National Level Follow-up to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children
January 2003
GOVERNMENT ACTIONS
ALBANIA:
ARMENIA
AUSTRIA
BELGIUM
BENIN
BOLIVIA
BURKINA FASO
CAMEROON
CANADA......
CHILE
CHINA
COLOMBIA
COTE D’IVOIRE
ECUADOR
EGYPT
EL SALVADOR
ETHIOPIA
FIJI
GERMANY
GUATEMALA
GUINEA
HONDURAS
INDIA
INDONESIA
ISRAEL
ITALY
JORDAN
KENYA
MALAYSIA
MALI
MAURITANIA
MEXICO
MONGOLIA
NEPAL
NEW ZEALAND
NICARAGUA
NIGER
NIGERIA
NORWAY
PAKISTAN
PALESTINE
PARAGUAY
PERU
REPUBLIQUE CENTRAFICAINE
ROMANIA
RWANDA
SENEGAL
SLOVENIA
SOUTH AFRICA
SWITZERLAND
TAJIKISTAN
TANZANIA
THAILAND
TOGO
UGANDA
UNITED STATES
VENEZUELA
NGO ACTIONS
ALBANIA (CRCA - The Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania)
ALBANIA (World Vision)
AUSTRALIA (“Give the children a Voice” A Committee of the Adult Survivors of Children ASCA.)
AUSTRALIA (SCA-S.O.S! (Survivors of Child Abuse-Supporters Of Survivors!))
AUSTRIA (Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights)
BELGIUM (COORDINATION DES ONG POUR LES DROITS DE L’ENFANT)
BENIN (Association béninoise d’assistance à l’enfant et à la famille (ABAEF))
BENIN (Plan International)
BOLIVIA (FUNDACIÓN INTERVIDA)
BULGARIA (Save the Children UK, Bulgaria Programme)
BURKINA FASO (Plan Burkina Faso)
BURUNDI (SOS-KINDERDORF INTERNATIONAL)
CAMEROON (Plan Cameroon)
CANADA (Results-Resultats Canada)
CANADA (Save the Children Canada)
CHILE (Corporación OPCION)
CHINA (The Committee of PCAN and CRC of STA)
COTE D’IVOIRE (Villages d’Enfants SOS)
ECUADOR (Plan – Program Office Ecuador)
EGYPT (NGO Coalition on Child Rights)
EL SALVADOR (Plan Internacional, El Salvador)
ETHIOPIA (Save the Children Alliance members working in Ethiopia)
FIJI (Save the Children Fiji)
FRANCE (FNO)
GERMANY (Kindernothilfe)
GERMANY (National Coalition for the implementation for children's rights in Germany (NC))
GRENADA (Grensave)
GUATEMALA (FUNDACIÓN INTERVIDA)
GUATEMALA (Movimiento Social por los Derechos de la Niñez y Juventud de Guatemala (Social Movement for the Rights of Children and Youth of Guatemala), and CIPRODENI (Coordinadora Institucional de Promoción de los Derechos de la Niñez - Institutional Coordination for the Promotion of Child Rights))
GUATEMALA (Plan)
GUINEA (Association des Villages d’Enfants SOS de Guinée)
HAITI (Coalition Haitienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’enfant (COHADDE))
HONDURAS (Plan Honduras)
INDIA (India Alliance for Child Rights)
INDIA (Plan)
INDONESIA (Save the Children UK-Indonesia)
IRELAND (Children’s Rights Alliance)
ISRAEL (DCI Israel)
ITALY (Mani Tese)
ITALY (PIDIDA (National Coalition for Children's Rights))
JORDAN (SOS Children’s Village Association of Jordan)
KENYA (ANPPCAN (African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect))
KOREA (Republic of) (World Vision Korea)
LEBANON (National Rehabilitation and Development Center)
LEBANON (SeSoBEL)
MALAYSIA (Malaysian Child Resource Institute)
MALI (Plan Mali)
MAURITANIA (Association Enfants et Développement en Mauritanie)
MAURITIUS (APEIM)
MEXICO (Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en Mexico)
MONGOLIA (World Vision Mongolia)
NEPAL (CWIN (Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre))
NEW ZEALAND (Save the Children New Zealand (SCNZ))
NEW ZEALAND (UNICEF New Zealand)
NICARAGUA (Plan International Nicaragua)
NIGER (Plan)
NIGER (Village d’Enfants SOS)
NIGERIA (Save the Children UK)
NORWAY (Forum for the Convention on the Rights of the Child – Norway)
PAKISTAN (Plan Pakistan)
PALESTINE (DCI Defence for Children International / Palestine Section)
PARAGUAY (Plan)
REPUBLIQUE CENTRAFICAINE (SOS Villages d’Enfants de Centrafrique)
ROMANIA (World Vision International- Romania branch)
SENEGAL (Défense des International des enfants)
SLOVENIA (SEECRAN, South East European Child Rights Action Network)
SOUTH AFRICA ((RAPCAN) Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect)
SWITZERLAND (Child & Hospital -Swiss Association for the rights of children and adolescents in health services)
TAJIKISTAN (Save the Children UK Tajikistan Programme)
TANZANIA ((KIWOHEDE) Kiota Womens Health and Development)
TANZANIA (Plan)
THAILAND (Plan Thailand)
TOGO (SOSVE)
UGANDA (Save the Children (UK), Save the Children (Norway), Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN))
UNITED STATES (Child Welfare League of America)
UNITED STATES (Childreach/Plan)
UNITED STATES (Presbyterian Child Advocacy Network)
VENEZUELA (SOS ALDEAS INFANTILES VENEZUELA)
