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International Abduction of Children Update on the Rights of Children Youth and Child Participation

Joint Statement of the Representatives for Children of the Member States on the situation of children in Haiti after the recent natural disaster

The community of States in the region of the Americas, as represented by their governing
bodies on the matter of childhood, with the support of the Inter-American Children’s Institute, an OAS Specialized Organization, expresses its concern with regard to the tragic events which have cast a shadow over its sister nation of Haiti, arising from the series of earthquakes which originated on 12 January of this year.

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OPERATION PROTECT CHILDREN
A Whole of Government Response to Haiti’s Most Vulnerable Children

The United States Government is deeply concerned about the welfare of children affected by the earthquake in Haiti and has pulled together its best and most experienced child protection and care personnel from Washington and the field. Under the leadership of the US Government Special Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, this team is developing and initiating Operation Protect Children to shape and guide US Government action and to ensure that our efforts are coordinated with that of the international community and that they are implemented in close consultation with the Haitian Government.

This team is working on both immediate response issues as well as planning for the coming weeks, months, and years.

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INAU, IIN and UNICEF inform on situation
of children and adolescents in Haiti

Montevideo, January 25, 2010 – Considering the serious situation of Haiti, especially for its children and adolescents, the Child and Adolescent Institute of Uruguay (INAU), the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN) and UNICEF Uruguay will inform on the actions taken and the issue of international adoptions of Haitian children.

The speakers will be the President of INAU, Nora Castro, UNICEF Uruguay Officer in Charge, Gustavo de Armas and the Director General of the IIN, María de los Dolores Aguilar.

Day: January 25, 2010
Time: 5 pm (Uruguay time)

Place: Torre Ejecutiva, Plaza Independencia 710

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The IIN appeals to protect the rights of children in Haiti

The catastrophe in Haiti has revealed the precarious living conditions of thousands of children and adolescents, which has became worse by situations such as loss of their families, abandonment and orphanhood.

It is urgent to immediately take action to the serious situation in this country, and consider both medium and long term activities, to rebuild and strengthen institutionality in order to overcome the serious violations of the rights of Haitian children.

the Institute has prepared a document on the protection of children and adolescents under conditions of natural disaster. View document

View United Nations Guidelines for the appropriate use and conditions of alternative care for children.

Inter-American Meeting for Children and Youth Advocates (Ombudsmen for Children)

The Inter-American Meeting for Children and Youth Advocates (Ombudsmen for Children) took place in Panama City on December 7-8, with the participation of representatives from: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Peru and from UNICEF and the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIHR). This meeting was held in compliance with the Final Unified Resolution CPNNA/RES. 1 (XX-09) of the XX Pan American Child Congress, held in September 2009.

Second Regional Meeting of the Working Group on Children and Adolescents Participation

In the framework of the Project “Program for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights of Children and Adolescents of the Americas ", funded by the Spanish Agency of International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Inter-American Children's Institute (IIN) held in Panama City, the Regional Workshop on Participation - Second Meeting of the Working Group on Children and Adolescents Participation.

Meeting of the Global Movement for Children

The GMC (Latin America and Caribbean Chapter) is a group of organizations that work for the promotion and protection of the rights of children and adolescents under the Convention on the Rights of the Child of United Nations, that last November 20, celebrated two decades of its promulgation.
From 1-3 December there was a meeting in Panama City with the participation of international representatives on the rights of children and adolescents and they called the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to eradicate violence against children and adolescents.

Creation of a Children Advisory Council in Uruguay

As part of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Child and Adolescent Institute of Uruguay (INAU) established in Montevideo its Children Advisory Council, as a response to a political will focused on childhood and adolescence and to the recommendations of the First Children and Adolescents Pan American Forum (in the framework of the XX Pan American Child Congress), held in Peru in September, with the participation of 61 children from 22 Member States of the OAS.

