ANNUAL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - 2003


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IMPLEMENTATION OR MANDATES AND RESOLUTIONS

 

   

Participation of Civil Society

Pursuant to Resolution AG/RES. 1915 (XXXIII-O/03) on increasing and strengthening the participation of Civil Society in the activities of the Organization of American States – reaffirmed in specific national coordination mechanisms such as that which is mentioned by Resolution CD/RES. 03 (78- R/03) on national dialogues in favor of children, which emerged from an initiative proposed by Peru in 2002 – the IIN has continued to strengthen ties of cooperation and interaction with civil society entities and organizations. The IIN is convinced that this line of action will be an effective contribution to the rationalization of available material and human resources and the involvement of the social body in empowering processes of change, opening up to public scrutiny and generating networks and links that contribute to transparency and fostering of trust and security in the Americas, in the spirit of Resolution AG/RES. 1967 (XXXIII-O/03).

In this connection, the IIN has established specific agreements of varying scope and purpose, or has participated in joint activities, with the following civil society institutions, entities or organizations:

  • Asociación Uruguaya para la Prevención del Alcoholismo y la Farmacodependencia (OPTAR)

  • Uruguayan Press Association (APU), Uruguay

  • Asociación Dominicana de Rehabilitación (ADR), Dominican Republic

  • Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Netherlands

  • Casa Alianza, Costa Rica

  • Centro de Altos Estudios Nacionales (CALEN), Uruguay

  • Centre for Development Information and Education (CIES), Italy

  • Centro de Información y Recursos para el Desarrollo, Paraguay

  • Centro Internacional de Educación y Desarrollo Humano (CINDE), Colombia

  • Childwatch International Research Network, Norway

  • Defensa de los Niños Internacional (DNI), Argentina

  • International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

  • International Forum for Child Welfare

  • Fundación Arias, Costa Rica

  • Fundación Indigo, Ecuador

  • Fundación Rafael Pombo, Colombia

  • Suzuki Foundation, Argentina

  • Goal, Honduras

  • Gurises Unidos, Uruguay

  • Instituto Universitario del Centro Latinoamericano de Economía Humana (CLAEH), Uruguay

  • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, USA

  • International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE), Uruguay

  • Voces NGO, Uruguay

  • Plan Rocca

  • Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Sweden

  • Universidad Católica del Uruguay Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga (UCUDAL), Uruguay

  • Universidad Católica Santa María la Antigua de Panamá (USMA), Panama

  • Universidad de Columbia, Paraguay

  • Universidad de la República, Regional Norte, Uruguay

  • World Vision, El Salvador

 

Indigenous Peoples

As a response to Resolution AG/RES. 1919 (XXXIII-O/03) on the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the IIN has paid particular attention to the contents of the materials intended for dissemination and promotion of child and adolescent rights (books and videos), always ensuring  that they reflect ethnic and racial plurality.

The IIN has participated at seminars and fora, lecturing on “Racial and Ethnic Discrimination Against Children and Adolescents” (PROJUR), and has completed an extensive document which opens up a process of reflection on this issue, titled “Reflections on the Rights of Indigenous Children and Adolescents” (PROJUR), which will soon be published on the IIN website.

 

Child Rights Protection Systems

Through their activities, the IIN’s Programs have followed point 18 of the Plan of Action of the 2001 Summit of the Americas, on “Children and Youth,” which states the following: “(…) In order to protect and promote children's rights, develop and implement inter‑sectoral policies and programs, which may include the promotion of civil registration of all children, and allocate appropriate resources to undertake these tasks; establish and support cooperation amongst states as well as with civil society and young people to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of children's rights, including country‑appropriate indicators of the health, development, and well‑being of children, and through sharing best practices on reporting through national reports by States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (…)” in line with AG/RES. 1925 (XXXIII-O/03) Strengthening of Human rights systems pursuant to the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas, AG/ RES. 1948 (XXXIII-O/03) Fighting the crime of trafficking in persons, especially women, adolescents, and children, and AG/ RES. 1951 (XXIII-O/03) Promotion and protection of the human rights of children in the Americas.

In fulfillment of Resolutions CD/ RES. 05 (78-R/03), CD/ RES. 06 (78-R/03), CD/ RES. 10 (78-R/03), CD/ RES. 11 (78-R/03), CD/ RES. 13 (78-R/03) and CD/ RES. 14 ( 78-R/03), the IIN:

  • Has disseminated Advisory Opinion No. 17, “Juridical Status and Human Rights of the Child,” issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (PROJUR);

  • Has supported and developed activities and products aimed at mass dissemination of information on the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Videos and books – PIINFA);

  • Is developing a Targeted Public Policy Prototype on Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on Educational and Social Integration and Inclusion of Children with Disabilities, in cooperation with civil society organizations, and has carried out training and dissemination activities such as the “Seminar on Integral Care of Children with Different Capabilities” for professionals from State and civil society institutions;

  • Has promoted the Prototype of Targeted Public Policies for Children and Adolescents in Circumstances of Vulnerability and Social Risk as a form of Intervention for the Recovery of their Violated Rights, which has also taken the form of academic and training work (PRODER);

  • Has created and implemented a Site for Coordination of Activities for Children and Adolescents, which handles specific cases of children and adolescents whose situation involves more than one country (PIINFA);

  • Has given special effort and attention to the evolution of the Inter-American Program of Cooperation to Prevent and Remedy Cases of International Abduction of Minors by One of Their Parents (PROJUR).

