CRINMAIL 725

27 October 2005 - CRINMAIL 725

___________________________________________________________

- CHILDREN AND HIV/AIDS: UNICEF/UNAIDS Global Action Campaign [news]

- CHILD TRAFFICKING: Visit of the Special Rapporteur to Albania and Greece [news]

- OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: National Paper on Child Protection [report]

- FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION: Harmful Practices in West Africa [report]

- TURKEY: Improving Child Rights Advocacy in Turkey and Europe [conference]

- YOUTH TRAFFICKING: Euro-Mediterranean Network [call for partners]

- EMPLOYMENT: Policy and Parliamentary Information Officer [job posting]

___________________________________________________________

Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at [email protected]. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.

___________________________________________________________

- CHILDREN AND HIV/AIDS: UNICEF/UNAIDS Global Action Campaign [news]

[NEW YORK, 25 October 2005] - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman and UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot today officially launched the global campaign "Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS".

"It is a call for united action against an AIDS epidemic that is increasingly hurting children and young people," said Mr. Annan. "Millions of children and young people are already affected by the pandemic - including those infected through the most heart-rending form of transmission: mother to child. The number is multiplying every day. Youth make up half of all new HIV infections world-wide, with a young person contracting the virus every 15 seconds."

"The needs are urgent. The goals are ambitious. And with our collective effort, they are also reachable," said Ms. Veneman, describing the four key result areas of the Campaign:

- Prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. By 2010, offer appropriate services to 80 per cent of women in need.

- Provide paediatric treatment. By 2010, provide either antiretroviral treatment or cotrimoxazole, or both, to 80 per cent of children in need.

- Prevent infection among adolescents and young people. By 2010, reduce the percentage of young people living with HIV by 25 per cent globally.

- Protect and support children affected by HIV/AIDS. By 2010, reach 80 per cent of children most in need of public support and services.

For more information, contact:

Matthew Cortellesi, Global Online Marketing Manager, Division of Communications

UNICEF House, 3 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA

Tel: + 1 212 326 7778; Fax: + 1 212 326 7518

Website: http://www.unicef.org

Visit: http://www.unicef.org/uniteforchildren

To read the official press release for the launch of the campaign, go to:

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_29392.html

--------------------------------

- CHILD TRAFFICKING: Visit of the Special Rapporteur to Albania and Greece [news]

The Special Rapporteur on the Sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Juan Miguel Petit, will visit Albania from 31 October to 7 November 2005, and Greece from 8 to 14 November. In both countries, Mr. Petit will mainly examine the trafficking of children for prostitution and other purposes.

The Special Rapporteur is scheduled to visit Tirana, Korca, Elbasan and Athens. His visits will include meetings with government authorities, representatives of the judiciary, parliamentarians, representatives of non-governmental organisations, UN officials and individuals dealing with issues related to the mandate.

On completion of the missions, the Special Rapporteur will prepare reports to be presented at the 62nd session of the Commission on Human Rights in March-April 2006.

Mr. Petit, journalist and social scientist, was appointed Special Rapporteur in July 2001 by the Commission on Human Rights. Since then, he has carried out field visits in South Africa, France, Brazil, Paraguay and Romania.

For more information, visit:

http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/children/rapporteur

* Child trafficking in Albania and South East Europe:

Save the Children has been involved in anti-child trafficking activities in Albania since 2001, and in 2002 established a Regional Child Trafficking Response programme with 6 countries in South East Europe. The lessons learned from the programme were documented, and provided the basis for a publication on child rights-based interventions. Phase II of the programme, involving 7 countries, has recently been established with the aim of promoting and protecting the rights of children at risk through a combination of prevention, protection and reintegration activities, all of which adopt a child rights participatory approach to interventions.

Child trafficking continues to be a serious concern in the region. However, despite increased attention and response to the issue, there are growing numbers of trafficked children and ongoing weaknesses in existing child protection mechanisms.

Save the Children therefore welcomes the visit of the Special Rapporteur and his invitation for suggestions on issues that should be addressed. The organisation believes it offers a significant opportunity to address key gaps in the protection of children's rights in Albania.

Key concerns include:

- child trafficking issues in Albania (or any other country in the region) need to be placed in the wider regional context: poverty, history of conflict and sudden social upheavals, as well as established trafficking routes and a demand in the region and in Western Europe.

- boys and girls are affected by and at risk of trafficking, and these children are rarely afforded the special recognition or support to which they have a right (this also applies to those children who end up in the EU)

- there is a new government now in place in Albania, and although a strategy and action plan have been developed by the previous government, little has been done in the way of implementation. There are currently no apparent decisions by the new government as to which ministry or other bodies will be responsible for child trafficking. Agencies here are seeking ways to impress upon the new government the urgent need for action in this area.

- there is a draft agreement between the Greek and Albanian governments on child trafficking. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed comment on the draft by NGOs and this is a very positive development; but concerns remain about the actual implementation of such an agreement.

For more information, contact:

Roberta Cecchetti, Representative

Save the Children Geneva Office

1, Rue Varembé, CH - 1202 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: + 41 22 919 2000; Fax: + 41 22 919 2001

Visit: http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/where_we_work/europe.html

--------------------------------

- OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: National Paper on Child Protection [report]

The Secretariat for the National Plan of Action for Palestinian Children has just published a national position paper on "Child Protection in the Occupied Palestinian Territory", along with a Child Protection Steering committee including representatives from ministries, NGOs, international organisations and the UN.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current national situation of eight categories of marginalised children in need of protection by looking at statistics, the legal framework, governmental services, community responsibility, international responsibility and monitoring.

