India has offered support to South Asian countries in expanding and upgrading their child helpline services as part of efforts to end trafficking and violence against children, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said on Wednesday.
“We are requesting the South Asian countries to expand their childline services. We are ready to provide help and are trying to get them on board. They will have to put in their technologies and involve efficient NGOs,” she said.
Speaking at the 4th ministerial meeting of South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC), Gandhi noted that the countries have agreed on achieving time-bound goals to fight child trafficking. “We have agreed on timeline-bound goals. Because we all suffer from child trafficking, and therefore, we have the same problems from Afghanistan to Bangladesh. So we will now have time-bound goals for the first time,” said the minister.
The three-day ministerial meeting of SAIEVAC, which comprises eight nations, was inaugurated on May 9 to set strategies and agree on commitments to ensure protection and security of children.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was the chief guest at the event, said SAARC countries should work together to improve the condition of children and resolve to achieve their safety. “To address each challenge comprehensively in SAARC countries, we can all benefit from cooperation and strengthening mechanisms for sharing of information, experience, expertise and good practices,” he said.