The UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and the entire UN System in the country on 16 June began celebrations to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Day of the African Child in the company of their Ivorian partners under the theme: "Eliminating harmful social and cultural practices affecting children is our collective responsibility".



Celebrations which kicked off over the weekend in some parts of the country was officially launched in Abidjan on Monday, 17 June 2013, as well as in Tabou, Massadougou, San Pedro, Guiglo, Zokoguhe, Odienne and Affery.



At the opening ceremony, the Ivorian Minister of Solidarity, Family, Women and Children, Mrs. Anne Oulotto reaffirmed the important place of children in society, saying they were a treasure to be protected.



In Tabou, UNOCI launched an appeal for more attention to be paid to the rights of the child. An official of the mission stressed that the celebration was an occasion to take stock of what has been done for the welfare of children and to identify prospects for healthier living conditions for them.



In Massadougou, 40 km from San Pedro, 200 children were the beneficiaries of free medical consultations and treatment offered by UN Peacekeepers of the Niger contingent. A spokesman for the children, Kouadio Sonia expressed the wish that their parents would help them realize their dreams. "Dear parents give us a chance to fulfill our dreams by sending us to school because this is the key to life," she pleaded.



In Guiglo, UNOCI and its partners celebrated the day with some 100 orphans who called on "adults to respect their rights." During the celebration, marked by song, dance and drama sketches, boarders of the ISMAVEO orphanage and the NGO Esperance Solidarite Côte d'Ivoire raised their voices against evil practices. "No to war, to ill-treatment, to inhuman treatment and no to all harmful practices affecting children!" they chanted.



Other themes that were highlighted include violence against children, forced and early marriages for girls and lack of education for the girl child.



The commemoration of the Day of the African Child which was instituted in 1991 in remembrance of the massacre in 1976 of children who were demonstrating for their rights in Soweto, South Africa by the apartheid regime, ended on 19 June 2013.