ANNUAL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - 2003

CONCLUSION

The Office of the Director General feels that 2003 has been a full and complete expression of the conclusion of the 2000-2004 Strategic Plan, projecting a new Strategic Plan that is innovative and adapted to new circumstances and needs, while incorporating the lessons learned in the previous stage.

A preliminary evaluation seems to conclude that, despite reductions in technical staff and the limitations of its budget, the Institute has been able to stake out a presence in the region, unknown up to now. The IIN has continuously endeavored to meet the mandates entrusted to it by the General Assembly, the Directing Councils and the General Secretariat.

Also worth noting is the fact that, as we can see in the corresponding section, the IIN has been capable of using its resources to work on the basis of seed funds, from which the countries disburse what we call Counterpart Funds, which make possible, for example, the operation of more than 60 Information Centers in the countries, as well as many other undertakings at the national level, which on the whole represent 50% of the funds utilized by the IIN.

Two Directing Council Meetings were held in the year 2003, one of them a Special Meeting. These provided an opportunity to convene the region’s Senior Representatives for children’s issues and other authorities from the Member States, to work together with the IIN’s Director General and Technical Staff to analyze the reality experienced by the children of the Americas and seek alternatives from both technical and political standpoints.

The Governments and Governing Bodies on Child Affairs have repeatedly stated, directly and through the Delegates to the Directing Council, how much they value the activities carried out by the Institute in their own countries and in the region. The increase in demand for technical assistance that the IIN has been receiving through the Office of the Director General and the Program Coordinators, and the fact that the Governments (through their child affairs organizations or cooperation agencies) are devoting funds for national or regional IIN projects and activities, provide ample proof that the IIN’s policy of accompanying process of change with commitment and technical assistance has been well-received and has the governments’ endorsement.

In this community of 34 OAS Member States, it is a source of great satisfaction for us to be able to say that 31 them have been involved in the IIN’s activities and efforts to improve the situation of children – a political priority of the Summit of the Americas, the General Assembly, the General Secretariat and the Meetings of the IIN Directing Council.

The IIN is now present in the audiovisual media of many of these countries, which is a real innovation, and which is making clear to regional public opinion that the OAS is committed to children’s rights.

While mindful of the fact that it is part of an intergovernmental organization, the IIN has also sought alliances with civil society organizations and non-governmental agencies, in the understanding that it is only by joining efforts and pooling resources that we will begin to reverse the risk situation experienced by 50% of the under-18 population.

At the end of 2003 and in the first months of 2004, we also completed the organic restructuring of the IIN, a process that was undertaken on the basis of an ethical imperative and managerial conviction. This inevitable institutional sincerity process was undoubtedly a source of pain for some, although this was not the intention. In all the proposals we made, it was always clear to us that we had nothing against anyone. For us, this stage has now ended. We believe that the effects on specific staff members were as minor as possible, with no Pyrrhic victories; this was made possible thanks to the role played by certain individuals and various services in Washington, who conducted the process in a manner that was balanced and considerate of both individual interests and institutional necessities. Our objective of using the savings in staff spending for improving the operational budget was only partly achieved, due to the fact that other cuts were also made to the IIN, in addition to the voluntary adjustments.

However, the IIN’s Budget, also the result of the organic restructuring process, is moving progressively toward a new balance between staff and operational expenditures. In its presentations to political bodies of the OAS and the Institute itself, the Office of the Director General has also sought to use the new method of presenting the IIN’s activities and budget distribution in a way that reports the quantity and quality of the products generated by the Office of the Director General itself and the IIN’s Programs, fully justifying its budget and the desire to develop a strategy for motivating the Member States to support an increase in the IIN’s operational funds. The Administration Area, the Communications Area and the Secretarial staff have all played an important supporting role in this and other tasks, as mentioned above.

The Institute now faces new political, technical and financial challenges.

The Office of the Secretary General and the Office of the Assistant Secretary General and their respective Cabinets have continually given their full support to the policies and programs of the IIN. The OAS services in Washington, through their great willingness to meet our requests, have also shown that they share our commitment to children, even though they are not always given the opportunity to make this commitment visible. However, there is no doubt that without this support, it would not have been possible to mobilize all the activity which has been channeled through the IIN in this and other periods.

The Office of the Director General would also like to acknowledge the confidence that has always been shown by the authorities of the Directing Council and the Directing Council Delegates, showing the utmost respect for the technical competence of the IIN Office. Special mention should also be made of the fact that all the positive elements described in this report were made possible by the staff at IIN Headquarters and the team of External Consultants, and thus any associated merit must be shared with them.