Palencia: Summary of Roundtable Sessions and Issue Briefs
Making Europe and Central Asia Fit for Children
Children’s Rights Monitoring Mechanisms [Issue Brief: Word] The Committee on the Rights of the Child stresses that governments must self-monitor implementation efforts according to their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and that such processes should be mirrored by independent monitoring of government compliance. Despite related progress, monitoring is still perhaps the most overlooked aspect in national implementation of children’s rights in Europe and Central Asia. This Roundtable will highlight examples of government monitoring structures and tools, including child impact assessments and evaluations, budget analyses, and data collection and analysis, as well as models of statutory independent institutions for children’s rights. In particular, the Roundtable discussion will determine the key gaps in monitoring in the region, and will identify strategies to build upon existing mechanisms in order to achieve comprehensive national children’s rights monitoring. Panelists’ interventions will set the framework on these issues, leaving ample time for discussion among Roundtable participants, and the Chair will guide the debate to recommendations for the Conference Plenary Session.
Child Poverty and Social Inclusion [Issue Brief: Word] Already by the First Intergovernmental Conference (Berlin, 2001), the countries of Europe and Central Asia recognized poverty and social exclusion as two of the greatest obstacles for children across the region – yet both remain major challenges. Political commitment has not matched the increasing attention on these issues since Berlin, and tools to monitor related progress have advanced little. Seeking ways ahead, this Roundtable will share innovative approaches to developing rights-based and child-specific indicators on poverty and social inclusion, and to measuring child well-being over time in multi-dimensional terms. Such data-based monitoring efforts will be examined in light of national and regional policy developments, including related possibilities for regional collaboration on the development of child-specific indicators. Panelists’ interventions will set the framework on these issues, leaving ample time for discussion among Roundtable participants, and the Chair will guide the debate to recommendations for the Conference Plenary Session.
Violence Against Children [Issue Brief: Word]Regional frameworks and commitments to end violence against children have grown impressively in recent years, as seen most recently at the July 2005 Ljubljana Regional Consultation for the UN Study on Violence Against Children, and the April 2006 Monaco Launching Conference of the Council of Europe Action Programme on “Children and Violence.” Nonetheless, children across the region remain vulnerable and exposed to violence in its various forms and settings. This Roundtable carries the broader agenda forward by focusing on how to translate into action at the national level the most pressing and promising strategies already identified, examining in particular the following three: translating legal provisions into enhanced functions, mandates and standards; building professionals’ capacity; and improving accountability. Discussions will also consider inter alia improving system responsiveness to children. Panelists’ interventions will set the framework on these issues, leaving ample time for discussion among Roundtable participants, and the Chair will guide the debate to recommendations for the Conference Plenary Session. For more information, please contact Lynn Geldof, Regional Communication Adviser, UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS Christyne Stuckey-Bahringer, Communication Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS
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