First World Congress on Restorative Juvenile Justice

From 4 to 7 November 2009, took place in Lima, Peru, the First World Congress on Restorative Juvenile Justice, with the purpose to promote the new Restorative Juvenile Justice Model as a response to the current neo-retributionis* trend, specifying its nature, scope and concrete applications within different cultural and legal contexts.

Peruvian Children and Adolescents Advisory Council

In the framework of the XX Pan American Child Congress was held from 21-25 September, in Lima, Peru, the First Children and Adolescents Pan American Forum with the participation of 61 children from 22 OAS Member States. The Forum was a multicultural space for the participation of children and adolescents, where they expressed their opinions in dialogue groups, they experienced different forms of expression in creative-expressive spaces, and shared traditions, histories and knowledge.

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XX PAN AMERICAN CHILD CONGRESS PRECEDED BY FORUM WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
August 26, 2009

Buenos Aires, Argentina. In preparation of the XX Pan American Child Congress to be held at the Ministerial level in Lima, Peru, in September, the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Children’s Institute recently held talks with 73 representatives from 31 civil society organizations of 11 OAS Member States.

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It is on-line the website of the XX Pan-American Child Congress

The site of the XX the Pan-American Child Congress (www.xxcongresopanamericano.org) is available in the four official languages of the OAS (Spanish, French, Portuguese and English) and includes all the information regarding the event, that will be held in the city of Lima, Peru, from 22 to 25 September of this year.

The Department of International Affairs and IIN will hold the Civil Society Forum prior to the XX Pan American Child Congress

The Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN) and the Department of International Affairs of the Organization of American States (OAS are pleased to inform you that the XX Pan American Child Congress will be held September 23-25, 2009 in Lima, Peru.

The Pan American Child Congress, a body of the IIN, is an inter-American meeting, held at the Ministerial level, in which high-level government authorities on children’s issues in the hemisphere participate. The objective of the Congress is to promote the exchange of knowledge, experience and agreements between Member States of the Inter-American System.

The Eleventh Ibero-American Conference of Ministers and Authorities Responsible for Children was held in Lisbon

On 18 and 19 June, María de los Dolores Aguilar Marmolejo, Director General of the IIN, took part as an observer in the 11th Ibero-American Conference of Ministers and Authorities Responsible for Children, which was held in Lisbon, Portugal. The central issue was “Preventing inequalities and guaranteeing children’s rights: the importance of information technology and education”.

Ninth Report to the Secretary General of the OAS on the actions undertaken by Member States to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of Children in the Americas

This report was made in the framework of the "Inter-American Program for the Prevention and Eradication of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Smuggling of and Trafficking in Children”. It highlights the progress made in the Member States on the most important developments in relation to legislative matters and public policies, and provides comparative tables for the regional analysis of the subject.

The Inter-American Children’s Institute celebrates its 82nd Anniversary

Since its foundation, on June 9, 1927, the Inter-American Children’s Institute has worked constantly to promote and guarantee the rights of children and adolescents in the Americas.

The IIN began its work as the "International American Institute for the Protection of Children", as an initiative of the eminent Uruguayan pediatrician Luis Morquio, M.D., who conceived the idea of creating an Inter-American Institute as a center for studies, action and dissemination of all matters relating to children and adolescents in the region.

New Director of Areas and Projects at the IIN

Paulina Fernández Fawaz, sociologist and with a master in Management and Public Policies, recently joined the IIN technical team, as Director of Areas and Projects.

She will work in coordination with the Director General and with the Legal, Promotion and Protection of Rights and Communication and Information Areas, and will be responsible for managing and monitoring the projects with specific funds that the IIN manages.

Speech by the Secretary General at the 39 Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly

Towards a culture of peace and non-violence

In his speech at the inaugural ceremony of the 39th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), held in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, affirmed that “the rejection of violence as a way for human beings to relate to one another, and particularly as a way to settle their differences, is an especially important aspiration for our Hemisphere”.