National Level Follow-up to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children
GOVERNMENT ACTIONS
ALBANIA:
A National Plan was prepared prior to the UNGASS meeting and was presented there as an outcome of the Albanian Government and its policies related to children. NGO’s participated actively in the preparation of the National Strategy for Children in Albania, especially CRCA.
-The Children’s Human Rights Center of Albania
It seems like the government has not taken any concrete steps to implement the commitments made at the Special Session. This is due to many political changes over the course of the year. The president Meidani left his mandate after he participated in the UNGASS. But it seems that things are moving regarding to the Millennium Development Goals and this is quite a good sign, as most of them are similar to the World fit for children.
It seems there is real commitment of the Government and civil society in Albania regarding the poverty reduction strategy. Albania Children Alliance has been actively involved in the process and of course it is its plans to advocate on this purpose.
-PLAN Albania
The government is in the preliminary steps. The government has only reviewed the existing structure of the governmental body which dealt with children rights and is working on the terms of references for the new structure. We do not know what the scope of work will be for the new body that the government has established.
Discussions were held in the Council of Ministers as the changes to build the new structure involved several ministries where the main responsible ministry was the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
-World Vision Albania
ARMENIA
Several follow up meetings were organized and held with the involvement of youth and NGOs. What is very important for the ARS as a co-moderator of the Children's Rights Disability Caucus is that the disability NGOs of Armenia and the youth have a voice and active role in the design of the NPA
- Armenian Relief Society
AUSTRIA
Intention for follow-up consultations was expressed initially during and after UNGASS, particularly by Foreign and Social Ministry officials, and there was some discussion in August and September 2002 to have a broad inter-ministerial + NGO follow-up meeting (including the two youth representatives participating in May), but finally no concrete dates were set, when it became clear that we will have national elections in Austria at the end of November 2002, after the conservative/right-wing government coalition broke up - and so far, we still have no new government in Austria. Informal talks between NGOs, UNICEF National Committee, our Institute and officials have been held.
Initially, there has been some commitment to even start working on the preparation of a NPA - in summer 2002, the Foreign Ministry mandated me to prepare a briefing paper on the main outcome of the Special Session and its implications for Austria for further discussion. In my paper (September 2002), then, I proposed and outlined basic contents (grounded on CRC [Austria has no CRC implementation strategy as well], some priority areas (like non-discrimination of migrants and refugees, of girls, of disabled children, action against child abuse, corporal punishment, child-focus in development co-operation) and a consultation process for developing of a NPA; the paper was quite well-received by the Foreign Ministry and the Social Ministry, but no formal (political) decision has been taken, once it became clear that we will have elections in November …Still, the Austrian National Coalition for the implementation of the CRC (NC), including the Austrian UNICEF Committee, also call for a NPA; they welcomed those initial positive responses from the Ministries to my paper, and the NC expressed its interest to co-operate with the government for preparing such an Action Plan.
The Foreign Ministry sent out a report on the main outcomes of New York Special Session to other Ministries and authorities, so did the Social Ministry (the Minister for Social Affairs was Head of our delegation at UNGASS), but I am not aware of any public debate in our Parliament. Some NGO people wrote articles for newspapers.
It is expected that a new government will be formed in Austria by the end of January/mid-February, and we all hope to then have a clearer picture about what might be realistic/whether we really will have a NPA process in Austria one day.
