By Innocent Anaba

Speakers and participants at an International Seminar on Human Rights, Environmental Law andChildren’s Rights have agreed on the need for the protection of the rights of Nigerian child.

Chairperson, Local Organising Committee, LOC, of the International Seminar, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, Associate Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, in her remarks, noted that the efforts being made to protect the rights of the child cannot be overemphasized.

The International Seminar on Human Rights, Environmental Law and Children’s Rights was   jointly organised by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in collaboration with the Stockholm University Sweden, and   the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

According to Ezeilo, the seminar themes, include:   “Environmental Law, Human Rights and Climate Change in a Post 2015 World: Global Call, Local Action; and Violence against Children: The Dissonance between Law and Practice .”

Prof. Ozumba, the UNN Vice Chancellor in his address, noted that “Human Rights are fundamental rights. Human rights are universal and inalienable. The United Nations Charter and numerous international instruments on human rights have reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights and men and women and of nations large and small.”

He said further: “Children are our hope for the future and we care a great deal about their vulnerable nature that we have chosen to pay special attention to the rights of this demographic group in this seminar.   Children’s rights are also human rights in a specialised way and we care enough about them to even have a law course in this university on Children and Women’s law since 1997.

Developing collaboration

This indeed shows how much we are willing to invest in the interest of our children,” he added.

On his part, Professor Jonas Ebbesson, Dean of Faculty of Law, Stockholm University, said “On behalf of the president of Stockholm University, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Astrid Söderbergh Widding, I am honoured to give you greetings from Stockholm.   Our president Söderbergh Widding met your president, Professor Benjamin Ozumba earlier this year in Stockholm  and both expressed interest in developing collaboration for exchange of both students and researchers.

“We are both comprehensive universities with strong faculties of shared interest. Stockholm University has noted an increase in applications from Nigerian students and we welcome your  students to our Masters programmes, most of which are held in English.

“We have strong  research in fields of importance to Nigeria  such as sustainability, governance and education and would like to explore more opportunities for research collaborations and staff exchange.

“From my position as Dean of the Faculty of Law, at Stockholm University, I share these views. The Faculty of Law is consistently searching for academic institutions around the world for cooperation in student exchange as well as research.

“Despite the many differences between the societies and environments in Sweden and Nigeria, the topics chosen – human rights, environmental law, and children’s rights – are of high relevance for both countries, and they show that we are facing many similar challenges.  It is my strong belief that sustainable academic cooperation in research cannot be imposed top-down.’’