diseases and malnutrition, as the cornerstone of child survival and development, States Parties shall pursue a policy of development and a National Programme of Action that facilitate the development of the child. The policy shall focus on accelerating the progressive universalization of the child’s access to the basic services and conditions. 3. States Parties shall ensure that appropriate legal and administrative mechanisms and social safety nets and defenses are always in place to: a) Ensure that their national laws protect the child from any form of discrimination, abuse, neglect, exploitation, torture or degrading treatment, trafficking and violence. b) Discourage entry of children into hazardous and harmful labour and ensure implementation of the Ninth SAARC Summit decision to eliminate the evil of child labour from the SAARC region. In doing so, States Parties shall adopt a multi-pronged strategy including the provision of opportunities at the primary level and supportive social safety nets for families that tend to provide child labourers. c) Administer juvenile justice in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child’s sense of dignity and worth, and with the primary objective of promoting the child’s reintegration in the family and society. In doing so, States Parties shall provide special care and treatment to children in a country other than the country of domicile and expectant women and mothers who are detained along with infants or very young children, and shall promote, to the best possible extent, alternative measures to institutional correction, keeping in mind the best interest of the child. d) States Parties shall make civil registration of births, marriages and deaths, in an official registry, compulsory in order to facilitate the effective enforcement of national laws, including the minimum age for employment and marriage. 4. Recognising the evolving capacities of the child, States Parties shall encourage and support administrative and judicial institutions to arrange for suitable mechanisms at appropriate levels and in accordance with local customs and traditions, to provide opportunities and access for the child to: a) Seek and receive information b) Express views, directly or through a representative, and receive due weight and consideration for them, in accordance with age and maturity, in all matters affecting them. c) Participate fully and without hindrance or discrimination in the school, family and community life. 5. States Parties shall encourage the mass media to disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to the child. They shall also endeavour to give wide publicity to the Convention as well as other regional and international instruments having a bearing on the child. ARTICLE V REGIONAL ARRANGEMENTS To ensure consistent focus on and pursuance of the regional priorities delineated above, States Parties shall promote solidarity, co-operation and collective action between and among SAARC Member States in the arena of child rights and development. States Parties view such cooperation as mutually reinforcing and capable of enhancing the quality and impact of their national efforts to create the enabling conditions and environment for full realisation of child rights and attainment of the highest possible standard of child well being. In pursuance hereof, States Parties shall: a) provide opportunities for appropriate bilateral and multilateral sharing of information, experience and expertise. b) facilitate human resource development through planned annual schedule of SAARC Advanced Training Programmes on Child Rights and Development. 3 of 5