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On June 2000 the 75th Meeting of the IIN Directing Council adopted the 2000-2004 Strategic Plan thus starting a process where the Institute tried to become a forum for Inter-American dialogue on child-related issues and to foster reforms on legal matters, public policies and the establishment of information systems for the purpose of strengthening National Child Systems in the OAS Member States. At the same time, efforts were made to consolidate the position of child-related issues in the political agenda of the Americas and to promote their right-based approach.

This work was intended to achieve the joint and active participation of the public and private sectors in searching for the improvement of child living conditions and the respect for their rights.

The Strategic Plan also became the core of all IIN actions. It provided for a rational and orderly institutional management tuned with the gradual reduction of resources from the OAS Regular Fund, while simultaneously strengthening cooperation with Member States in its capacity as an agenda, guide and work model, with strict adherence to the mandates of the IIN Directing Council, the OAS General Assembly and the Summits of the Americas.

After assimilating the lessons and knowledge acquired in the previous period the new Strategic Plan continues, deepens and incorporates not only the ideas and proposals of Member States, the Directing Council and the Nineteenth Pan-American Child Congress but also the input arising from the various consultations and analysis carried out by the Directing Council.

FUTURE VISION

The IIN Future vision is to reach 2008 as an instance for articulation and the search for government consensus and commitment, and as a technical reference at regional level on child-related issues, in order to contribute to the promotion and integral protection of children’s rights and the improvement of their living conditions with a family and community-based approach.

- Promoting articulation, consensus and commitment of the OAS Member states aimed to ensure the implementation of children's rights[1], as appropiate.

- Developing activities aimed to create a culture that respects rights in the OAS Member states which should contribute to the wholesome development of children and their family.

- Promoting the study of child and family-related problems in the Americas and proposing to Member States measures for their solution.

- Coordinating those ideas and proposals that have proved to be successful for improving child living conditions in the region.

- Favoring the strictly technical management of child affairs within the integral framework provided by National Child Systems and including result and impact assessment methodologies.

- Promoting child participation and integration on the basis of the evolving capacities of the child and with appropriate respect for the integrity of the family.

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE PLAN

- Child participation, in accordance with children’s evolving capacities and with appropriate respect for the rights of parents and the family

- The family as the basis for wholesome development of the child, as actor, participant and beneficiary of strengthening programs and actions developed by society and the state

- Regional and sub-regional cooperation as a path towards the strengthening of the “best practices” developed in the various countries

THE NEW STRATEGIC PLANNING
GENERAL CONTENTS AND OBJECTIVES

The process leading to the design of this Strategic Plan started with the review of the former Plan. On the basis of its conclusions, the Director General of the IIN deemed it suitable to socialize this planning from its very beginning by sharing its driving ideas with the IIN technical staff, the delegates to the Directing Council who actively participated in various meetings and consultations, the representatives of the region to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the cooperation agencies that have performed as the strategic allies of the Institute.

The major element of this strategic planning consists of recognizing the significance of the so-called Basic Prototype or National Child System (SNNA) as a paradigm or benchmark for structuring models that should ensure the prevention, promotion, protection and recovery of children ’s rights. The new Strategic Plan is in turn supported by a set of Guiding Principles and has a Purpose and Strategic Objectives that provide it with consistency and a prospective sense.

PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

The Purpose of the 2005-2008 Strategic Plan cannot be taken apart from child protection frameworks in place in the region which should be ratified and improved in order to: (a) maintain the active commitment of the OAS Member States concerning the respect for children’s rights and their well-being, and (b) strengthen and enhance National Child Systems and Child Public Policies in order to effectively protect children’s rights and their well-being or restoring them in case of violation.

The Purpose of the Plan will only be achieved to the extent that Child Governing Institutions, with due respect to the rights and responsibilities of parents and families, in the region gradually strengthen their powers and their technical and administrative skills.

Therefore, the Purpose of the Plan will be fully or partially complied with when:

- Children’s rights are provided for in legislation and public policies and are part of the political platform of the OAS Member States.

- Governments and civil society assess their development and democracy in terms of the actual protection of children’s rights.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

In order to comply with the Purpose of this Strategic Plan according to its Guiding Principles and pursuant to the IIN Mission, the following Strategic Objectives are proposed:

1. To propose and promote among the OAS Member states consensus and commitment regarding those social, political and institutional processes that should be fostered in order to ensure children’s rights.

3. To systematize and disseminate among Member states best practices regarding the implementation of children’s rights

4. To promote the monitoring at the national and international levels of the implementation of children’s rights and to disseminate the IIN monitoring system at national and international levels.

5. To develop a communication strategy promoting a culture that respects children’s rights.

7. To provide for the conditions required for each OAS Member state to have in place an integral and operationally effective National Child System, as appropriate.

8. To strengthen the relationship with civil society and the private sector and to promote their participation on state-subsidiary interventions for child protection.

9. To promote in the OAS Member states a dialogue on juvenile criminal policies.

10. To strengthen the family as the natural and healthy environment for children

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES OF THE PLAN

The Strategic Guidelines have been selected as the most suitable means for the direct achievement of established objectives. The Strategic Guidelines of the Plan –on the basis of the institutional Mission, the Guiding Principles and the Objectives, are developed in the following levels:

1.4. A more intensive interaction with other agencies in the Inter-American System and international organizations with competence on child affairs such as PAHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, CARICOM, and ILO, among others.

