As G7 leaders meet in Sicily Italy today, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa urges the leaders to protect the rights of displaced and vulnerable children arriving in Europe daily.  The protection of unaccompanied minors and children is the right of every child, no matter their place of birth.

As the new UNICEF report, A Child is a Child points out, the world has seen almost a five-fold increase in the number of refugee and migrant children traveling alone since 2010. And even when they travel with their families, they face several terrible risks and often fall through the cracks.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa calls upon the G7 leaders to ensure the rights of children who have been uprooted from their homes due poverty and atrocities and arrive at their countries. These children, like every other child deserve the right to safer and secure lives and futures. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa believes that countries have the right to intensify national security and protect their borders during global uncertainty, but this can also coincide with protecting the rights of displaced children by providing each child with a certifiable identity.  When each migrant and refugee child is given a certifiable identity, it will bring two-folds of great results. It will allow the child to be visible on governmental systems and build stronger and resilient national security systems, and it will provide the child the right to seek out health and education services at their host country.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa urges governments of the G7 countries act on the following agenda: 

•    Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence.  
•    End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating by finding practical alternatives.
•    Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status.
•    Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services.  
•    Press for action on the underlying causes of large-scale movements of refugees and migrants.  
•    Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination, and marginalization in countries of transit and destination

When world leaders adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants in September 2016, they acknowledged the urgent and unmet needs of vulnerable child migrants. It is time to act and deliver on this promise.
 
-ends-

Notes to Editor: 

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa has long campaigned for child rights and the rights of displaced persons, particularly children, to be given a health enhanced certifiable identity documents such as the Personal Health Record (TM) Child Health Record Book and e-card.  
Information on WBFA’s PHR: http://www.thewellbeingfoundation.com/phr.php
Safeguarding the Well-Being of Childrenhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/toyin-ojorasaraki/safeguarding-the-well-be...
Addressing the Growing Health Crisis On International Migrants Dayhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/toyin-ojorasaraki/international-migrants-d...

UNICEF Photos: We urge you to galvanize your own networks around this critical issue and are pleased to share this link of sharable photo and video content to assist in your efforts: http://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AMZIFDKRWO
Social media actions via your social media channels:
Sharing the #AChildIsAChild manifesto GIF file
Sharing this link to the A Child is A Child report: https://www.unicef.org/publications/index_95956.html
Posting the following suggested message:
I believe #AChildIsAChild - do you?
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