1.1 The Child Rights Working Group of the
DFID/CSO Children and Youth Network welcomes this opportunity
to comment on the UK Department for International Development's
2009 Annual Report and White Paper. The Working Group is a coalition
of 19 development-focused non-governmental organisations, UK-based
children's rights organisations and research institutions.[21]
The Working Group is a sub-group of the Children and Youth Network
which was established in 2007 between DFID and civil society organisations
(CSOs) in order to fill a perceived policy vacuum around children
and young people in the UK's approach to international development.
1.2 The Child Rights Working Group advocates
a child rights-based approach to development programming and policy-making
and better implementation of the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) through development cooperation.[22]
Making children's rights a central principle of international
cooperation is set out in Article 4 of the UNCRC, which states
that:
States parties shall undertake all appropriate
legislative, administrative and other measures for the implementation
of rights recognised in the present convention. With regard to
economic, social and cultural rights states parties shall undertake
such measures to the maximum extent of their available resources
and where needed within the framework of international co-operation.
In General Comment 5, the Committee on the Rights
of the Child elaborated further, advising states that the Convention
should form the framework for international development assistance
related directly or indirectly to children and that programmes
of donor states should be rights-based.[23]
As a state party to the UNCRC, the UK Government has a duty to
ensure that its development cooperation is supporting partner
governments to promote and fulfil the rights of all children in
their jurisdiction.
1.3 This response by the Child Rights Working
Group to the International Development Committee (IDC) inquiry
into DFID's 2009 Annual Report and White Paper focuses on the
latter of these two documents and argues that it has missed an
important opportunity to put children and youth at the centre
of the UK Government's international development strategy. In
so doing, the government is not adequately meeting its obligations
under the UNCRC and the role of children is insufficiently recognised
in meeting the wider international development targets set out
by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With the 20th anniversary
of the UNCRC this month and the review of progress towards the
MDGs next year it is both critical and timely to reassess the
UK Government's performance against these international commitments.
The Children's Working Group welcomes this IDC inquiry as an opportunity
to do this.
2. PUTTING CHILDREN
AT THE
HEART OF
DEVELOPMENT
2.1 The Child Rights Working Group's submission
to DFID's consultation on the 2009 White Paper highlighted that
the importance of children, and children's rights, in wider development
agendas cannot be overemphasised. As Box 1 illustrates, children
are both the majority population in developing countries today
and the best agents for transformation from this point forward.
Children and young people are the overwhelming majority of people
affected by poverty and have the least capacity to support or
protect themselves. As such, failing to put children at the centre
of development, as DFID's 2009 White Paper fails to do, weakens
the impact of today's development efforts both now and in the
future.
Box 1: Children and international development
| | |
Children as a key constituency today and for the future:
| | |
— 48% of the population of "developing" countries are under 25 years old.
| | |
| — 40% of those in "least developed countries" are under 15.
| | |
| — Children who do not go to school now are more likely to have children who do not go to school in the future.
| | |
| — An individual's earnings increase by 10% for each year of schooling they receive. If the entire population receives quality education this translates to a 1% increase in GDP. Children who work now are more likely to have children who will need to work in the future.
| | |
| — 27% of children living in the developing world are malnourished, which affects their ability to learn and, as they get older, work.
| | |
Children as central to progress on the MDGs:
| | |
— MDG 1—Poverty and hunger: Children are the primary demographic structure through which poverty is transmitted across generations. The self-reinforcing cycle of poverty means that unless this generation of young people are given opportunities, the next generations will suffer too.
| | |
| — MDG 2—Education: An educated generation will have a massive impact on social capital for development, on health and on educational attainment of future generations.
| | |
| — MDG 3—Gender equality: Discrimination, exploitation and violence are learnt and more easily stopped during childhood.
| | |
— MDGs 4, 5, 6—Health and HIV and AIDS: Children's health during the early years determines their future options to a large extent and investment in the health of children and young people has critical economic benefit at all levels of society.
