In April, members of the Plurinational Committee for Children and Adolescents convened in La Paz, representing various regions of the country, for their 3rd General Assembly.
Over three productive days, the Committee assessed the progress of previous activities and agreements while also focusing on the recommendations put forth by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The assembly concluded by establishing new regional agreements and commitments.
The assembly also provided an opportunity for intergenerational dialogues with national authorities. Figures such as Andrónico Rodríguez, President of the Senate; Nadia Cruz, Vice Minister of Equal Opportunities; Pedro Callisaya, Ombudsman; and David Choquehuanca, Vice President of the Bolivian Plurinational State, engaged in meaningful discussions with the Committee members. These dialogues fostered strategic alliances, enabling the sharing of dreams, expectations, and concerns related to childhood in Bolivia.
On their final day of work, the members of the Plurinational Committee gathered for a session in the Bolivian Senate with national authorities and the Technical Committee on Children and Adolescents, made up of experts from organisations that work on this issue in the country. At the end of the session, the Senate applauded the Committee’s remarkable efforts and endorsed two bills for early childhood development. Act2gether Latin America supported all Committee members throughout this transformative process, ensuring their voices were heard and amplified.
This General Assembly marked a milestone in child participation in Bolivia, where the voices of the children and adolescents who comprise the Plurinational Committee were heard and acknowledged. It is heartening to witness and accompany this transformative journey where children are given the spaces they rightfully deserve as valued members of society to express their needs, dreams, and aspirations.
