3.8 Objective 8: Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children and Young Persons 3.8.1 Nigeria acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in April 1999 and domesticated the Convention at the level of the Federal Government. But as at today, only about 22 States have adopted and domesticated the instrument. In its efforts at improving the lot of children and young persons, and with the ultimate desire to mobilize them for sustainable development, the Federal Government developed a National Youth Policy in 2001 and later created a full Ministry for Youth Development. The Ministry is mandated to mobilize the Nigerian Youth and coordinate all youth groups towards effective national development. The Ministry has undertaken several youth advocacy and sensitization programmes, workshops, seminars and symposia aimed at redirecting, reorienting and mobilizing Nigerian Youths towards positive engagement with their country. 3.8.2 Also the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the State Governments, launched a National Youth Empowerment Programme (YES) in November 2011, to develop the entrepreneurial potentials of the youth and empower them for the establishment of small scale industries. 3.9 Objective 9: Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Vulnerable Groups, including the Disabled, The poor, IDPs and Refugees. 3.9.1 The Present Administration believes that all citizens are important, blessed with peculiar endowments, and therefore has roles to play in the development of the country. In order to avoid stigmatization of groups, the National Assembly is about to pass a bill that outlaws discrimination against disabled persons. The physically challenged are specifically encouraged in the versatile 47