"Training Workshop on the Protection and Advancing of Children's Rights, Including the Ones with Disabilities", organized in cooperation with our Ministry and Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), has initiated.

At the opening of the workshop that is online and will last for three days, Dr. Musa Şahin, our Director General, has made a speech.

Starting his speech by reminding the 1st Ministerial Conference on Social Development of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Istanbul on December 7-9, 2019 under the term presidency of Türkiye, Şahin has said that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has continued to strengthen cooperation and solidarity with member countries and to protect the rights of the Islamic world since the first day of its establishment.

Stating that all Islamic countries, international institutions and organizations have very important roles in the process of cooperation and responsibility sharing, Şahin has expressed that the Ministry of Family and Social Services attaches importance to the protection and strengthening of children's rights regionally and globally and is open to interstate cooperation.

“Every Child is a Unique Individual to Be Respected and Their Opinion to Be Taken”

Remarking that children are members of the societies they live in and that each child is a unique individual who will be respected and whose opinions will be sought, Şahin has noted that every child has skills that are worth developing and needs that must be met, and that not only parents but also the state have important responsibilities at this point.

Reminding that all rights regarding children have been brought to a certain standard with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Şahin has said that Türkiye signed this convention in 1990 and that the activities have been carried out on this axis. Şahin has added:

“Türkiye has always been a country that attaches importance to children and their protection.

The feelings of love and compassion in Turkish culture have made children's rights an important phenomenon.”

"There are Provisions for the Protection of Children in the Qur'an in Islam"

“In addition, there are provisions regarding the special protection and care of children in the Qur'an and hadiths in the religion of Islam.

In the religion of Islam, special importance is given to the child and the principle that it should be protected and taken care of has been adopted.

In the context of children, we always draw attention to the importance of cooperation and solidarity in the Islamic world in the protection and development of children's rights as a country.

Because children are the most affected by wars, terrorism, migration, poverty and natural disasters.

Our Country Hosts 1.7 Million Refugee Children

Our country, which hosts approximately 1.7 million refugee children, has displayed an approach that focuses on human values during the COVID epidemic.

Türkiye always supports the work of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on children's rights and continues to accelerate these efforts.

We find the steps related to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Convention on the Rights of the Child very significant, and we believe that these steps will contribute to the development of relations with other countries of the world, as well as cooperation and solidarity between Muslim countries and peoples.

In this context, I would like to express our pleasure to have participated in the Intergovernmental Experts Group Meeting, where the "Draft Convention on the Rights of the Child of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation" was discussed, organized by the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the participants of the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for their contributions in the field of children.

I wish it to be a productive workshop, and I would like to thank my colleagues and all participants for their efforts.”

Organized by SESRIC, the "Training Workshop on the Protection and Advancing of Children's Rights, Including the Ones with Disabilities" will last three days online. The activities of the Ministry of Family and Social Services on the subject will be shared with the participants through presentations by the relevant department heads.