WELLINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand welcomes its accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure (OPCP), which provides independent scrutiny of government actions.
The protocol will allow claims to be made to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child if the claimant believes the government has breached New Zealand's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis said on Wednesday.
"New Zealand's accession to the Protocol will further ensure that the rights of all tamariki (children) in New Zealand are reinforced and upheld," Davis said.
The protocol will further improve the protection of children's rights by providing independent scrutiny of government actions, better honor the obligations under the country's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, and add weight to New Zealand's existing commitment as a state party to the Children's Convention, he said. ■
