JAYAPURA – The Papua Provincial Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the fulfillment of children's rights and child protection through close collaboration between the provincial government, regency and municipal governments, and all sectors of society.

The commitment was conveyed by Papua Deputy Governor Aryoko Rumaropen while addressing children from nine regencies and municipalities across Papua via video conference during the 42nd National Children's Day commemoration on Thursday (July 23, 2026).

In his remarks, the Deputy Governor stated that the Papua Provincial Government continues to improve the quality of services for children across various sectors.

He noted that the challenges that remain serve as motivation to strengthen cross-sector collaboration in delivering better services for every child in Papua.

"We must integrate various service programs from both the central and regional governments so they can improve the quality of life of Papua's children through healthcare, education, social protection, and community services," Aryoko said.

He emphasized that successful child development requires the commitment of all regional leaders and regional government agencies to implement programs consistently and sustainably.

According to him, the vision and mission of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Papua for the next five years will continue to be evaluated annually based on development achievements focused on improving children's welfare.

"We want to ensure that every program delivers tangible results so that the quality of services for children continues to improve and Papua can narrow the gap with the national average," he said.

The National Children's Day carries the theme, "Love Children, Protect Them, and Build the Future." Aryoko stressed that the theme reflects a shared commitment to recognizing children as key stakeholders in development who have the right to grow, develop, participate, and receive protection.

He added that child protection is a shared responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that every child is free from violence, exploitation, neglect, discrimination, child marriage, and bullying, both in the physical world and in digital spaces.

"Child protection cannot be achieved by the government alone. It requires collaboration and cooperation from all elements of society," he emphasized. ***