UNICEF Urges Parliament to Create Children's Caucus
Ahead of World Children’s Day on November 20, 2026, UNICEF has officially called on Sierra Leone’s Parliament to establish a dedicated Parliamentary Caucus for Children to ensure legislative priorities systematically address the protection, welfare, and rights of the country's youth.
The appeal was made during a high-level meeting between Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas and a UNICEF delegation led by Representative Mariko Kagoshima. Kagoshima praised Parliament's leadership in enacting the landmark Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and emphasized the need for sustained collaboration to advance child welfare initiatives.
Beyond the formation of the caucus, UNICEF highlighted the necessity of rigorous parliamentary oversight regarding national expenditure. Acting Deputy Representative Nkandu Chilombo announced an upcoming working session with selected MPs and the Parliamentary Budget Office to analyze social sector allocations ahead of the 2027 National Budget presentation.
Kelvin Mutambirwa, UNICEF’s Social Policy Specialist, stressed that parliamentary monitoring is essential to ensure that legislative funding commitments translate directly into tangible benefits on the ground. Additionally, Chief of Communications Suzanne Wooster urged lawmakers to integrate strong child privacy provisions into the pending Data Protection Act.
In response, Speaker Thomas welcomed the delegation and reaffirmed Parliament’s backing for child-centered policy reform, pledging full cooperation to realize the caucus before the upcoming November deadline.
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