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights
BELGIUM
En Communauté française de Belgique, l’Observatoire de l’Enfance (regroupant des acteurs de terrain et gouvernementaux) a mis en place des réunions pour discuter en collaboration avec les ONGs de la mise en place des plans d’actions nationaux de suivi des recommandations du Comité des droits de l’enfant et de suivi de la Session extraordinaire des Nations Unies consacrée aux enfants.
En Communauté flamande de Belgique, il n’y a pas eu de réunions ou de consultations en collaboration avec les ONG pour discuter du suivi de la Session extraordinaire ou du développement de plans d'action nationaux en collaboration avec les ONGs.
Le gouvernement belge s’est engagé à rédiger un plan d’action national en faveur des enfants. Le Ministère de la Justice est chargé de la rédaction de ce Plan d’action national et les Affaires Etrangères sont chargées de coordonner sa rédaction. A ce jour, nous ne disposons d’aucunes informations quant à l’état de rédaction du Plan d’action national.
-COORDINATION DES ONG POUR LES DROITS DE L’ENFANT
BENIN
Une journée de restitution a été organisée pour diffuser les résultats des travaux du Sommet mondial.
Après diverses études faites sur la question, il existe actuellement un plan stratégique de réduction de la pauvreté.
Il s’agit d'un complément à la préparation d'un plan d'action national de développement.
Une action est en cours pour la ratification des protocoles à la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant.
-Association béninoise d’assistance à l’enfant et à la famille (ABAEF)
BOLIVIA
Meetings among NGOs, grass-roots organizations and government organizations have been held at the instigation of NGOs and UNICEF. The Government also organised a “Vice Ministry of Youth Affairs”, charged with the implementation of politics in favour of children, and the generation of public politics that could improve the living conditions of children and adolescents.
After recent Government change, and the recent creation of the already mentioned Vice Ministry, the new strategies have not been published yet. It could be expected that the Government will finish a National Plan.
Amongst other measures, the Government approved the Law “SUMI” (Seguro Universal Materno Infantil – General Mother/Child Insurance), to ensure/protect the health of expectant mothers and children of less than 5 years. This could be considered as an addition to a National Plan of Action; but due to lacking financial means, there would be restrictions towards policies exclusively for children and adolescents.
- Fundación Intervida
BURKINA FASO
The Government is currently developing the following documents: 2nd National Action Plan (2001-2005);
Strategic Orientation Framework for the Promotion of Children’s Rights (2001-2010); Report on the implementation of the Convention on Children’s Rights. It is also revising laws promoting children’s rights like the Penal Procedures Code. The second children’s Parliament is being elected.
- PLAN Burkina Faso
CAMEROON
A meeting of Government Ministries, local NGOs and international NGOs was organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs (statutorily in charge of promotion of the rights of the child) on June 16th on the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the African Child. Participation of the head of State to the UN Special Session was highlighted and very little was said on forthcoming NPA.
Preparation of a NPA through workshops was announced during the above-mentioned meeting; so far progress is quite slow. This situation can be explained by the fact that a new Minister in charge of Social Affairs has been appointed after the Special Session; in the socio-political context, such a major change affects effective follow-up of sensitive issues.
Poverty reduction strategy and achievement of the Special Session goals are handled by 2 separate Ministries (Ministry in charge of Economy and Planning and the Ministry of Social Affairs respectively) and the World Bank is monitoring poverty reduction strategy. Up to now, staff from the Ministry of Social Affairs are just consulted on poverty reduction issues; they are not empowered to ensure effective incorporation of the Special Session goals into poverty reduction strategy.
Issues related to UNGASS and Follow-up were inserted in the year 2003 budget of the Ministry of Social Affairs and presented by the Minister to the Parliament during budgetary session in December 2002. Implementation of commitments is also part of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Sector Policies on poverty alleviation adopted in September 2002.
- Plan Cameroon
CANADA
In August 2002, the Canadian government funded a 3 day meeting for the 5 young people that were members of the Canadian government’s delegation to the UNSS. The purpose of the meeting was for the young people to discuss needed next steps for ensuring meaningful child participation in the development, implementation and monitoring of Canada’s National Plan of Action.
The Canadian government has also formed a steering committee, consisting of government, NGO and, just recently, youth representation.
A letter has gone out asking civil society to write the Canadian government a letter on what they see as:
-The priorities for action on behalf of children in Canada and/or abroad;
-The strategies for getting there;
-The emerging issues of concern.
