Solomon: Child protection must be top priority

Papua New Guinea must make child protection its number one priority, says secretary for Department of Community Development, Youth and Religion, Anna Solomon.

Solomon encouraged all sectors, including the donor partners, non-government organisations and government institutions, to make child protection a top priority.

“We need to look at the next generation of young people and leaders, starting with our children, and the department is focused to take on the challenge.

“Through the Lukautim Pikinini Act, the government has called for a child protection office to be recognised on its own and not crowded under the department,” Solomon said.

That is also being worked on with the Dept of Personnel Management to build its structure so that they are able to deliver many of these services that we haven’t done very well.

These include effective implementation of the Lukautim Pikinini Act based on a more strategic allocation of available resources.

Solomon admitted that there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of database for reported cases, varying from adoption cases to maintenance.

(File picture of Life PNG Care children.)

Author: 
Quintina Naime