Togolese artists staged an open concert on Friday evening in the capital Lome to mark Universal Children's Day and the 20th anniversary of the UN convention on the rights of children.

The celebrations were sponsored by the Togolese Ministry for Social action, Promotion of Women, Children and the Elderly in collaboration with Togo's Plan NGO and African rap musicians.

It was held under the theme " learn without fear" and "violence is evil, denounce it". It brought together thousands of children, mostly students, in a euphoric ambiance. Questions and answers, as well as awards also featured the celebrations.

"The Seeds", a musician group, staged their hit songs including "a better world" and "the street child" to drum hopes of one with a distorted childhood.

Minister for Social Action, Promotion of Women, Children and the Elderly Memounatou Ibrahima was present on the occasion, saying it is necessary to promote and protect the children's rights which call for responsibility from governments, parents and civil society groups.

"The respect for children's rights is a priority objective for the government," Ibrahima said, adding that in the Togolese governments in recent years, a minister was always appointed for the cause.

She stressed that protection of children "must be at the heart of government policies and plans," declaring the protection of children's rights as "a permanent challenge" in Togo.

"A number of these challenges are yet to be overcome," she said, pointing to the reluctance of the customs which are still backward and the small budget allocated to children's well-being.

To protect children's rights, a law has been enacted in Togo to fight against child trafficking and mistreatment. A green light was given to social action to denounce violence against children and the exemption of school fees for basic and primary education.