The categories include disabled children, children under Israeli detention, children in conflict with the law, child labourers, child victims of domestic violence and abuse, children victims of poverty, children without family care, and children victims of the Israeli occupation.

In analysing each of these levels of needed protection, the paper relies on a human rights

framework. It also outlines recommendations for each category of children.

For more information, contact:

Katie Taylor, Advocacy Programme Manager

Secretariat for the National Plan of Action for Palestinian Children

Al-Ersal Street, Al-Masayef Area, Al Rimawi Building, Ramallah, Palestine

Tel: + 972 (0)546 974 425

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=6415 [English]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=6417 [Arabic]

--------------------------------

- FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION: Harmful Practices in West Africa [report]

Save the Children Sweden recently published a report on "Female Genital Mutilation and Save the Children Sweden's Activities in West Africa and at the Global Level". The World Health Organisation estimates that about 100/130 million women and girls throughout the world have been subjected to mutilation and approximately two million girls are at risk every year.

FGM comprises all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia and/or injury to the female genital organs for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons. In most cases, these operations are carried out in unhygienic and unsanitary conditions with unsterilised knives or blades (or any sharp instruments) without any anaesthesia. No tablets are given to soothe the immediate pain.

Female Genital Mutilation is sometimes referred to as Female Circumcision linking it to male circumcision which is widely practised in Africa for as a religious recommendation but also for therapeutic reasons. FGM cannot in any case be compared to male circumcision which is believed to increase the sexual libido of men whilst FGM is to reduce the sexual desires of women.

This report presents the true life stories of three young West African women. It also presents the fact about FGM - what it is, the reasons for the practice, the immediate and long-term consequences and what Save the Children Sweden is doing to eradicate this harmful practice in West Africa and at the global level.

For more information, contact:

Save the Children Sweden

107 88 Stockholm, Sweden

Tel: + 46 8 698 90 20

Fax: + 46 8 698 90 25

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.rb.se

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=6368

--------------------------------

- TURKEY: Improving Child Rights Advocacy in Turkey and Europe [conference]

Date: 18-19 November 2005

Location: Ankara, Turkey

The International Children's Centre is organising a conference on "Child Rights Advocacy in Europe". Workshops are also organised by the Ankara Bar Association Child Rights Committee in co-operation with the British Council - Ankara, the Amnesty International Turkey - Child Rights Working Group, the Youth Re-autonomy Foundation of Turkey, and the ColukCocuk Magazine for Children and Parents. The conference is being held in the context of the International Day of the Child, on 20 November.

The objectives of the event at the junction of Turkey's EU Accession Talks are:

- to introduce good practices and ideas on child rights advocacy to NGOs working in Turkey

- to promote child rights within the guiding principles of the Convention of the Rights of the Child with a view to initiating better capacity building efforts in the area, such as better networking, lobbying, and organisational skill promotion;

- to raise awareness amongst the child rights NGOs and other relevant governmental actors regarding child protection mechanisms in Europe.

For more information, contact:

Adem Arkadas, Child Rights Programme Officer

International Children's Centre

Bilkent University, Main Library Building 06800, Ankara, Turkey

Tel: + 90 312 290 2714; Fax: + 90 312 266 6929

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.icc.org.tr

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=6406&flag=event

--------------------------------

- YOUTH TRAFFICKING: Euro-Mediterranean Network [call for partners]

The newly established Euro-Mediterranean Network for Youth Trafficking Prevention (EMNYTP) is seeking to recruit institutional members, individual members and National Co-ordinators in all European and Mediterranean countries. The idea came up after a serious needs assessment on the problem in the EuroMed region, resulting from two years of research and a number of discussions with youth workers across Europe and Mediterranean.

The problem of human trafficking concerns by no means only countries of origin; rather, it affects all countries equally, as countries of origin, transit or destination. Co-ordination on all aspects of the combat against human trafficking and closer cross-border co-operation is indispensable. An essential aspect of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership is the strengthening of democracy and respect for human rights throughout the region. All EuroMed States have to strive to uphold all relevant human rights standards, including the fundamental rights of migrants, regardless of their status.

EMNYTP's objectives are:

- to promote collaboration and integration of anti-trafficking activities in the region to improve their long-term effectiveness and sustainability

- to strengthen co-operation among youth NGOs and groups in order to streamline and accelerate existing efforts to combat human trafficking in the region

For more information, contact:

Borislava Daskalova

Director of Youth Trafficking Prevention Programme

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.moe-online.com

--------------------------------

- EMPLOYMENT: Policy and Parliamentary Information Officer [job posting]

Children in Scotland is currently recruiting for a Policy and Parliamentary Information Officer to contribute to and develop Children in Scotland's policy work, promoting discussion and development of policies relating to children and their families.

The post holder's main responsibilities will involve: facilitating discussion and development of policies relating to children and their families; facilitating children's, young people's, parents' and carers' contributions to policy discussion and development; preparing written information on relevant policy issues for Children in Scotland's external and internal activities; overseeing the updating of the policy section of the Children in Scotland website and managing the 4 Nations website; working collaboratively with other agencies in Scotland, the UK and Europe on policy issues; etc.

Application deadline: 18 November 2005

For more information, contact:

Children in Scotland

Princes House, 5 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh EH2 4RG, UK

Tel: + 44 (0)131 222 2402; Fax: + 44 (0)131 228 8585

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk

___________________________________________________________

The CRINMAIL is an electronic mailing list of the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN). CRIN does not accredit, validate or substantiate any information posted by members to the CRINMAIL. The validity and accuracy of any information is the responsibility of the originator.

To subscribe, unsubscribe or view list archives, visit http://www.crin.org/email.

___________________________________________________________