 

Conflict with the Law

With respect to Resolution AG/ RES. 1927 (XXXIII-O/03) Study of the rights and the care of persons under any form of detention or imprisonment, the IIN has focused fundamentally on the situation of adolescents and youth. In this area, it has carried out dissemination and awareness-raising work, such as the lecture “The Situation of Adolescent Parents Deprived of Liberty” (PROJUR). In coordination with the maximum authorities on child affairs from several countries in the region (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Nicaragua), the IIN is planning a seminar on “best practices of care for youth in conflict with the law” and systematization of laws on the subject.

 

Gender Equity and Equality

The appointment of women to senior management positions at the OAS is the subject of AG/ RES. 1954 (XXXIII-O/03), a topic taken up by the IIN through CD/ RES. 08 (78-R/03) for the implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Rights and Gender Equity and Equality, leading to the design and application of a Training Seminar for managers and operators of child and adolescent programs titled “Human Rights, Gender, Children and Citizenship.”


Democracy-Building

AG/ RES. 1957 (XXXIII-O/03) Promotion and strengthening of democracy. Follow-up to the Inter-American Democratic Charter received a swift response from the IIN, with PIINFA’s production of a video on the Democratic Charter for mass broadcast in cooperation with the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) of the OAS. Also planned is an illustrated children’s book on the Democratic Charter.

 

International Abduction

Point 18 of the Plan of Action of the 2001 Summit of the Americas, on “Children and Youth,” called on countries to “(…) Encourage cooperation to reduce cases of international abduction of children by one of their parents(…)”; this found a response in Resolution AG/ RES. 1958 (XXXIII-O/03) International Program of Cooperation to Prevent and Remedy Cases of International Abduction of Minors by One of Their Parents.

IIN Resolutions CD/ RES. 14 (78-R/03) and CD/ RES. 03 (E/03) stipulate the creation of a Committee made up of one staff member of the IIN’s Legal Program and one representative of each State wishing to make remarks on the latest document of the Inter-American Program of Cooperation to Prevent and Remedy Cases of International Abduction of Minors by One of Their Parents, establishing November 30, 2003 as the final deadline for written remarks to be made on this document.

This Committee will establish a methodology and work timeline involving a final resolution before January 31, 2004 to present, to the Office of the Director General, a definitive document for the Inter-American Program of Cooperation to Prevent and Remedy Cases of International Abduction of Minors by One of Their Parents.

The Director General will then submit this final version to the Permanent Council for analysis, requesting it to present the results of its analysis for the consideration of the Thirty-fourth Regular Session of the General Assembly, reporting on the fulfillment of the aforementioned Resolution. The Director of the Inter-American Children's Institute will be entrusted to put this Resolution into practice and to prepare a Special Report on the Program for presentation to the IIN Directing Council in 2004.

 

Communication and Coordination Between the IIN and the IACD

As regards point 6 of Resolution AG/RES 1951 (XXXIII-O/03) on communication and coordination between the IIN and the IACD, the Inter-American Children's Institute has coordinated activities with the Agency, as demonstrated by the Project for the English-speaking Caribbean that began in 1998, sustained by IACD funds (which, at that time, were administered directly by the IIN). IACD regulations subsequently changed, to stipulate that it had to be the Member States that presented their bilateral or multilateral projects, instead of specialized organizations such as the IIN. In order to give sustainability to the regional proposal for the English-speaking Caribbean, the Government of Suriname offered, on two occasions, to be the Member State to present the multilateral project to the IACD. The Office of the Director General has called attention to this gesture and continues to emphasize it, because of the generosity and solidarity that it demonstrates. The IIN hopes to strengthen cooperation ties with the IACD even more, through channels that allow for smoother management of IIN projects for children in the Americas.

 

The Pan American Child Congress

Finally, in line with Resolutions AG/ RES. 1961 (XXXIII-O/03), CD/ RES. 19 (78-R/03) and CD/ RES. 05 (E/03) on the XIX Pan American Child Congress, it has been decided that the Congress will be an Inter-American Specialized Conference. Its theme will be The Family, given its importance in the integral development of children and adolescents, and considering that 2004 is the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family.

The Pan American Child Congress is planned for October 27, 28 and 29, 2004, in Mexico City, following the 79th Regular Meeting of the Directing Council, which will be held on October 25 and 26. This schedule complies with the Statutes of the IIN, whose Article 15 stipulates that when a Pan American Child Congress is held, the Council will seek to hold its Regular Meeting in the city that hosts the Congress.

We reiterate the call made by Resolution AG/RES. 1961 (XXXIII/O-03) for Member States to provide the financial support required by the Inter-American Children's Institute, as a Specialized Organization of the OAS, in order to properly meet its technical responsibilities during the different stages of the Congress.

The Congress Organizing Committee is entrusted with the preparation and dissemination, in the first four months of 2004, of a basic document including the agenda of the Congress, the requirements for participation, the logistical informative newsletter, and all other pertinent information.