4 separate meetings in January 2022 to discuss and exchange opinions on
each of the important issues.
Taiwan declared its compliance with the spirit of the CRC to the
international community in 1995, and today, considerable progress has
been made in children's human rights through the efforts of civil society,
various sectors of the community, and the Government. However,
according to NHRC's independent opinions, there remains inadequacy in
the protection of children's rights, child abuse prevention and alternative
care in the face of the pandemic and in response to the impact of the digital
age. The NHRC is also concerned about the lack of an independent
monitoring mechanism for children's rights and adequate budgeting.
In 2014, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights published Report
Towards Better Investment in the Rights of the Child, which demonstrates
that investing in children benefits individuals, society, and the economy as
a whole, and that States should invest sufficient resources in the realization
of children's rights. In light of the lack of budgetary investment in
children's rights, the NHRC calls on the Government to give weight to and
increase budgets for the mainstreaming of children's rights in practice in
Taiwan.
In addition to governments, UNICEF proposed the Children's Rights and
Business Principles in 2012 and has been actively advocating to global
corporations and investment institutions in recent years to include
children's rights as an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)
indicator for investment decisions. The NHRC will continue to focus on
the responsibility of companies to respect children's rights in the digital
environment, workplace, and climate change. The realization of children's
right to be heard is the driving force of national human rights reform. The
NHRC will continue to listen to children's voices and work with the
Government, civil society, and businesses to implement the CRC and
related international conventions to ensure the fundamental rights of every
child.
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