3rd Technical Consultation
on
Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children
in
South Asia
Welcome and Introductory Note to Young People
24th to 29th September 2013 – Thimphu, Bhutan
Hosted bythe Government of Bhutan
Organized and Showcased by the SAIEVAC Regional Secretariat
With Support from the South Asia Coordinating Group on Action against Violence against Children (SACG), the SAARC Development Fund (SDF) and in Collaboration with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children (SRSG-VaC)
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Hello Children and Young People! WELCOME!!
The South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC) is organizing a very important Technical Consultation on Eliminating Harmful Traditional Practices Affecting Children with diverse groups of children, and adults, including SAIEVAC Coordinators of eight SAARC member countries of South Asia region.
The SAIEVAC Coordinators responsible for protecting Children and their Rights, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will come together in Bhutan , on 25th to 27th of September , to decide on the future work on Ending Harmful Traditional Practices Affecting Children.
It is important for you to discuss and share your concerns, thoughts and ideas openly with the adult and Coordinators so that they take appropriate decisions. Please remember that you also are responsible to raise your voice for your rights and give your opinion to influence the decision making within SAIEVAC mechanisms, especially the child governing board members. We are therefore organizing this special meeting with children and young people’s representatives in Bhutan on 25th September 2013. .
This document explains what SAIEVAC is, how SAIEVAC can include children’s recommendations as well as an agenda for the meeting. A separate guideline has been developed explaining how SAIEVAC will organize a meeting in your home country to prepare you for the regional meeting.
What is South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC)?
On 19-20 May 2005, 25 Children from all South Asian Countries, except India & Afghanistan (as Afghanistan wasn’t the members of SAARC then), came to Islamabad to take part in the Regional Consultation for the UN lead Global Study on Violence against Children. Government representatives from all South Asian countries and other adults from UN, NGOs, and media, together with the 25 children spoke about the kinds of violence children face in the region and gave suggestions on the measures to stop the violence against children.
The people who represented governments promised to take actions to protect all children from all forms of violence. After the Regional Consultation the governments in South Asia formed the ‘South Asia Forum for Ending Violence against Children (SAF)’. This Forum gave children, governments and adults opportunity to meet regularly, share their experiences, and look at joint actions taken forward to end violence against children in the region.
The Forum met and held four consultations in Pakistan in 2006, India in 2007, in Kathmandu in 2008 and again in Kathmandu in 2010 with the support of South Asia Coordinating Group on Violence Against Women and Children (SACG).
The 4th SAF Consultation held in Kathmandu 21-22 January, 2010 after taking stock of progress and opportunities presented by the Forum and participants in collaboration of SAARC and SAGC, decided to create a new institutional framework for ending violence against children throughout the region. Thus, SAF was given a new name as suggested by the children participating in the meeting with more defined objectives to end violence against children in the South Asia Region. They renamed it as South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) and was approved by the Ministers.
The purpose of this Technical Consultation Meeting
The South Asia Technical Consultation on Eliminating Harmful Traditional Practices Affecting Children is a follow up of the recommendations of the first Governing Board Meeting of the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC), held in Kathmandu in November 2010, with the support of the South Asia Coordinating Group on Action against Violence against Women and Children (SACG). The Board recommended organizing this Technical Workshop as a follow up of SAIEVAC’s efforts to implement the five year work plan.
Thus, the technical consultation meeting to be held in Bhutan on 25-27 September will develop recommendation for eliminating harmful practices affecting children in South Asia, to be presented to the SAIEVAC Governing Board for adoption, during its annual session, which will be held in Bhutan right after the Technical Consultation.
The role of Children
Children and young people played an important role in the establishment and work of SAF and later on SAIEVAC. Children were involved from the very first meeting and children spoke about the kinds of violence they face such as early marriage and physical and psychological punishment in school. Children also spoke about the impact of violence and provided important recommendations to the Governments, UN agencies and the NGOs on what should be done to end violence against children.
The SAIEVAC members want to continue listening to children’s opinions as their views and ideas, support SAIEVAC to make the right decisions on behalf of children. In the meeting with the Ministers, children can speak on their concerns, new changes in children’s situation and provide suggestions to SAIEVAC.
The purpose for the Meeting with Children
- To review and revisit the outcomes of children’s participation at previous SAIEVAC events for children’s definitions, experiences and recommendations on violence against children and mechanisms for child protection;
- To provide a platform for children at the national and regional level to share their understanding, experiences and perspectives on eliminating harmful traditional practices affecting children in the region;
- To ensure processes so that children’s outcomes and the contribution from the national level consultation are adequately incorporated at the regional level and into the relevant sessions of the Technical Consultation
- To strengthen the role and impact of child and youth participation within the SAIEVAC mechanism and related processes;
- To ensure national and regional follow-up mechanisms of the outcomes of children’s participation within the SAIEVAC structure and opportunities;
- To document the processes and outcomes of children participation for future reference and wider dissemination.
How will children get involved?
Separate guideline on the complete process for children’s participation is attached. Three main principles are…
- The concerns of children from many different backgrounds (especially those who are affected one way or the other by the harmful practices, living in care centers, with relatives, children of the marginalized group, differently able children etc.) should be well represented.
- Children will have meetings in their own countries before the Minister’s meeting to prepare suggestions and ideas
- Both girls and boys will have equal opportunity to participate and discuss their issues.
The Process:
Children are involved in two ways. Firstly, children will participate in discussions in their home country and will meet the SAIEVAC Representative to share their opinions during the Technical Consultation. . You will also be supported by our contact person and can contact him/her anytime for help. You will receive some important material which will help you in your discussions.
Secondly, selected representatives of children will meet in Bhutan to share the outcomes of their home country consultation and discuss on few key issues related to children among themselves and meet with the SAIEVAC Coordinators to present the outcome of their regional preparatory/consultation on behalf of all children from SA.
The Selection of representatives:
In the last SAF meeting with children in 2008, children have identified some important qualities for the selection of representatives. We have considered them and suggest following criteria for the selection of Children’s representatives:
- The children’s representatives must represent both girls and boys from different backgrounds and cultures.
- They are from the age group of 12 to 18 years
- They are associated with a children’s club or a child led organization and have actively participated in the activities of these organizations
- They should be able to speak on behalf of group of children of their respective country
- They should be nominated by the children’s group/ child led organization that they are associated with.
- Though it is not essential but desirable that children have a valid passport
- Parents/Guardians should provide written consent for their travel and participation
The tentative agenda for the meeting will be included later
Note: Each day, there will be evaluation session and discussion on protection issues
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