ACROSS the world millions of street children face a daily struggle of abuse, hunger and exclusion as the international community fails to acknowledge their rights.

This is not an issue that affects developing nations. We believe that the rights of street children cannot be ignored. It isn't as though they don't have any: the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has been signed and ratified by almost every country in the world, but these rights continue to be ignored. We call for the government to ensure that the rights of street children are recognised and included in policies and legislation.

They miss out on their right to education. They are subjected to the death penalty, are disappeared, are punished by cruel and inhumane methods and suffer many other forms of violence.

Every child deserves to be treated with respect and to be protected from violations of his or her basic human rights. All youth have the right to be free from discrimination, harassment, and violence and abuse.

To protect children from torture and other forms of violence through prevention, advocacy is important in order to create pressure against the state to help reduce such violence.

ANAM HAYAT Islamabad