The Children's Convention
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Transcript of The Children's Convention
It’s Only Right!
The road to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Definitions Ratify/Ratification: ‘Ratification’ is an act by which
a State signifies an agreement to be legally bound by the terms of a particular treaty.
Convention: A ‘convention’ is a formal agreement between States. The generic term ‘convention’ is thus synonymous with the generic term ‘treaty’.
Child: Generally defined as any human being under the age of 18 unless an earlier age of majority is recognized by a country's law (some extend to 25).
Sign/Signature:‘Signature’ of a treaty is an act by which a State provides a preliminary endorsement of the instrument. Signing does not create a binding legal obligation but does demonstrate the State’s intent to examine the treaty domestically and consider ratifying it.
Human Rights
Human Rights are a “foreign people thing” brought to Belize by People who want to westernize us.
Public services often seen as privileges and not rights
Useless! We have no rights in poor countries like Belize – government have the all the power.
Only when it is violated do we recognize the significance of Human Rights.
Declaration - Document stating agreed upon standards or principles, but which is not legally binding, contains no provisions for monitoring or enforcement
A History of Human Rights
But did you notice something?
The Children’s Convention
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The CRC contains 40 substantial articles that outline the inherent human rights of children.
Articles 41-54 speak to the Government’s responsibility as a signatory and implementer.
What is in the CRC?
3 Main Themes
1. Participation
2. Provision
3. Protection
Guiding Principles(1, 2, 3, 4, 12)
The definition of a child Maximum survival and
development Non-discrimination Best interest of the child Participation
Child Endangerment
Right to Survival(6, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27)
Right to life and maximum survival and development
Proper Nutrition Health and health services Adequate standard of living Live and interact with his/her
biological family Alternative care
Primary School Examination
Right to Development(17, 28, 29, 31, 39, 40)
Access to appropriate information Education The aims of Education Play and leisure Administration of Juvenile Justice
Human Trafficking victim speaks out
Right to Protection(2, 19, 23, 32, 35, 33-37)
Non-discrimination All forms of Violence Rights of disabled children Child Labour Child abduction, Sale and Trafficking Drug Use and Abuse Sexual Exploitation All other forms of exploitation Torture, degrading treatment and
deprivation of liberty
Squatters Manhandled
Right to Participation(12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 30)
Respect for the views of the child
Freedom of expression Freedom of thought, conscience
and religion Freedom of association and
peaceful assembly Access to appropriate
information Participation in family, cultural
and social life(Children of minorities/indigenous people)
And just how does this matter to your daily
lives?
National Child System
Protection Sub-systemsJudicialLegal Social
Mandatory Reporting
The law says that anyone who suspects that a child has been abused has a moral duty to report the abuse.
However, there are some persons who also have a legal obligation to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect.
They are called mandatory reporters.
Mandatory reporters include:
Any person in charge of a public or private hospital, doctors, nurses and all other medical personnel who attend to a child exhibiting signs of abuse;
Any family member, teacher, social worker, school counselor, employee of a certified children’s institution, school administrator or principal, deputy principal of any educational institution, probation officer, police officer or any other employee of the Government of Belize whose daily duties entail dealing regularly with children
Penalty for Not Reporting
A fine not exceeding $1000.
Imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.
Both the fine and imprisonment.
Remember it is our duty to report and NOT investigate
Good Faith Assumption
It is assumed that persons will report in good faith. Every person who reports suspected child abuse in good faith shall not be liable to any civil or criminal proceeding arising from that report.
Best Interest of the Child
Parental/Community Responsibility As future parents,
educators, policy makers and rights advocates – it is necessary to have an appreciation for the rights of children.
Not just to know them but to understand how your every decision must be made with their best interest in mind.
State ResponsibilitySocial Investment in Children and Adolescent:-
Child-centered approach to development
Children /Adolescent/Young people as assets
Children/Adolescent/Young People safeguarded across the lifespan
Who safeguards the children’s agenda?
Who ensures that Belize meets these obligations
It is clear there is a long way to go!
The Problem Tree
National Committee for Families and Children
“It goes without saying that direct services and interventions to people are essential. But direct services alone cannot achieve real progress for people” CEO MOHDST
We are… NOT an implementing agency
Statutory Body (since 1999)
Set up to oversee Belize’s compliance with its international and national commitments to children
An advocacy, coordination, policy-advisory and M&E body.
Our Focus is…
Vision The National Committee
for Families and Children, Belize’s lead agency for the promotion and protection of children and family rights contributes to and advocates for policy and legal reform that influences a child-centered approach to development which positively impacts the well-being of children and their families.
Mission The National Committee
for Families and Children is commissioned and committed to promote and protect the human rights of every child and family living in Belize primarily those rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Look Upstream!!!NCFC is one of those entities that work
upstream Policy/ Legal Reform
Frameworks in place Information Education and Communication
Public education and prevention work Monitoring & Evaluation
Data available to support evidence-based planning Children & Adolescent Participation
Children/adolescent engaged in decisions-making process
CoordinationSinging off the same hymn sheet
Resource MobilizationReduce repetition, maximize outputs, increase
impact
How does it all come together?
How do we take the CRC and make it a reality to children and families?
National Plan of ActionA Localized response to the CRC
The NPA is…
a consolidation of Belize’s international and regional commitments to children and adolescents.
dictated by national development priorities for children.
Common Strategies
Development and implementation of effective national policies.
Research and data gathering to inform policy and programme development and implementation.
Training, education and capacity building to promote goals and targets.
Coordination and Networking Monitoring and Evaluation
Principles
Protection and preservation of the family as a basic unit of society
Gender equality Non-discrimination Meaningful children’s and adolescents’
participation Multi-sectoral partnerships Protection and conservation of the
environment.
Main Attention Areas
Education
Health
Child Protection
HIV/AIDS
Family
Culture
What you should leave here with?
Know your human rights
Value your human rights
Be inspired to take action toward realizing human rights for yourself and others
Children have rights!
Your every influence will mold them in either positive or negative ways!
They will eventually become leaders and what we have sown we will reap!
Be an advocate in your sphere of influence!
As future/present Educators…
Produces changes in values and attitudes
Produces changes in behavior
Produces empowerment for social justice
Develops attitudes of solidarity across issues and nations
Develops knowledge and analytical skills
Produces participatory education
Food for thought!
For More Information Office – 62 Cleghorn Street Telephone – 223-0059/223-
1180 Website – www.ncfc.org.bz Email – [email protected] FB –
www.facebook.com/NCFCBelize
Youtube – www.youtube.com/TheNCFC
Twitter – www.twitter.com/NCFCBZE