DHAKA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Parliamentarians from various South Asian countries are attending a regional meeting in Bangladesh capital Dhaka to discuss the prospects for further investment in early childhood and adolescent years.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) hosted the event in an effort to increase investment in children and young adults, bringing about much needed change for millions of poor and improving the prospects for healthy economic growth in the region.
The South Asia Parliamentarian Platform for Children held in Dhaka on Wednesday and Thursday aims to strengthen opportunities for children in the first two decades of their lives, said the UN agency in a statement on Thursday.
"While South Asia is home to one fourth of the world's population, its share of global income is just 4 percent. This fact underlines one of the biggest challenges for South Asia's progress on the social and economic front: namely the lack of investment in its largest asset, its Human Capital and especially the young within the society," said Jean Gough, regional director of UNICEF South Asia.
"Parliamentarians can play an important role in ensuring adequate sufficient funding and allocation of resources for the protection of the rights of children in the National Budget," said Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, speaker of Bangladesh Parliament.
According to UNICEF, 300 million children in South Asia are so-called multi-dimensionally poor with too little to eat, a high risk of falling sick from preventable disease and a very slim chance of ever going to school.
It said evidence shows that investment in the young pays strong dividends to the society.
"There are very good chances for bringing about radical and important change: in most countries in the region, children and young people make up a large part of society and even smaller investments now will give good results for children and South Asian societies," said Jean Gough.