Kathmandu (PTI): The South Asian Regional Consultation meeting on Child Rights kicked off in Kathmandu on Sunday with the objectives of promoting child welfare and controlling trafficking of women and children.

Government officials and child right activists from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are taking part in the two day meeting being organised at the joint initiatives of Save the Children, Sweden and National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC).

Two little children from Nepal, boy named Karan Thapa and girl named Kalpana Lama, jointly inaugurated the opening ceremony of the meet as Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" who was scheduled to open the conference could not make it due to his busy schedule.

Regional cooperation and collaboration is needed to end child exploitation and trafficking and to promote child rights, said NHRC President Kedarnath Upadhyaya.

He said, "of the 37 million children born every year in South Asia 10 per cent die before they reach the age of 5 due to malnutrition, poverty and poor sanitation."

Gauri Pradhan, executive member of the NHRC, said trafficking in children and street children are the alarming problems of this region requiring urgent attention.

Akina Shareef, representative from 'Save the Children' of Sweden, underlined the need for building strong bond of relationship among different human rights organisations working in the region for the projection and promotion of child rights and welfare.

During the conference papers are being presented on themes like Children in Armed Conflicts in South Asia, Right to Education, Challenges in South Asia and Trafficking in Children, Regional Perspective.