Publications

This Innocenti Digest examines the situation of approximately 200 million children with disabilities around the world and identifies ways to support the realization of their rights. Children with disabilities constantly face barriers to the enjoyment of their rights and inclusion in society. But the tide is changing, as many countries have begun to reform their laws and structures in the past two decades to promote the participation of children with disabilities as full members of society. The Digest promotes such participation, and discusses all aspects of their development, including access to education, health services and rehabilitation, social and legal assistance, play and cultural activities, vocational and life-skills training. It focuses on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which, building on the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, opens a new era in securing the rights of children with disabilities.

This Innocenti Digest on 'Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities' examines the situation of approximately 200 million children with disabilities around the world and identifies ways to support the realization of their rights. Children with disabilities constantly face barriers to the enjoyment of their rights and inclusion in society. But the tide is changing, as many countries have begun to reform their laws and structures in the past two decades to promote the participation of children with disabilities as full members of society. The Digest promotes such participation, and discusses all aspects of their development, including access to education, health services and rehabilitation, social and legal assistance, play and cultural activities, vocational and life-skills training. It focuses on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which, building on the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, opens a new era in securing the rights of children with disabilities.

Despite recent economic growth, many children in the CEE/CIS Region remain vulnerable. Thousands of children continue to die before their first birthday, and increasing numbers of children are in formal care. Many young people lack employment opportunities and are at risk of marginalization. The tools to monitor these trends are often lacking, not standardized, or not routinely deployed. TRANSMONEE Features, along with the TRANSMONEE database, focuses on different aspects of children's lives, draws attention to mechanisms for monitoring trends and uses data to illuminate neglected issues. TRANSMONEE 2007 Features: Data and analysis on the lives of children in CEE/CIS and Baltic States looks closely at child survival; the forces behind the recent demographic changes occurring across the region, the challenges facing young people in their transition from school to work, and the issue of children growing up without parental care. Included with the print publication is a CD containing the MONEEInfo version of the TRANSMONEE database.

Несмотря на отмечаемый в последнее время экономический рост, многие дети в странах ЦВЕ/СНГ и государствах Балтии остаются уязвимыми. По-прежнему тысячи детей умирают в течение первого года жизни. Все больше детей находятся под официальной опекой. В публикации “Материалы базы данных TransMONEE 2007 года” более пристальное внимание уделяется проблеме выживаниядетей и тому, смогут ли страны ЦВЕ/СНГ достичь цели в бласти развития Декларации тысячелетия по сокращению на две трети смертности среди детей в возрасте до 5 лет; факторам, которые в последнее время привели к изменениям в уровне рождаемости, имеющим место в регионе; а также проблемам, с которыми сталкиваются молодые люди при трудоустройстве по окончании школы. Кроме того, в ней вновь ассматривается вопрос о детях, лишенных родительского попечения, в рамках проведения анализа, почему число детей, находящихся под официальной опекой, продолжает величиваться, несмотря на общее улучшение экономического положения.

Le rapport étudie les options de protection des enfants dans les communautés touchées par la pandémie du SIDA. Partant du principe que le lien parent-enfant est la pierre angulaire du développement de l’enfant et que la famille est l’élément fondamental de la société, le rapport considère tout d’abord les moyens de garder aussi longtemps que possible les parents en vie et la famille unie. Il examine ensuite les solutions alternatives de protection au-delà de la famille la plus proche. Les arrangements vont de la prise en charge par la famille élargie, à travers différentes formes d’accueil dans la communauté, à l’adoption et au placement en établissement. Le rapport met en lumière les façons dont les acteurs extérieurs à la proche communauté peuvent soutenir et améliorer la capacité des ménages et des communautés à prendre soin des enfants livrés à eux-mêmes.

This IRC Insight highlights the urgent need to support families and communities to care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The report looks at how the epidemic undermines children's health and schooling, and reinforces marginalization and deprivation. It explores the options for the care of children in communities affected by the AIDS epidemic. Beginning with the premise that the parent-child bond is the basic building block of child development and the family the basic unit of society, the report looks at ways to keep the family together for as long as possible. It then goes on to explore alternative care arrangements beyond the immediate family. Settings range from care by the extended family, to different forms of fostering in the community, through adoption and placement in residential institutions, which should be used as a last resort.