The HIV and AIDS crisis means that investing in children is important not just for the future but the present as well (because they are household heads and responsible agents as result of losing parents/carers to AIDS).
| | |
| — MDG 7—Environmental sustainability: Getting children and young people on board as environmental champions will be the only way to protect the environment in the medium and longer-terms.
| | |
| — MDG 8—Global partnerships: Good governance depends on developing good citizenship and encouraging dialogue and conflict prevention from the youngest ages possible.
| | |
|
| |
|
2.2 The Child Rights Working Group recognises that DFID's
White Paper does, in places, specifically refer to children, particularly
in relation to the provision of health services and education.
It also recognises them as among those who are acutely affected
by poverty and conflict and states that it puts "ordinary
women, men and children first" (p 7). However, we are concerned
that it does not explicitly recognise children as rights-holders
and critical agents of development. As a consequence of this,
it also fails to detail commitments to supporting children's rights,
beyond those to social provisions such as health and education,
in line with obligations under the UNCRC.
2.3 In recognising children as rights-holders and critical
agents of development, we believe that DFID's White Paper should
have:
— committed to undertaking analysis of the extent to
which children's rights have been realised and the factors affecting
this within a particular partner country when developing Country
Assistance Plans—our submission to DFID's consultation on
the White Paper called for the introduction of child rights situational
analysis into country-level planning processes, such as Country
Governance Analysis (CGS). Though the White Paper details that
22 CGAs have been undertaken by the Department, there is no consideration
of how this tool could be better used to support the rights of
children through DFID's work;[24]
— recognised and affirmed the role of children's participation
in the development process—our submission to DFID's consultation
on the White Paper called for a focus on building the capacity
of children to engage in issues that directly affect them, most
importantly in relation to conflict and fragile states. Foci on
empowerment and participation, or even the recognition of the
need for dialogue, are all absent from the White Paper; and
— detailed DFID's commitment to protecting children
and building-up their resilience through its development cooperation—our
submission to DFID's consultation on the White Paper called for
DFID to commit to the development of a child protection policy
and code of conduct within for the Department, ensure international
development policy decisions take into account all aspects of
a child's developmental needs and are accountable to children
and build the capacity of DFID staff, at home and across country
offices, to protect children's rights.[25]
None of these commitments are present in the strategy.
These are the primary recommendations for how the UK Department
for International Development could better put children at the
heart of its international development cooperation. The rest of
this submission considers each of the main themes of the White
Paper and examines in more depth DFID's treatment of children
and children's rights in these. It also makes recommendations
for strengthening DFID's focus on children.
3. GLOBAL ECONOMIC
GROWTH
3.1 The White Paper recognises the importance of rebuilding
economic systems for people and not just for countries. The WP
acknowledges the vulnerability of children and the impact of economic
instability on the rights of children, specifically in terms of
access to education and the additional burden of duty placed on
children within vulnerable households. DFID responds to this need
by pledging to build social protection systems to help 50 million
people in over 20 countries over the next three years (p 25).
It also commits to lobbying the World Bank, as well as regional
development banks, to commit to the same focus. The pledges on
social assistance and related measures, including long term social
protection systems with a specific child-focus, are welcomed (p
25). Attention to children with no adult support—such as
child-headed households and children involved in the street—is
also needed, however.
3.2 Other remaining gaps in the strategy on economic security
include (a) the need for research into the impact of macroeconomic
and international trade regimes on children, (b) addressing issues
of food insecurity and malnourishment of children, and linked
rights violations such as children's denial of education and healthcare,
more explicitly with aims and targets for change (see p 37), (c)
a greater focus on child protection within education to reduce
drop-out rates of both boys and girls (eg, reducing violence within
schools and homes), (d) clarity about gendered and age differences
between children and their involvement in different types of labour
and action to reduce child labour and to encourage schools to
be accessible, and adapt to, child labourers, all of which would
contribute to longer-term economic growth.