- Save the Children Canada
Announcements were made through governmental sources/website/letters to NGOs and civil society organisations, but I have no clear sense that direct participation of children and youth on a wide-spread, grassroots basis is taking place. In Canada, most children and youth have never heard of the CRC.
The Special Session and Child Rights in general have been rarely discussed if at all. The profile of child rights in Canada has sunk below the radar because of political influences from US-style, right-wingers in our Parliament. E.g.: CRC is anti-family, pro-abortion. Few politicians would name their strategies as implementing child rights or understand their international obligations to engage children and youth in the policy process. A recent case in point…our huge public consultative process known as the Royal Commission on Health Care – the Romanow Commission - just wrapped up with no formal participation and minimal, under-representative consultation from anyone under 18. Participation in the policy process in Canada is still in its infancy compared with many UK, Scandinavian or even Latin American nations.
- Results – Resultats Canada
CHILE
Existe Plan de Acción Para el período 2001-2010. El Plan Nacional 2001-2010 fue elaborado antes de la Sesión Especial y presentado por el Gobierno de Chile en Marzo del 2001. El Plan se basa en los principios de la Convención sobre Derechos del Niño y apunta a su implementación.
Existe en Chile un fuerte proceso de reforma a la política y programas de infancia y adolescencia, este proceso se inició antes de la Sesión Especial y busca:
- Cambios legislativos que permitan adecuar la ley nacional a las normas y principios de la Convención Sobre Derechos del Niño. Está en primer trámite parlamentario el Proyecto de Ley de Responsabilidad Penal Juvenil y para el 2003 se espera que ingrese al parlamento el Proyecto de Ley de Protección de Derechos.
- Cambios institucionales: el Servicio Nacional de Menores (Servicio público, dependiente del Ministerio de Justicia, encargado de los programas de infancia en el país), está en proceso de reforma y se espera que para el 2006 este servicio desaparezca y se creen en su reemplazo otros dos organismos públicos. Uno sería el servicio nacional para adolescentes Infractores de Ley, que dependería del Ministerio de Justicia y tendría a su cargo los programas relativos al cumplimiento de penas (privativas y no privativas de libertad) por delitos cometidos por adolescentes. El otro organismo sería el Servicio Nacional de Protección de Derechos del Niño, que debería depender de un Ministerio de carácter social y tendría a su cargo los programas relativos a la reparación y restitución frente a la vulneración de derechos de niños, niñas y adolescentes.
- Está en proceso la reforma al sistema de educación y se definió como prioridad lograr la educación obligatoria de 12 años.
Son acciones que permiten implementar y complementar el Plan de Acción
En Chile existe un interesante proceso para la implementación de la Convención, que tiene avances y retroceso, con una débil participación de la sociedad civil. Sin embargo creo que esto no es producto de la Sesión Especial, en la que Chile tuvo una destacada participación, pero a nivel de las autoridades nacionales no se le ha dado la importancia que la Sesión tuvo.
- Corporación OPCION
CHINA
We held workshop on prevention of child sexual abuse andexploitation in Shaanxi with local government and other NGOs in 2002. We will organize a national seminar on CRC and PCAN In Beijing or Xian in Nov. 2003.
Our government wants to implement the commitments made at the Special Session. The chairman of our Parliament, Mr Li Peng, discussed how to implement the commitments made at the Special Session in China. They discussed with other members of the parliament and social people.
- The Committee of PCAN and CRC of STA
COLOMBIA
After Special Session Colombia had the change of President. New Government give this responsibility to the organism of protection to the children and family. This organism includes several national and international NGOs (like World Vision, UNICEF, Save the Children, Plan Internacional, OPS) of a group of follow up about the commitments made at the Special Session by the Colombian government. The name of the group is “Alianza para una política de infancia”. Visión Mundial Colombia is an active part of this group.
Now the new government is developing the Government’s Plan for the period 2002-2006. THE ALLIANCE FOR A POLITICS OF CHILDHOOD (to which WORLD VISION COLOMBIA belongs) is participating actively, looking to influence the inclusion of agreements of the Special Session. Equally already inviting on behalf of the government to that THE ALLIANCE participates in the development of the PLAN OF CHILDHOOD.
THE ALLIANCE FOR A POLITICS OF CHILDHOOD, participating beside the government in this process, is looking for initially in so far as possible that one doesn’t have to present an alternative plan of the civil society; but rather together civil society and government can agree to integrate a single plan. However, in case working with the government doesn’t achieve these results, we would opt for an alternative plan.