I would like to draw the attention of the Commissioner for Children to the following text which is an unofficial summary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“The preamble recalls the basic principles of the United Nations and specific provisions of certain relevant human rights treaties and proclamations. It reaffirms the fact that children, because of their vulnerability, need special care and protection, and it places special emphasis on the primary caring and protective responsibility of the family.
“It also reaffirms the need for legal and other protections for the child before and after birth, the importance of respect for the cultural values of the child’s community and the vital role of international cooperation in securing children’s rights.”
I expected Pauline Miceli to be the very first person in Malta to stand up and speak from the heart for the unborn child. But she was controversial and divisive. This surprised a number of people who approached me as the author of a book about children’s rights and duties commissioned by the previous Commissioner for Children.
This is a book which is not found in bookstores because the Commissioner thought it should be more reachable if put in public libraries and all school libraries. Maybe even Miceli needs to read this simple storybook with serious undertones.