Vice Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino is Patron of the CPLP's ‘Vozes de Nós’ Network

The “Vozes de Nós” Network, which brings together non-governmental organizations dedicated to protecting young people and children in Portuguese-speaking countries, met with Vice Prime Minister and Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs Mariano Assanami Sabino to present the results of the meeting held in Dili and invite him to be the Network’s Patron.

The meeting took place after the technical meeting held at the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion between November 18^th and 20^th  and provided an opportunity to present the work carried out by the participating organizations to the head of Social Affairs Coordination, who is also responsible for the Institute for the Defense of Children's Rights (INDDICA).

The meeting, under the theme ‘Children's Rights in CPLP Countries Today and Future Intervention Strategies,’ brought together representatives from various member states to discuss common priorities and strategies for protecting and promoting the rights of children and young people.

As a result of this work, the ‘Dili Declaration’ was drawn up, a guiding document intended to serve as a reference for concerted action by CPLP countries in the field of the rights of children and young people in vulnerable situations. The Declaration was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister, as Patron of the Network, as an expression of the joint commitment to strengthen the protection of children and young people in the CPLP.

Dili Declaration

The Dili Declaration is the result of the 5th Exchange of the “Vozes de Nós” Network, which brings together CPLP organizations dedicated to defending the rights of vulnerable children and young people. The document continues the work begun in 2009 under the project ‘Street Children: Inclusion and Integration,’ which has contributed to strengthening capacities in arts education, promoting cooperation between state and non-state entities, and supporting the development of child protection policies in CPLP countries.

The Declaration sets out a series of strategic objectives to guide common policies and practices, including comprehensive child development; prevention of all forms of violence and exploitation; promotion of inclusive education; strengthening of child health services; support for families; mainstreaming children in policies and budgets; effective participation of children and young people; consolidation and coordination of protection systems; improvement of data collection and sharing; and creation of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.