Launch Of Study For The Middle East And North Africa On The Role Of Human Rights/child Rights Based Programming In Areas Affected By Conflict (9-10 November 2011)

Under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Wael Abou Faur, Minister of Social Affairs for the Republic of Lebanon, and Dr. Mona Kamel, Director of Family and Childhood Department for the League of Arab States and in collaboration with the Nordic Trust Fund at the World Bank a regional two day meeting, from 9 to 10 November, was held in Beirut to present the findings of the research project“The Role of Human Rights/Child Rights Based Programming in areas affected by conflict”.
The two-day meeting brought together more than 30 global and regional practitioners and experts working in fields of development and child rights to discuss the findings of the research and recommendations and way forward for promoting programming and planning based on child rights among national civil society organisations, international nongovernmental and UN organisations, donors, national and regional policy makers and legislators.
The research, that is implemented by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, aims to enhance knowledge and learning about the benefits and challenges of using human rights based programming in development projects in conflict affected areas, and to present the effectiveness of Child Rights Programming and its contribution to stability in fragile states. The research argues that the use of Child Rights Programming, which is based on rights guaranteed in the UN Convention on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, contributes to stability and positive long lasting improvements for children.
During the opening session, H.E. Mr. Wael Abou Faur highlighted “the importance of planning based on rights, especially during the new period of the Arab Spring where opportunities as well as threats pose for the fulfilment of the rights of children.”The research that studied existing projects implemented by Save the Children and UNICEF and their national partners in Lebanon, Yemen and the occupied Palestinian territories, highlights the importance that applying child rights based approach is more effective in contributing not only to changing better the lives of children, but also contributes to more stability and sense of security among the targeted children and their families.
According to Sanna Johnson, Save the Children Sweden Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa,“taken into consideration that few use the child rights based approach, this research comes as small step out of many steps that need to be taken forward by decision makers and practitioners in order to plan based on rights and not based on need so as to achieve long lasting and sustainable positive changes for children”.
Save the Children Sweden believes that child rights programming is an important tool to design and implement projects, plans and policies and urges civil society organisations, international and UN organisations, donors and governments to apply this methodology for its important benefits in fulfilling the commitments by states towards the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, in providing sustainable solutions for the challenges facing children and in creating a better future for children.
The research/study aims to enhance knowledge and learning about the benefits and challenges of using child rights based programming in development projects in conflict affected areas.
Child Rights Based programming focus explicitly on children’s human rights taking the Convention on the Rights of the Child as it main point of departure. Child Rights Programming recognizes children as holders of rights guaranteed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and recognizes governments as the main party to fulfill these rights. Child Rights Based programming ensures that plans and projects are based on four fundamental principles related to child rights: survival and development, non-discrimination, child participation and the best interest of the child.
For further information please contact:
Simine Al Alam, Regional Communication and Advocacy Adviser, [email protected], Tel.01.738.654
To learn more about Save the Children Sweden work in the Middle East and North Africa please visit:www.mena.savethechildren.se