Investiga las posibilidades del cuidado de niños y niñas en comunidades afectadas por la pandemia del SIDA. Partiendo de la premisa de que el vínculo entre padre/madre e hijo/a es el componente más importante para el pleno desarrollo del niño y que la familia es la unidad básica de la sociedad, el informe estudia en primer lugar las posibilidades existentes para mantener a los padres vivos y a la familia junta el mayor tiempo posible. A continuación examina los cuidados alternativos más allá de la familia más próxima. Estos cuidados van desde los cuidados por la familia extensa o en diferentes formas de familias de acogida, hasta la adopción o ingreso en residencias. El informe hace hincapié en las maneras en que actores no pertenecientes a la comunidad más próxima pueden ayudar a sostener y mejorar la capacidad de los hogares y las comunidades en el cuidado de los niños y niñas que se quedan solos.

Il presente Insight vuole far progredire il dibattito sull’incidenza dell’HIV e dell’AIDS sui bambini in tre modi particolari: (i) focalizzando l’attenzione sulla situazione dei bambini resi orfani dall’AIDS e sui limiti delle attuali risposte per la realizzazione dei loro diritti; (ii) riesaminando le opzioni per l’accoglienza di tali bambini, evidenziando le esperienze efficaci e le lezioni apprese da approcci locali e familiari; (iii) identificando modi in cui gli attori locali, nazionali ed internazionali possano effettivamente rispondere alle proprie responsabilità di tutelare i diritti umani dei bambini, con particolare attenzione ai bambini resi orfani dall’AIDS.

La Convención de los Derechos del Niño introduce por primera vez en un tratado de derecho internacional, el concepto de ‘capacidades evolutivas’ del niño(a). Este principio ha sido descrito como un nuevo principio de interpretación en derecho internacional, reconociendo que, a medida que los niños(as) adquieren mayores capacidades, hay menos necesidad de protección y mayor capacidad para adquirir responsabilidad por las decisiones que afectarán su vida. La Convención permite reconocer que los niños(as) que crecen en diferentes espacios y culturas, y que se enfrentan a diversas experiencias de vida, adquirirán estas capacidades a diferentes edades. Es necesario tomar acción a través del derecho, las políticas y la práctica para que sea reconocidas la contribución que la infancia brinda así como sus capacidades. El propósito de este estudio es abrir la discusión y promover el debate para adquirir un mejor entendimiento de la protección que debe darse a la niñez, de acuerdo con sus ‘capacidades evolutivas’, y asimismo proveer oportunidades de participación en el pleno cumplimiento de sus derechos.

Pour la première fois dans un traité internacional relatif aux droits humains, la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant introduit le concept des ‘capacités évolutives’ de l’enfant. Ce principe revêt de profondes implications pour les droits humains de l’enfant. Il établit que l’acquisition de compétences majeures de la part des enfants s’accompagne d’une moindre nécessité de les diriger et d’une plus grande nécessité de leur confier la responsabilité des décisions qui concernent leur existence. La Convention reconnaît que les enfants acquièrent des compétences à des âges différents en fonction des environnements, des cultures et des expériences de vie, et que l’acquisition de ces compétences varie selon les circonstances. Elle tient également compte du fait que les capacités des enfants diffèrent selon la nature des droits à exercer.Cette étude a pour objectif d’ouvrir la discussion et de favoriser le débat afin de mieux discerner les moyens de promouvoir les changements culturels nécessaires pour que les enfants soient adéquatement protégés conformément à leurs capacités évolutives, et qu’ils soient respectés en tant que citoyens, en tant que personnes et en tant que titulaires de droits.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child introduces for the first time in an international human rights treaty, the concept of the ‘evolving capacities’ of the child. This principle has been described as a new principle of interpretation in international law, recognising that, as children acquire enhanced competencies, there is a diminishing need for protection and a greater capacity to take responsibility for decisions affecting their lives. The Convention allows for the recognition that children in different environments and cultures, and faced with diverse life experiences, will acquire competencies at different ages. Action is needed in law, policy and practice so that the contributions children make and the capacities they hold are acknowledged. The purpose of the study is to open the discussion and promote debate to achieve a better understanding of how children can be protected, in accordance with their evolving capacities, and also provided with opportunities to participate in the fulfillment of their rights.

Over recent years demographic trends in Columbia (such as the increased participation of women in the workforce) have led to an increased demand for a viable day care system for 3-6 year olds. This has largely been met by an innovative programme set up by the Colombian Family Welfare Institute. The idea at the basis of their initiative is simple yet effective: mothers are given the training and support to enable them to offer day care within their homes to the children of other families from their own communities. This paper describes in detail the design and implementation of this programme. It is hoped international organisations and other countries will draw inspiration from this Colombian success story.