I.5. To develop –cross-sectional to the three IIN Programs– the Inter-American Project for Strengthening the Family as the Basis for Child Wholesome Development

II.1.a. To promote and strengthen National Child Systems in the countries in the region

II.1.b. To disseminate and contribute to the implementation of the prototypes developed by the IIN and to gradually develop new ones on those human rights-related areas arising from priorities in the region

II.1.c. To promote children’s rights to express their views and decisions on matters affecting them in accordance with their evolving capacities and with due respect to the rights and responsibilities of parents and the family

II.1.d. To prepare a diagnosis reflecting the technical and financial cooperation to the IIN and its Member states

II.1.e. Systematization and dissemination of “best practices” and dialogue processes among Member states, thus promoting the increase of fiscal resources, the support of the private sector, and the design and enforcement of public policies

II.2.b At-distance post grade courses by means of agreements with Universities in the region

II.2.c Annual course addressed to experts on social communication (at-distance and face-to-face)

II.2.d Annual course addressed to judges, prosecutors, and operators in the juridical system

II.4.a To promote and updated version of the Information Systems developed by the IIN

III.1 To support and encourage the creation of journalist committees contributing to a better treatment of child-related issues by the media

III.2 Design, promotion and implementation of products and actions aimed to disseminating children’s rights and the need to work for their well-being

III.3 Design, promotion and implementation of products and actions aimed to disseminating the agreements, plans and programs developed by the IIN

III.4 Design, promotion and implementation of actions aimed to raise the awareness of social communication experts on the significance of their role for the protection and promotion of children’s rights.

III.5 To promote the dissemination of information and horizontal communication among Member states on child-related issues

IV.1 To develop management strategies for new funding sources ensuring the sustainability and strengthening of the IIN Programs

IV.2 To promote an institutional image of the IIN as an advocate and promoter of children’s rights.

IV.3 To incorporate monitoring and impact assessment systems on the IIN actions, and an evaluation of their effectiveness

IV.4 To develop an outreach effort in order to strengthen direct communication with OAS organs and Missions, as well as Member States, for the purpose of keeping them updated on the IIN priorities and activities, thus enhancing its visibility

Prepared by the delegation of Paraguay and endorsed by the delegations of Canada, Chile, Mexico and the United States

1. That the Inter-American Children ’s Institute has successfully completed the implementation of the 2000-2004 Strategic Plan;

2. That the analysis of the outcome of the implementation of the 2000-2004 Strategic Plan represents the background and foundation of the new Strategic Plan;

3. That Resolution CD/RES.16 (79-04)adopted at the 79th Regular Meeting of the Directing Council held in Mexico City in 2004 reads: “To approve the basis of the Strategic Plan of the Inter-American Children ’s Institute for the 2005-2008 period (CD/doc.19/04)as submitted by the Director General and to convene a Special Meeting of the Directing Council to be held on April 2005 in the city of Brasilia, Federal Republic of Brazil, in order to submit for its consideration a

Strategic Plan containing the proposals of the Director General’s Office, the contributions of the Member states, both prior and during this 79th Regular Meeting, and the recommendations of the Nineteenth Pan American Child Congress for 2005-2008.”;

4. That later on, the Office of the Director General promoted a series of activities addressing the preparation of a draft Strategic Plan that included a meeting held on March 2005 with the delegates from eight Member States, a virtual meeting through Internet held on April 2005 with another six Member states from the English-speaking Caribbean, as well as various meetings with international agencies and representatives of the civil society;

5. That the Office of the Director General of the IIN submitted to the Directing council a draft 2005-2008 Strategic Plan;

1. To adopt the 2005-2008 Strategic Plan as per the following structure: Future Approach, Mission, Guiding Principles, Purpose, Strategic Objectives, and Strategic Guidelines of the Plan.

2. To request the Of .ce of the Director General of the IIN to prepare the final version of the 2005-2008 Strategic Plan by May 31st,2005 on the basis of the recommendations arising from this Meeting of the Directing Council.

3. That once completed, the document containing the Strategic Plan be forwarded for ratification to the delegates accredited to the Directing Council of the IIN,who should ratify it or convey their observations by June 10, 2005.

4. That the final version of the Strategic Plan of the IIN for 2005-2008 be submitted to the OAS Permanent Council and its Secretary General.

5. That this document be widely disseminated for the awareness of other governmental, international, and civil society organizations.

6. To request the Director General’s Office of the IIN to use the Strategic Plan, as adopted by the Directing Council, as the support for the development of its annual budget.

7. That the progress of the Strategic Plan should be monitored as per the indicators provided for in the adopted Plan, while introducing any adjustment as deemed necessary on an annual basis.

8. That the Office of the Director General of the IIN submits at each regular Meeting of the Directing Council a detailed report on the implementation of the Strategic Plan including a financial annex accounting for such implementation.

PRODUCTS OF THE 2000-2004
STRATEGIC PLAN

- Prototype on Targeted Public Policies (TPP) for the children ’s rights restitution (child labor, sexual exploitation, drug abuse, and children with disabilities)

- Legal Prototypes (child labor, sexual exploitation, drug abuse, and children with disabilities)

- Publication of Series entitled: “Children and their Rights ” (for children under 8 y/o)

- Annual Report on Sexual Exploitation of Children to be presented to the OAS Secretary General

- Face-to-Face and Distance Education Courses on Children ’s Rights, Family, Disabilities, Sexual Exploitation, Gender Approach, Penal Juvenile Justice

- Graduate Certificate and Master Degree Program on Children ’s Policies for Drug Abuse Prevention (jointly with different Universities of the region)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT THE IIN WEB SITE

[1] In the case of the United States of America the term “rights of the child should be construed to mean “the well-being of the child”

[2] Birth registration

INTRODUCTION