4. CLIMATE CHANGE
4.1 The DFID White Paper acknowledges, in brief, the
additional burden placed on women and children as a result of
the effects of climate change, noting specifically the impact
on livelihoods of increasing resource scarcity and the resulting
vulnerability (eg, p 47 and 63). The White Paper does not, however,
move from this recognition to addressing the consequences of this
added burden on children, that is, recognising the added importance
of child protection mechanisms or the impacts of the increased
burden on education, child health and the wider community.
4.2 Where building resilience is mentioned, children are not
a priority group and direct actions relate to addressing infrastructure
and specific adaptation methods, as opposed to building community
capacity or tackling the threat to child rights as a consequence
of climate change impacts. While social protection measures are
mentioned in response to climate change, it is within the context
of better access for all, and not the specific provision of such
services designed for and with children. Children and young people
should be encouraged to be active agents in climate change responses.
4.3 DFID will encourage Southern networks of civil society
groups, which is welcomed, but without mentioning particular interest
groups (p 57). Since youth and children are the least responsible
but will suffer disproportionately as a result of climate change,
harnessing them as climate champions would offer significant opportunities
for change.
5. FRAGILE AND
CONFLICT-AFFECTED
AREAS
5.1 DFID priorities relate largely to prevention of conflict,
that is, building peaceful states, treating security and justice
as a basic service, supporting economic opportunities, working
more effectively across government and delivering co-ordinated
international responses after conflicts (p 71). While violence
against women is highlighted at all levels of society (p 70 and
74), violence against children has a far lower priority in the
identification of both problems and solutions, despite its devastating
impact on child development, educational performance and, therefore,
longer-term development for all. For children, challenging violence
is a high priority for action, including but not limited to those
children living in countries that are fragile or conflict- affected
(see UN's Study on Violence against Children, 2006).
5.2 While girls are mentioned as victims of violence (p 75),
and are more often subjected to sexual abuse, research shows that
boys are physically abused as much as girls. In general, gendered
differentiation between violence as experienced by boys and girls
at different ages is needed for developing effective child protection
systems and processes (UN 2006, see above).
5.3 The opportunities to integrate child protection within
DFID's security and justice strategy are numerous (eg, training
in child protection for civilian cadres [p 78], peacekeepers and
police; development of child protection systems that are integrated
with the actions to protect women from violence; and the development
of child protection policy and code of conduct for DFID itself).
This working group would be more than willing to offer detailed
proposals.
5.4 The White Paper addresses the abuse of human rights
as a result of conflict situations—acknowledging the increased
vulnerability of both women and children and denial of their basic
rights—and seeks to tackle this through investment in civil
society, both within fragile states and across all "developing"
countries. A significant gap remains for specific investments
in civil society organisations that target children's rights and
prioritise working with children affected by conflict.
5.5 DFID acknowledges the disproportionate vulnerability
of women and children in post-conflict situations, particularly
in regard to the high risk of sexual violence. There is, however,
no specific mention of the need to focus on protection measures
for children, either within conflict or as a result of violence
and abuse in other situations.
5.6 Also missing is the understanding of the need to
engage with boys and girls in dialogue around their involvement
in conflict, and the engagement of children in emergency protection
preparedness activities that can mitigate the longer-term effects
of war.
5.7 We welcome the proposal to develop a strategy on
the protection of all civilians in armed conflict (p 82) and encourage
DFID to consider the specific needs and rights of girls and boys.
This network would be happy to offer advice on addressing children's
needs and rights.
6. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL
REFORM, VALUE
AND IMPACT
6.1 The focus of the paper on international institutional
reform is on improving delivery of current initiatives over refocusing
the direction of international systems. Where the inclusion of
child rights or dialogue around children is currently missing
in the external environment, there has been no attempt to include
it. The biggest omission is that DFID makes no mention of our
commitment to the UNCRC or support for the UN and governments
in ensuring that this international treaty is properly implemented
and monitored.
