BELAIR:--- Several elected officials from the Dutch and French side of the island attended the launching ceremony of the 24th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams in her remarks said that the theme this year is "My right to my identity and my right to belong." Wescot Williams said since St. Maarten became a country they became a separate party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, thus making St. Maarten accountable to the international community and they also need to show when and how the country made progress as far as upholding the rights of the child as is stated in the convention.
The Prime Minister said that there are number of issues regarding children especially those that ended up on St. Maarten not knowing where they come from and neither do they know their identity. Wescot Williams explained that there are children on St. Maarten who do not enjoy a clear and concise identity and family protection which is also part of the rights of children.
Wescot Williams said while parents have a huge role to play in ensuring that children's rights are protected, it does not stop there because schools and the entire community have a large role to play with guarding the rights of children. She said very often they are left with the responsibility of finding out what to do with the children that were left behind on St. Maarten. "These children were either left in the care of neighbors by parents who either brought their children to the island or even sent them to St. Maarten. In closing her remarks, the Prime Minister said that when dealing with issues regarding children the gale does not stop at the border and that is why it is essential that the governments of both sides work together in upholding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Vice President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin who is charged with Social Affairs Ramona Conner shared some of the same sentiments as the Prime Minister. She said there are children that are left alone at home on the French side while their parents go to work in neighboring St. Barths. "Those children sometimes do not get to eat, they are left to fend for themselves, many times they don't go to school and most of them end up being delinquent." VP Conner said that there are fundamental rights of children that must be upheld, the right to be educated and to be protected, to be cared for, to learn, to freely express themselves, to have fun and have an identity and family. "Children are used for parents to get immigration papers and monies from government, children are not passports and they do have rights," the Vice President of the Collectivity said. "Furthermore, up to this day there are more that 200 million children working in the world, exerting tasks that are detrimental to proper development, but it represents cheaper labor." This she said is called slavery and some people are still naïve to its existence but statics show that this is still existing in at least five continents, therefore the rights of children must become a reality and no longer an illusion.
VP Conner went on and quoted the statements made by UN General Secretary Kofi Annand who said: "Nothing is more important that building a world in which all our children will have an opportunity to reach their full potential and grow in good health, peace and dignity."
Other speakers at the event were Minister of Education Patricia Lourens, Head of the Court of Guardianship Richelda Emmanuel, Head of Youth Affairs Shermina Powell, and the President of the Youth Parliament of St. Maarten Ms. Roshana Richardson.
While authorities from both sides of the island held an auspicious ceremony involving students from various schools, gave out awards and pronounced speeches that showed how much children ought to be protected, some of those very people that spoke and outlined the need to protect children have chosen to turn a blind eye to some very severe situations that are affecting minors on both sides of the island.
One case which is known by both the French and Dutch side authorities involves a number of young children whose nationality are supposed to be Dutch but they are living in a dilapidated building in French Quarter. It is alleged that some of these children were in protective custody on the Dutch side of the island but ended up on the French side in a squat, living without basic utilities such as running water and their parents are stealing electricity from the main line belonging to EDF. They are seen by neighbors running naked almost all day, sometimes they beg for food and water because they have nothing to eat. A few months ago it was proven that a six year old girl living in this squat never had a vaccination since birth, these children never attended school even though education on the French side is compulsory. The situation regarding these children is well known to the Attorney General of St. Maarten Taco Stein, the Prosecutor's Office, the Court of Guardianship, and the French authorities namely the Department of Social Affairs. The Gendarmes on the order of the State representative conducted an investigation some months ago. The Department of Social Affairs (DASS) also conducted an investigation and they claimed to have sent the report to the Prosecutor for a decision to be taken since March 2013. Despite all of the investigations and complaints that were filed on both sides of the island, the children have not yet been helped. It would be an honor for the neighbors and mostly for the young children living in the above mentioned conditions be given some sort of priority during this week's celebration of the Rights of the Child on St. Martin/St. Maarten as Government tries to show they are upholding the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
There are other cases that were highlighted to SMN News where minor children from the South side of the island are working as prostitutes on the French side. One concerned citizen who is fighting to get government's attention in dealing with this situation said he knew of 16 cases all of which concern minor children from the South side of the island that are on the French side of the island.
Click here to view more photos of the Opening Ceremony on the Rights of the Child.
Click here to view the Rights of the Child Convention Booklet 2013.
