Challenges
China ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. Using the Convention as a framework for national child development goals, China drew up a National Plan of Action for Children in 1990's and followed-up with a National Plan of Action for Children 2001-2010. Local planning for children followed, and local plans for children have been developed in all 31 provinces in the mainland, and 98% of cities and counties. Local plans form the basis for identification of the challenges facing children in the different socio-economic contexts in China. Action to overcome these challenges needs local strategies and resources to be identified within a national framework. Rapid economic development in China increasingly requires a focus on analyzing and researching the situation of children, and advocating for their rights. However, just as there is an imbalance between economic and social development in China, there is also a lack of awareness of how promotion of child rights and investment in children is essential to overall national development. Child development Targets: China's National Plan of Action for Children 2001-2010 was written prior to the 2002 UN Special Session on Children. As a result, some of the national plan's targets are not fully consistent with global goals either because they are lower or give insufficient priority to key issues. Most local plans of action simply follow the pattern of the national one without giving enough attention to a local situation analysis and setting of clear, measurable and achievable targets. Local capacity on to coordinate and monitor implementation of the plan of action for children also needs to be strengthened. Child development monitoring: China has a relatively strong capacity in statistics, and most of the government ministries have data collection system. However, routine reporting systems, especially at the local level often lack technical capacity and adequate funding. As data are collated are various levels in such a vast country, the ability to disaggregated data, including on key variables such as sex, socio-economic status, ethnicity etc. is often lost. These difficulties contribute to a lack of data to support analysis of the causes of lack of progress in development, hindering national and local decision making. There are however a number of national survey and data collection exercises that take place and these provide supplementary information and a check on routine reporting systems. Overall, as China graduating towards a middle-income developing country a more effective mechanism for data collection, analysis and dissemination needs to be put in place. Child development research: Researchers, academics and experts in China have carried out many surveys and studies to better understand the situation of children and their development. A major challenge remains in how to translate such research into action. Effective mechanisms and channels are needed that link data and decision making, as well as information for child rights promotion. At the same time as China tackles its “unfinished business” of child survival and development, new challenges to children's rights are a result of the rapid economic and social transition are emerging. Child poverty and high infant mortality rates still afflict parts of China, while in other areas obesity and concerns about the moral and psychological development of children are the new concerns.
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