RABAT, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) urged Wednesday for stronger action to ensure the safety of children in conflict-ridden areas.
Director General of the ISESCO Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri said so here at the Fifth Islamic Conference of Ministers in Charge of Childhood, which kicked off Wednesday.
The aggravating sufferings of children in places such as in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Afghanistan call for a collective supportive initiative, said Altwaijri.
The ISESCO director also maintained that the internationally-recognized rights of Palestinian children are "constantly violated by the brutal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories."
He called for more efficient and coordinated actions by Islamic countries to address violence, child labor, exploitation, ill-treatment, discrimination, as well as securing quality health and social services, and other basic needs of children, which are quintessentially legitimate rights.
"It is time to translate words into actions, shift from slogans to concrete results, and move from unsupported goodwill to effective and influential resolutions, in service of childhood and in response to its expectations," he said.
The two-day conference brings together ministers and representatives from ISESCO member states as well as representatives of regional and international governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with childhood issues.
The conference is part of a series of specialized Islamic conferences held by the ISESCO in coordination with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and parties in the hosting countries.
