{"id":2032,"date":"2019-06-08T11:21:56","date_gmt":"2019-06-08T11:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.bashariyat.org\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2019-06-09T12:24:17","modified_gmt":"2019-06-09T12:24:17","slug":"unicef-child-protection-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.bashariyat.org\/?p=2032","title":{"rendered":"UNICEF Child Protection Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Child Protection Strategy defines the contribution of UNICEF to national
\nand international efforts to fulfill children\u2019s rights to protection and to achieve the
\nMillennium Development Goals, within the context of the UNICEF medium-term
\nstrategic plan (MTSP) for 2006-2009. The strategy has been developed through
\nintensive consultation with a wide range of key partners and UNICEF staff.
\nIt is recommended that the Executive Board adopt the draft decision in
\nsection VII.<\/p>\n

I. The strategic aim of child protection<\/h4>\n

1. Child protection is an issue in every country and a high priority for UNICEF.
\nUnder the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international treaties, all
\nchildren have the right to be protected from harm. UNICEF activities are guided by
\nthe existing international normative framework for the rights of the child, as well as
\ndecisions and policies agreed in United Nations intergovernmental bodies. This
\nstrategy will be implemented in close cooperation with host Governments.
\n2. Preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse is essential to
\nensuring children\u2019s rights to survival, development and well-being. The vision and
\napproach of UNICEF is to create a protective environment, where girls and boys are
\nfree from violence, exploitation, and unnecessary separation from family; and where
\nlaws, services, behaviours and practices minimize children\u2019s vulnerability, address
\nknown risk factors, and strengthen children\u2019s own resilience. This approach is
\nhuman rights-based, and emphasizes prevention as well as the accountability of
\ngovernments. It enhances aid effectiveness by supporting sustained national\u00a0capacity for child protection. Finally, it reflects children\u2019s own roles and resilience\u00a0capacity for child protection. Finally, it reflects children\u2019s own roles and resilience
\nas agents of change and actors in strengthening the protective environment.
\n. Successful child protection begins with prevention. The priority given to
\neducation, health and addressing gender discrimination in the Millennium
\nDevelopment Goals and in UNICEF work underpins this preventive strategy,
\nincluding in emergencies. Child-sensitive approaches to social protection can make
\na major contribution: the renewed emphasis of UNICEF on policy advocacy, in
\ntandem with its work in child protection, aims to intensify attention paid to children
\nwithin national social protection systems and among international development
\nactors. National legal frameworks that put an end to impunity and give children
\naccess to justice are also essential.
\n4. Strong child protection provides a bulwark against the web of risks and
\nvulnerabilities underlying many forms of harm and abuse: sexual abuse and
\nexploitation; trafficking; hazardous labor; violence; living or working on the
\nstreets; the impact of armed conflict, including children\u2019s use by armed forces and
\ngroups; harmful practices such as female genital mutilation\/cutting (FGM\/C) and
\nchild marriage; lack of access to justice; and unnecessary institutionalization, among
\nothers. A protective environment for children boosts development progress, and
\nimproves the health, education and well-being of children and their evolving
\ncapacities to be parents, citizens and productive members of society. Harmful and
\nabusive practices against children, on the other hand, exacerbate poverty, social
\nexclusion and HIV, and increase the likelihood that successive generations will face
\nsimilar risks. Child protection is thus an integral part of, and a critical UNICEF
\ncontribution to, the achievement of the Millennium Declaration and Development
\nGoals.
\n5. Child protection concerns are global, and transnational: UNICEF will
\nprioritize child protection in all parts of the world, in situations of both crisis and
\nstability.
\n6. This strategy aims to reduce children\u2019s exposure to harm by accelerating
\nactions that strengthen the protective environment for children in all settings. It sets
\nout these accelerating actions in broad and strategic terms. It supports the child
\nprotection results currently identified for UNICEF work, and will help to articulate
\nand underpin such results for a decade. The strategy does not set more, new or
\ndifferent goals,1 targets or indicators for child protection nor, given the scope of
\nchild protection, does it detail programmatic guidance. Through identification of
\nstrategic actions for enhanced child protection worldwide, UNICEF hopes to<\/p>\n

influence the approaches of other actors working in child protection, human rights
\nand development, as well as the private sector, in order that our congruent efforts
\nhave more impact. All programs and actions for the benefit of children\u2019s health,
\neducation, participation or for addressing the impact of HIV and AIDS should
\nlikewise be designed so as to strengthen protection, and must never undermine it.<\/p>\n

