Rights CRINMAIL 33

9 February 2007 - Rights CRINMAIL 33

 

___________________________________________________________

- PROGRAMMING FOR JUSTICE: Access for All [publication]

- UNITED NATIONS: New database on human rights education and training [website]

- EMERGENCIES: Impact Measurement and Accountability: The good enough guide [publication]

- CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: New guide for NGOs [publication]

- COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: General Comment issued on children's rights in juvenile justice

- SOUTH AFRICA: South African Child Gauge 2006 [publication]

- EUROPEAN CHILDREN'S NETWORK: Launch of new website [website]

- **QUIZ**

___________________________________________________________

Rights CRINMAIL is a component of a project of the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN). It is published monthly with the purpose of informing and building the community of practitioners in rights-based programming. Your submissions are welcome. 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
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.

___________________________________________________________

PROGRAMMING FOR JUSTICE: Access for All [publication]

This comprehensive programming guide aims to help practitioners design human rights-based access to justice projects. It introduces a holistic model of access to justice, provides guidance on how to programme and prioritise access to justice strategies, and maps a large number of capacity development strategies of justice system institutions and processes. Strategies are divided into those:

  • developing capacity for inclusive legal frameworks;
  • developing capacity of institutions to provide services; and
  • developing capacity of people to seek and obtain remedies for grievances. The needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups are given special emphasis.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/hrbap/index.asp?action=theme.docitem&item=12410

For more information, contact:
United Nations Development Programme
Asia-Pacific Rights and Justice Intiative
UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok
UN Service Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200 Thailand
Website: http://www.undp.org

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

UNITED NATIONS: New database on human rights education and training [website]

This database, which constitutes a contribution to the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing), aims to facilitate information-sharing on the many resources available worldwide for human rights education and training. Information is accessible in three United Nations languages: English, French and Spanish.

The database provides information on:

  • institutions which offer regular human rights training programmes and/or produce training materials, including human rights institutes and university centres, non-governmental organisations as well as intergovernmental organisations working at the international, regional and national level;
  • programmes which foster human rights learning, including training courses, university programmes, conferences and seminars, as well as summer courses;
  • human rights education and training materials including manuals, trainers’ guides, textbooks, curricula and other pedagogical tools, reports of conferences and seminars as well as reference materials (bibliographies and directories) and audiovisuals.

The database has two inter-linked sections: institutions (type, name, contact details, geographical focus, working languages, and areas of expertise) and programmes (type, name, duration, target group, language, deadline, geographical focus, substantive focus, admission requirements, tuition, methodology, and scholarship).

Concerning materials, including on-line resources, the database is linked to the OHCHR Library catalogue, which can be searched by various fields such as title, author and subject. For instance, to search education and training materials for a specific audience, you may type in the “ Search for” line the words "teachers" or "secondary school students" or "police/security forces" - and then select «subject» in the “ Search by” box .

The database is constantly updated and we welcome contributions on relevant items for inclusion. New information on institutions, programmes and materials in the area of human rights education and training can be forwarded to OHCHR using the attached information sheets and sending them to the World Programme for Human Rights Education at: [email protected].

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=12415

For more information, contact:
World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing)
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
8-14 Avenue de la Paix, CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 90 10
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ohchr.org/english/index.htm

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

EMERGENCIES: Impact Measurement and Accountability: The good enough guide [publication]

The Good Enough Guide offers busy field workers a set of basic guidelines on how to be accountable to local people and measure programme impact in emergency situations. Its ‘good enough’ approach emphasises simple and practical solutions and encourages the user to choose tools that are safe, quick, and easy to implement. This pocket guide presents some tried and tested methods for putting impact measurement and accountability into practice throughout the life of a project. It is aimed at humanitarian practitioners, project officers and managers with some experience in the field, and draws on the work of field staff, NGOs, and inter-agency initiatives, including Sphere, ALNAP, HAP International, and People In Aid.

The Good Enough Guide was developed by the Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB). The ECB is a collaborative effort by CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, the International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam GB, Save the Children, and World Vision International.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12380

For more information, contact:
Save the Children Sweden - South and Central Asia Region office
Regional Programme for South & Central Asia
c/o Save the Children UK
PO Box: 5850, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: + 977 1 5531928 / 5531929 / 5523336; Fax: +977 1 5527266
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.savethechildren.org.np

Further information

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

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: New guide for NGOs [publication]

The NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child announces the release of the Third Edition of the Guide for Non-Governmental Organisations Reporting to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Guide provides up-to-date information on the procedures for the examination of reports submitted under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols. Information is also provided on the submission of reports from NGOs to the Committee and their participation in the pre-sessional working group meeting. Suggestions for follow-up action by NGOs are also included. The Guide has been produced in English, French and Spanish.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12388&flag=report

Further information

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

COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: General Comment issued on children's rights in juvenile justice

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has published its General Comment number 10 on "Children's Rights in Juvenile Justice." The Committee regularly adopts "general comments" based on specific articles, provisions and themes of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to assist the States parties in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention and to stimulate international organisations and specialised agencies in achieving the full realisation of the rights recognised in the Convention.

In the reports they submit to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, States parties often pay quite detailed attention to the rights of children alleged as, accused of, or recognised as having infringed the penal law, also referred to as ‘children in conflict with the law’. In line with the Committee’s guidelines for periodic reporting, the implementation of articles 37 and 40 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the main focus of the information provided by the States parties. The Committee notes with appreciation the many efforts to establish an administration of juvenile justice in compliance with the CRC. However, it is also clear that many States parties still have a long way to go in achieving full compliance with the CRC, e.g. in the areas of procedural rights, the development and implementation of measures for dealing with children in conflict with the law without resorting to judicial proceedings, and the use of deprivation of liberty only as a measure of last resort.