He recalled in this regard that “region’s governments have unanimously embraced the proposal to develop a culture of peace and non-violence to express values, attitudes, and behaviors, based on respect for life and human dignity”.

39 OAS General Assembly in San Pedro Sula, Honduras

On Tuesday, June 2, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, began the 39th OAS General Assembly, which theme was "Towards a culture of nonviolence”. At the opening ceremony were present the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries from the Inter-American System and the opening speeches were made by the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza and the President of the Republic of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya.

The central matters of the speeches of the Secretary General and the President of Honduras were non-violence, social protection at times of economic crisis, the democratic situation of the countries of the region, the role of the Court and the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, and the validity of resolution 1962 which suspended the rights of participation of Cuba in the hemispheric body.

Began the Seminar "The democratization of knowledge for the creation of a Culture of Peace"

Under the auspices of the Organization of American States and with the presence of the Foreign Minister Gonzalo Fernández, the Representative of the OAS Uruguay Office, Ambassador John Biehl del Rio and the President of the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU), Miguel Brechner, began today in Montevideo, in the framework of “Plan CEIBAL”, the seminar "The democratization of knowledge for the creation of a culture of peace".

The objective of “Plan CEIBAL” is to promote social justice by promoting equal access to information and communication tools in Uruguay. It seeks to promote active participation of students and teachers in the world of Internet, through the distribution of laptops.

Decalogue on the Defense of Children and Youth in Times of Crisis

Undoubtedly, today the international financial crisis focuses the attention of world leaders. In the middle of economies and financial system reordering and the efficient and effective use of resources that the nations allocate for their sustainable development, arises a valuable opportunity for those who work for the promotion and protection of particularly vulnerable sectors, such as children and adolescents. We consider that it is a propitious time to “make their voices be heard”.

The Inter-American Children’s Institute, Specialized Organization of the Organization of American States, has considered pertinent to develop a Decalogue on the defense of children and youth, which constitutes an appeal to governments to ensure their commitment and decision making in favor of children and adolescents, and combat those causes that systematically, and especially in times of crisis, violate their rights.

Meeting of the President of the IIN Directing Council, Mario Víquez, with the President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vásquez during his visit to Costa Rica

On April 23 a meeting was held between the President of Uruguay, Dr. Tabaré Vásquez and the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias Sánchez.

As part of this visit, Mario Víquez, President of the IIN Directing Council had the opportunity to highlight in front of both presidents, the importance and the actions of the Institute in the Americas.

The OAS Permanent Council designates as "Specialized Inter-American Conference" the 20th Pan-American Child Congress

On April 21, during the Regular Session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), they agreed to designate as "Specialized Inter-American Conference" the Twentieth Pan American Child Congress, to be held in Lima, Peru, 22 to 25 September this year.

The Specialized Conferences are intergovernmental meetings to deal with special technical matters or to develop specific aspects of inter-American cooperation. They shall be held when either the OAS General Assembly or the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs so decides, on its own initiative or at the request of one of the Councils or Specialized Organizations.

Today the IIN celebrates 60 years of its integration to the Organization of American States (OAS)

On April 22, 1949, the then International American Institute for the Protection of Children, founded in 1927 (now Inter-American Children’s Institute-IIN) signed an agreement with the Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) through which this international agency is integrated as Specialized Inter-American Organization.

The OAS is the principal multilateral forum in the region for democracy strengthening, the promotion of human rights and the fight against shared problems such as poverty, terrorism, drugs and corruption. It was established in April 1948 when 21 nations of the Western Hemisphere have adopted the Charter of the OAS, reaffirming their commitment to common goals and respect for the sovereignty of others. Since then, it has expanded to include the nations of the English-speaking Caribbean and Canada. The predecessor organization of the OAS was the Pan American Union, founded in 1910, that emerged from the International Union of the American Republics, established at the First International Conference of the American States in 1889-90.

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