A local children’s rights group is threatening to take the government to court for allegedly breaking international laws set to protect the country’s youth.
President of Bahamian Fathers for Children Everywhere, Clever Duncombe said the government of The Bahamas has blatantly turned its back on the guidelines of the United Nation’s (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty, which the country signed back in 1990.
According to Mr Duncombe the government’s proposed Family and Child Protection Act 2006, which was tabled in Parliament last week, is not in keeping with international standards and has been described as, “just a state-of-the-art affiliation and proceedings act.”
“Of course, the government is breaking the law by not ratifying it,” he said. “So we are working overtime with several lawyers and we do intend to take the government to court on various areas of this convention that they are in violation of.”
Mr Duncombe said The Bahamas has no proof under its belt to show that the UN’s treaty has been enacted into Bahamian law.
The organisation’s president pointed out that Article 6 (1) of the government’s proposed act blatantly discriminates against Bahamian men who father children out of wedlock. The article reads; “Every parent shall have parental responsibility for his child but in the case of a child born out of wedlock a court may, if it deems just, disregard any right arising therefrom of the father unless he satisfies the criteria and responsibility…”
Mr Duncombe said this part of the proposal is just one example of the government turning a blind eye to the UN agreement they signed, which in part states, “All rights apply to all children, without exception. It is the state’s obligation to protect children from any form of discrimination…”
“When you have one law for children born in marriage and another law for children born out of wedlock, this leaves the door wide open for children to be discriminated against,” he said. “When a man has to go in and prove why he should be given access to his own child, this isn’t the message we’re trying to send.”
But Mr Duncombe believes Article 6 (1) of the government’s proposed act is “a deliberate attempt to terminate a particular race,” as it violates five of the treaty’s guidelines- a move he believes would only intensify the country’s social ills. He said while many fathers are already neglecting their children, the proposed act will make it even harder for “good fathers” to be in their children’s lives.
He said while there are other violations in the government’s proposed act, Article 6 (1) puts major holes in the entire proposal.
Mr Duncombe said he believes his organisation will win their fight. He has also drafted a letter to the US Embassy and member states of the UN seeking support for their battle.
A final town meeting on the government’s proposal is scheduled for tonight.
By: IANTHIA SMITH, The Nassau Guardian
