Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said the country had been able to achieve victory over terrorism after 30 years and the children of the country would be expecting a better future free from violence and destruction caused by terrorists and separatist forces.
He also said that the leadership of the children was necessary at all levels and the children were powerless to achieve their own targets.
They were depending on others who provided services in addition to the political leaders who were in a decision-making position.
“However, the leadership should have mobilised at all levels of the society to bring in more people and networks who can work with us towards the common goal of the children,” he said.
“Poverty remains a crux issue for all of us and has to be more efficiently addressed and the children are the most vulnerable in a family.
In addition, the child bears the brunt of its impact in the form of under-nutrition and child labour including abuse and exploitation,” the Prime Minister said.
Minister of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment, Sumedha G. Jayasena, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama, Higher Education Minister, Vishwa Warnapala and other SAARC Regional Ministers were present on the occsion.
