ANNUAL REPORT - 2004
TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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I. Introduction  

The Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN) was established in 1927, following an initiative adopted by the Fourth Pan American Child Congress held in 1924, endorsed by a group of experts headed by the Uruguayan pediatrician Luis Morquio, and has since been based in Montevideo, Uruguay. In 1949, it became one of the specialized organizations of the Organization of American States.   

The main purpose of the Institute is to cooperate with the governments of the Member states, their institutions and authorities, as well as with other agencies in the inter-American system, international organizations and entities of civil society working on children’s rights in the region, in order to develop technical activities and instruments for their integral protection, to raise an alert awareness and social responsibility on all related issues that affect them and  to provide advice in the search for solutions.  

Its work, conducted by the Director General at headquarters, is governed by the Directing Council which is made up of delegates from the Member states and approves and monitors the implementation of the technical cooperation programs of the Institute.  

Pursuant to the recent revision of its Statute, its activities are framed in the following guidelines:  

1. To promote activities aimed to privilege the best interest of the child as a full holder of rights;

2. To watch over the creation of spaces for the free expression and participation of children on all matters of their concern and according to their needs and possibilities;  

3. To promote the cooperation with governments, child-related national and international institutions, and civil society entities on:  

                                                 i.    The research concerning the nature and significance of the various problems affecting children and the family in the Americas;  

                                                ii.    The determination of the most effective methods and procedures for their solution and their dissemination among the states in the Americas, and  

                                             iii.    The ongoing training of technical and administrative staff –in both the public and private sector– involved in national child systems in order to improve their effectiveness and efficiency for the integral protection of children;  

4. To assist the governments of the Member states in their efforts to create adequate National Protection Systems for the promotion and advocacy of the rights of the child and the family, by providing advice and technical cooperation;  

5. To provide technical assistance at the request of the General Assembly, the Permanent Council, the General Secretariat, or other agencies, organs, and specialized OAS organizations, and  

6. To support inter-American cooperation programs in areas of its competence as approved by the General Assembly.