6.2 DFID could strengthen the implementation of its strategy
and amplify its impact by addressing these gaps (a) building the
capacity of local child-focused civil society organisations and
networks in the South, (b) invest in better monitoring and improving
government accountability on obligations set out in the UNCRC,
(c) improve the links between action on gender and age equity
(p 110 and 128), (d) invest in research or the funding of an impact
assessment, or the UK government's achievements on child rights,
(e) introducing a child rights situational analysis into donor
and country government planning and review processes (See Appendix
1).
7. CONCLUSION
The Child Rights Working Group is encouraged by DFID's obvious
desire, demonstrated through its leadership in establishing the
DFID/CSO Children and Youth Network, to engage more with the role
of children in international development cooperation and the impact
of development programmes and policies on this constituency. Though
we believe that the White Paper has not adequately addressed and
responded to these issues, we look forward to continuing dialogue
with DFID on them. Both the Working Group as a whole, and its
individual members, would be more than willing to work with DFID
on any of the proposals in this paper in a joint effort towards
the realisation of the MDGs and the fulfilment of children's rights.
APPENDIX 1
COUNTRY GOVERNANCE ANALYSIS AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF CHILDREN[26]
INTRODUCTION
Following the 2006 UK Department for International Development
(DFID) White Paper Eliminating world poverty: making governance
work for the poor, DFID adopted a new analytical tool to monitor
governance and guide the delivery of UK development aid. As such,
Country Governance Analysis (CGA) is intended to inform the design
of DFID's country programmes by "provid[ing] a short, sharp
and robust overview of the key governance and conflict issues,
the scenarios and the implication for DFID/HMG".[27]
Among the mandatory information to be obtained at country level
as part of a CGA is the partner government's commitment to "respecting
human rights and other international obligations".[28]
As part of this analysis, the Child Rights Working Group of the
DFID/CSO Children and Youth Network believes that attention must
not just be given to the human rights of adult men and women but
also to the human rights of children.
Children constitute half the population in many developing countries
and a third of the global population. The United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the most widely ratified
human rights instrument in history. Despite this, children remain
a distinctively marginalized group in many societies and in much
of the development process. Indeed, in the case of DFID, children's
rights feature very rarely in Country Plans (CPs) at present[29]
leading to the assumption that they are also given inadequate
attention in CGAs. Not only does this indicate that legal commitments
to protecting, promoting and fulfilling children's rights under
the CRC are not being met by both donor and partner governments,
but it also highlights a failure to recognize that a focus on
children's rights can maximise the effectiveness and sustainability
of development initiatives by tackling the root causes of child
poverty, thus breaking poverty cycles.
CHILD RIGHTS
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
AS A
CORE COMPONENT
OF CGAS
A Child Rights Situational Analysis (CRSA) should form part
of the CGA at country level. A CRSA is an analysis of the extent
to which children's rights have been realised and the factors
affecting this within a particular country, rather than a comprehensive
survey of the situation of all children in a country. The benefits
of undertaking a CRSA as part of the CGA are:
— A CRSA is an invaluable tool which enables the status
of children's rights to be monitored and can be used to guide
the way in which DFID delivers aid in order to ensure that children
are taken into account in accordance with its international obligations.
— A CRSA can help to strengthen key components of governance
within a country. It can increase the sustainability of programmes
by highlighting paths to strengthening a partner government's
capability and accountability towards the fulfilment of children's
rights; for example, a CRSA might expose that there are significant
gaps in a government's ability to gather essential data which
are needed to monitor implementation of children's rights. Improving
these systems will ensure that governments can be better held
accountable for implementing children's rights.