7. The strategy builds on the extensive international normative framework for
\nchild protection, and on relevant recommendations of the Secretary-General\u2019s Study
\non Violence against Children. It emphasizes knowledge management and brokering;
\naddressing social exclusion; integrating child protection into all sectors, including
\nhealth and education, and into emergency work; capacity-building of governments
\nand other partners; and working \u2018upstream\u2019 to obtain sustained results. In this
\nstrategy, UNICEF continues to emphasize the importance of partnerships at all
\nlevels, including with children themselves.
\n8. The strategy\u2019s five principal sections are grouped by the main approaches for
\nbuilding a protective environment: (a) strengthening national protection systems,
\nand (b) supporting social change; followed by (c) promoting child protection in
\nconflict and natural disasters. The cross-cutting areas are (d) evidence-building and
\nknowledge management, and (e) convening and catalysing agents of change.
\n9. In each area, the strategy builds on lessons learned at country level, combining
\napproaches that are already part of child protection guidance with others that
\nrepresent emerging sound practice. The strategic actions identified respond to:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The global expectation of UNICEF leadership in child protection.
\n\u2022 The need for broad-based partnerships that can leverage gains in child
\nprotection.
\n\u2022 The value of building on previous achievements.
\n\u2022 The need to ensure that the multiple aspects of the protective environment are
\naddressed.
\n\u2022 The potential for contributing to measurable advances in child protection over
\na 10-year period.
\n\u2022 The need to synergize the work of United Nations agencies to achieve child
\nprotection results.<\/p>\n

II. Securing the protective environment<\/h4>\n

10. This section sets out broad and specific strategic actions for strengthening
\nchild protection. The Protective Environment Framework (PEF), set out in the 2002
\nUNICEF Operational Guidance Note, defines eight broad elements that are critical
\nto good protection. These interconnected elements work individually and
\ncollectively to strengthen protection and reduce vulnerability. UNICEF work in
\nsecuring a protective environment, in line with human rights, is oriented towards
\nreducing disparities in access to information, advice and services, whether these
\ndisparities are based on geographic or economic obstacles or discrimination based
\non sex, age, ethnicity or other factors.<\/p>\n

The Protective Environment Framework<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Governmental commitment to fulfilling protection rights: includes social
\nwelfare policies, adequate budgets, public acknowledgement and
\nratification of international instruments.
\n2. Legislation and enforcement: includes an adequate legislative framework,
\nits consistent implementation, accountability and a lack of impunity.
\n3. Attitudes, traditions, customs, behavior and practices: includes social
\nnorms and traditions that condemn injurious practices and support those
\nthat are protective.
\n4. Open discussion, including the engagement of media and civil society:
\nacknowledges silence as a major impediment to securing government
\ncommitment, supporting positive practices and ensuring the involvement
\nof children and families.
\n5. Children\u2019s life skills, knowledge and participation: includes children,
\nboth girls and boys, as actors in their own protection through use of
\nknowledge of their protection rights and ways of avoiding and
\nresponding to risks.
\n6. Capacity of those in contact with the child: includes the knowledge,
\nmotivation and support needed by families and by community members,
\nteachers, health and social workers and police, in order to protect
\nchildren.
\n7. Basic and Targeted Services: includes the basic social services, health
\nand education to which children have the right, without discrimination,
\nand also specific services that help to prevent violence and exploitation,
\nand provide care, support and reintegration assistance in situations of
\nviolence, abuse and separation.<\/p>\n

8. Monitoring and oversight: includes effective systems of monitoring such
\nas data collection, and oversight of trends and responses.<\/p>\n

11. These elements together describe National Protection Systems and also Social
\nChange. National Protection Systems comprise elements for which the State bears
\nprimary responsibility for action: government commitment, legislation, service
\nprovision, monitoring, and building human capacity. Open discussion, social norms
\nand the engagement of children themselves require strong support from
\ncommunities and civil society, and are addressed here as Social Change. In practice,
\nthese approaches are heavily intertwined: Legislation contributes to changes in
\nsocial norms (for example, in attitudes towards child labour), and regulations and
\ntraining aiming to reduce violence in schools are more effective when backed by
\nsocial consensus. Categorizing these approaches helps to communicate the key
\nactions UNICEF can take to support protective social norms and the scale-up of
\nprotection capacity, legislation and services to benefit children and families.<\/p>\n

