New situation analysis of children in Sint Maarten
19 mei 2020UNICEF publishes a new study and presents a global picture of the situation of children and adolescents in Sint Maarten
© UNICEF/Watkins/Chizzilala
© UNICEF/Watkins/Chizzilala
Global picture
In recent years, progress has been made on Sint Maarten on children's rights, including a child abuse reporting code, the criminal offense of child abuse, the revision of juvenile criminal law and the establishment of a facility for juvenile offenders, the Miss Lalie center. Vaccination rates are high and virtually all children, including undocumented children, have access to primary education. There are advanced policy plans on major issues that have yet to be approved. Hurricanes and political instability have slowed down these processes.
The study shows that violence against children, sexual abuse and the mental well-being of young people are important children's rights issues on Sint Maarten. These challenges have been exacerbated by hurricanes in 2017. The effects of the current COVID-19 crisis made the situation even more complex.
Read the complete report or the summary with recommendations.
Many challenges
In recent years, progress has been made on Sint Maarten on children's rights, including a child abuse reporting code, the criminal offense of child abuse, the revision of juvenile criminal law and the establishment of a facility for juvenile offenders, the Miss Lalie center. Vaccination rates are high and virtually all children, including undocumented children, have access to primary education. There are advanced policy plans on major issues that have yet to be approved. Hurricanes and political instability have slowed down these processes.
The study shows that violence against children, sexual abuse and the mental well-being of young people are important children's rights issues on Sint Maarten. These challenges have been exacerbated by hurricanes in 2017. The effects of the current COVID-19 crisis made the situation even more complex.
The Situation Analysis is an instrument, which can be used to stimulate discussion about the development and well-being of children and adolescents. It puts forth recommendations as inputs for policy decisions, and functions as an advocacy tool, providing an overview of the most critical challenges for children and adolescents on Sint Maarten. It covers the areas of education, child protection and health. The Situation Analysis is one of the documents that informs the “Child Resilience and Protection Project” that is currently being prepared in collaboration with the government of Sint Maarten as part of the Trust Fund managed by the World Bank.