The Committee is equally concerned about the lack of information on the measures that States parties have taken to prevent children from coming into conflict with the law. This may be the result of a lack of a comprehensive policy for the field of juvenile justice. This may also explain why many States parties are providing only (very) limited statistical data on the treatment of children in conflict with the law.

The experiences in reviewing the States parties’ performances in the field of juvenile justice are the reason for this General Comment, by which the Committee wants to provide the States parties with more elaborated guidance and recommendations for their efforts to establish an administration of juvenile justice in compliance with the CRC. This juvenile justice, which should promote inter alia the use of alternative measures such as diversion and restorative justice, will provide States parties with possibilities to respond to children in conflict with the law in an effective manner serving not only the best interests of these children but also the short and long term interest of the whole society.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=12462

Further information

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

SOUTH AFRICA: South African Child Gauge 2006 [publication]

This annual publication tracks South Africa’s progress towards realising child rights. South African Gauge 2006 focuses on children and poverty, and in particular on the implementation of some of the government’s key policies, laws and programmes aimed at realising children’s socio-economic rights. This year it is accompanied by a pull-out map of South Africa that provides a quick provincial reference to a few key child-centred socio-economic indicators.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12473

For more information, contact:
Children's Institute, University of Cape Town
Tel: +27 (21) 689 5404 / 8343; Fax: +27 (21) 689 8330
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ci.org.za

Further information


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

EUROPEAN CHILDREN'S NETWORK: Launch of new website [website]

The European Children’s Network (EURONET), representing 35 children’s rights national and transnational NGOs from across Europe, is pleased to announce the launch of its new website: www.europeanchildrensnetwork.eu.

The European Children's Network is a coalition of networks and organisations campaigning for the interests and rights of children (defined in the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as all persons under 18 years of age). They share a common concern that children's rights should be taken into account in all EU legislation, policies and programmes which have an impact on children's rights.

The website aims to keep individuals and organisations working for children’s rights up to date and informed on all of EURONET’s work in this field. This includes, but is not limited to, important child rights-related news, events and legislative proposals taking place in the EU.

On the new website, you will find information about the European Children’s Network as an organisation, how to become a member, and who its current Member Organisations are, with information and links to their work at national level.

Incorporated into the website is information related to EURONET’s EU policy areas and activities. It is actively working with the EU on children’s rights issues. These include the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, the EU Treaties and the Fundamental Rights Agency:

EURONET welcomes the Communication “Towards an EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child” in which the European Commission announced that it would develop the first-ever European children’s rights strategy. In the continued absence of a legal base for children’s rights in the EU Treaty, the proposed Strategy is crucial to support the efforts to protect children and promote their rights at the EU level. The European Children’s Network was closely involved in developing the ideas in this document, which drew heavily on the recommendations of children’s NGOs. EURONET continues to cooperate with EU institutions and partner organisations to ensure that the forthcoming Strategy leads to concrete change for children. Part of this strategy is to involve children in the consultation process. EURONET, in collaboration with UNICEF, organised a conference on the Communication in Florence in November 2006 resulting in a Florence Call for Action. All the papers presented at the Conference can be found on the new EURONET website now.

EURONET contributed positively towards the inclusion of references to children’s rights in the European Constitutional Treaty. EURONET and its German Member organisation are currently in contact with the German EU Presidency on the freshly started debate on the Constitutional Treaty and will keep on campaigning for the safeguarding of children’s rights in any new EU Treaty text.

EURONET works in cooperation with other children’s organisations towards the inclusion of children’s rights in the work programme of the on 1 March 2007 to be established Fundamental Rights Agency.

EURONET’s work with the EU Presidencies is centred around ‘L’Europe de L’Enfance’ meetings, which are high level national civil servant or Ministerial meetings with responsibility for children’s rights, as well as ChildONEurope (the European Network of Observatories on Childhood) and other meetings with a focus on children’s rights.

EURONET is also involved in policy activities related to children’s participation, discrimination, and poverty and social exclusion. The EURONET report “What about us? Children’s Rights in the European Union: Next Steps” develops a coherent children’s rights policy focusing on all aspects of EU internal actions affecting children’s rights, including violence against children, child health, environment, education, media and internet, residential care and adoption, asylum and migration, etc.

One of the website’s many new features is that it offers immediate access to all of EURONET’s newsletters, reports, policy documents and other publications since 1997. The website also has web pages devoted to providing the latest EURONET and child rights-related news, upcoming events, and additional links for more information on the European Union, the United Nations, the EU Presidencies, and non-EURONET publications.

The website has a child-friendly page, which aims to involve children and young people and includes child friendly versions of the UN Convention on Children’s Rights and of the Communication towards a Strategy on Children’s Rights. It also includes reports of children’s consultations that EURONET has held with them in the past.

For French speakers, there is a webpage with information, publications, and links to the websites of EURONET’s French-speaking members. Publications which have been translated in other EU languages can be found in the publications library.

The new website also includes a Members-Only section, which provides current European Children’s Network members with access to internal documents.

The Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) is hosting the website of the European Children’s Network and is providing a direct link to the website on its homepage starting Tuesday, 30 January 2007.

For more information, contact:
European Children's Network
Rue Montoyer 39, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 2 5124500 ; Fax: + 32 2 513 4903
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.europeanchildrensnetwork.org 

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12385

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

**QUIZ**

Take this week's CRIN quiz and find out how much you know about children's rights in Europe: http://www.crin.org/quiz?quizID=1025


___________________________________________________________

The Rights 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.

___________________________________________________________