— Taking children's views into account as part of a
CRSA gives the CP legitimacy and also contributes to children's
empowerment. Children's participation in a CRSA (even at a remove
and as part of a desk review) ensures that the planning process
has a firm basis in reality since children have information that
adults may not have, are prepared to address issues that adults
may be wary of and have insights into the problems faced by the
whole community.
— A CRSA can challenge preconceptions about development
and how it works and can provide a unique and illuminating perspective
on "old" problems; for example, looking at child budget
analyses can highlight discrepancies between resources allocated
to fulfilling children's rights and resources allocated to military
expenditure.
— Conducting a CRSA can strengthen the process of risk
assessment. It provides a different perspective on governance
structures and might flag up crucial areas of concern such as
an erosion of space for children and young people to participate
in society and to be involved in decisions taken by government
which affect them.
INTEGRATING A
CRSA INTO A
CGA
DFID stress that "undertaking a CGA should be a straightforward
process"[30] as
it is an analysis largely based on available data. The CRSA takes
much the same approach and would require country offices to:
3. Consult with relevant stakeholders—According to DFID,
"the CGA should be as far as possible a country-level analysis
shared by partner governments, DFID, FCO, OGD, other donors and
civil society".[32]
The CRSA will also benefit from this process of consultation with
a specific objective of obtaining feedback on the gaps in fulfilment
of children's rights identified in the CRSA. However, integrating
a CRSA into a CGA means that there must be greater focus on information
that comes directly from children regarding which of their rights
are violated and what the government is doing to prevent this.
This can be obtained by seeking out previous participatory consultation
processes with children such as during the PRSP process or when
the government was preparing a CRC state party report or civil
society its alternative report.
4. Use the CRSA effectively to inform the final CGA and, ultimately,
the CP—Informing the CGA with a situational analysis of
the rights of children will enrich the poverty analysis of the
document and enable DFID to make a more effective and targeted
contribution towards the timely achievement of MDGs in its Country
Plans. Moreover, the analysis can be used here to outline how
DFID can work towards addressing the gaps in the implementation
of children's rights drawing on the assessment made of gaps, priorities
and key partnerships with government, donors and civil society
in order to meet its obligations under the CRC.
FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION
Please see the Child Rights Working Group report Making
Children the First to Benefit: How DFID can integrate children's
rights into its Country Assistance Plans or contact Jennifer
Grant at J.Grant@savethechildren.org.uk.
November 2009
21
Current members: Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International,
Child-to-Child Trust, Child Rights Alliance of England, International
Childcare Trust, International Children's Trust, ChildHope UK,
Children's Legal Centre, Consortium for Street Children, EveryChild,
Overseas Development Institute, Plan International, Railway Children,
Save the Children UK, Toybox, WarChild, World Vision UK, UNICEF
UK, Y-Care International. Back
22
The UNCRC defines children as those "below the age of 18".
This is the definition used by the Children's Working Group. Back
23
General Comment No 5 (2003) CRC/GC/2003/5 http://www.unhchr.ch Back
24
Further consideration is given to this matter in Appendix 1. Back
25
Until the capacity of DFID itself is strengthened in relation
to incorporating child rights, including child protection, the
UK international development strategy and implementation will
fail to address the rights of children effectively. Back
26
This paper draws heavily on Child Rights Working Group report
Making Children the First to Benefit: How DFID can integrate
children's rights into its Country Assistance Plans. Back
27
DFID (2008) How To Note: Country Governance Analysis, page 3. Back
28
DFID (2008) How To Note: Country Governance Analysis, page 17. Back
29
See the Child Rights Working Group report A Study of the Child
Rights within DFID p 27 for more of this analysis. Back
30
DFID (2008) How To Note: Country Governance Analysis, page 3. Back
31
Further guidance to support this analysis can be found in the
Child Rights Working Group report Making Children the First
to Benefit: How DFID can integrate children's rights into its
Country Assistance Plans Back
32
DFID (2008) How To Note: Country Governance Analysis, page 13. Back
