Kathmandu, August 3: Minister for Women and Social Welfare Chiranjibi Wagle said that the government is serious and committed to protection of the rights of the child and protection of children against sexual exploitation.

Answering the queries of lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Lower House of parliament, Minister Wagle said that the government was serious and firm to check sexual exploitation of children and punish those who exploit children.

” His Majesty’s Government has expressed its commitment to protect children and their rights at both national as well as international level”, he said. Nepal has already signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and enacted Children’s Act to translate its commitments into action.

He also informed that the government has adopted a National Plan of Action to ensure full realization of rights of the child and protect children against any forms of exploitation.

Earlier, lawmaker of CPN-UML Ananda Prasad Pokhrel had demanded amendment in the existing Children’s Act in order to make it more effective to check sexual exploitation against children.

Sexual exploitation of children is a crime and those involved in the sexual exploitation of children have not been brought to book at the absence of effective laws. Thus, amendment should be made in the Children’s Act to take stern action against child abusers, said MP Pokhrel.