be really interested and passionate about what they’re doing.
“So we’re really lucky to have a partnership with OFC, with the OFC President’s Cup and with people from all around the world who are taking part in this inaugural touranment.”
Maidaborn says the partnership between OFC and UNICEF is important, especially when it comes to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is at the heart of the award winning OFC sport for development programme Just Play.
“There are 58 articles in the Children’s Rights Convention and one of them is the Right to Play. Play is critical to development – physical development, emotional and intellectual development – and it’s also critical to normalising life after trauma or tragedy.
“Everywhere in the world children have a right to play, but many children don’t get the opportunity to exercise it. UNICEF is involved in this because we’re all about children, no matter what’s happening between the adults in their countries or between countries, we want to make safe places for children to play.”
Maidaborn says there are numerous examples of how the convention has improved the lives of children in New Zealand and the Pacific, but believes there is still plenty more work to be done as well.
“An example of how the convention is working in the Pacific that’s on everyone’s minds is the way people have responded in natural disasters. The Pacific, as we know, is one of the most at risk in terms of climate change, but also natural climate experiences like typhoons and floods.
“So one of the things UNICEF does in those countries is creating safe places for children to come when their parents are really focusing on other things, and creating continuity, education and play,” Maidaborn explains.
“In the Pacific that happens every time there is a disaster and it’s ongoing, and Just Play is one of the programmes we use to ensure that happens.”
In New Zealand she says the collaboration between UNICEF New Zealand and Every Child Counts and drawing attention to child poverty is an important issue.
“I feel very proud that in the last election we just had that child poverty was THE issue, and that in the first speech of the Prime Minister for the incoming Government he talked about having to do better for the children of New Zealand, and I feel like that’s UNICEF’s independent voice coming through,” Maidaborn says.
“It’s something we can say we’ve really gathered a movement in New Zealand, we’ve built conviction that we can do better for the children of New Zealand and together we will.”
Some of the specific gains Maidaborn says should be celebrated include the huge reduction in children working in child labour now around the world, compared with 25 years ago.
“More children have access to clean drinking water than they did then, there are many more, including girls, in childhood education than there were 25 years ago.
“There’s so many things to celebrate and at the same time, there’s so many things for us to be concious of, that still need doing.”