II.A. Building national protection systems<\/strong><\/h4>\n

12. Child protection systems comprise the set of laws, policies, regulations and
\nservices needed across all social sectors \u2014 especially social welfare, education health, security and justice \u2014 to support prevention and response to protection related
\nrisks. These systems are part of social protection, and extend beyond it. At
\nthe level of prevention, their aim includes supporting and strengthening families to
\nreduce social exclusion, and to lower the risk of separation, violence and
\nexploitation.
\n13. Responsibilities are often spread across government agencies, with services
\ndelivered by local authorities, non-State providers, and community groups, making
\ncoordination between sectors and levels, including routine referral systems, a
\nnecessary component of effective child protection systems. Strengthening such
\nsystems requires attention to policy reform, institutional capacity development,
\nplanning, budgeting, monitoring and information systems. UNICEF is particularly
\nwell placed to influence the normative framework pertaining to children, through
\nlaw reform, policy development and standard-setting initiatives. This upstream
\napproach to child protection draws on the country-level and global experiences and
\nknowledge of UNICEF and others; is consistent with ongoing UNICEF work; and is
\nexpected to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of UNICEF support in close
\ncollaboration with other United Nations agencies. Building on the understanding of
\ngovernment accountability for protecting children under the Convention on the
\nRights of the Child and other international instruments, the approach aims to assist
\ngovernments in meeting these responsibilities. ,<\/p>\n

14. The priorities of system-strengthening work will vary. Low-resource countries
\nmay concentrate on defining a minimum package of child protection services and
\nlaws, and the policies and capacities to support them. Post-crisis countries will focus
\non re-establishment of rule of law and attention to child protection in various sectors
\nas these are re-invigorated. Middle-income countries are likely to reform and
\nimprove existing social and legal systems. Common concerns include addressing
\ngender power imbalances, strengthening coordination between sectors and
\nincreasing support through social protection and rule of law initiatives. In every
\nsetting, making sure that vulnerable, socially excluded or \u2018invisible\u2019 groups are
\nincluded within the reach of child protection systems will require special emphasis.<\/p>\n

Strategic actions for supporting national child protection systems<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

15. Incorporate child protection into national and decentralized planning<\/strong>
\nprocesses, including social protection strategies.<\/strong> This action is in line with the
\nfirst overarching recommendation of the United Nations Study on Violence against
\nChildren. Poverty reduction strategies (PRSs), national development plans, social
\nprotection strategies and sector strategic planning in health, education, social
\nwelfare and justice provide opportunities to incorporate child protection outcomes
\nand underlying system strengthening. These efforts should aim to secure greater
\npolitical commitment to social welfare through better understanding of the role that
\neffective protection plays in poverty reduction and national development.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Identify a minimum package of child protection services and advocate for their
\ninclusion in social protection strategies, in national and sectoral development
\nplans, and in legal reforms.
\n\u2022 Develop and apply an analytic tool for mapping and assessing existing child
\nprotection policies, laws and services for adequacy and to identify obstacles
\nand opportunities in implementation, especially in reaching vulnerable or
\nexcluded groups.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Conduct a cost analysis of the provision of child protection services, and
\nadvocate for adequate budget allocations.
\n\u2022 Strengthen attention to protection of particularly vulnerable children, including
\nchildren with disabilities, orphans, ethnic minorities and indigenous groups,
\nand children affected by AIDS.<\/p>\n

16. Ensure that social protection reform contributes to the achievement of<\/strong>
\nchild protection outcomes<\/strong>. The increased emphasis on social protection within
\ninternational development, including in high HIV prevalence countries, provides an
\nopportunity to emphasize preventive (as well as responsive) child protection
\nservices as being central to child-sensitive social protection. These services include
\nparenting education, day care, family support and youth services, social work and
\nalternative care. Recommendation 3 of the Violence Study, which focuses on
\nprevention and on addressing the underlying causes of violence, refers to policies
\nthat address poverty and other disparities. UNICEF can also advocate that protection
\nconcerns be addressed in the design of cash or in-kind transfers, and use the
\nopportunity to leverage greater support for strengthening of the social welfare
\nsector.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Support the incorporation of child protection outcomes, and the underlying
\nsystem-strengthening measures, in all social protection strategies.
\n\u2022 Support increased coverage of social protection, including social welfare
\nservices, to reach the most vulnerable children as a priority.<\/p>\n

17. Promote justice for children within the Rule of Law agenda.<\/strong>
\nRecommendation 9 of the Violence Study stresses the need to improve justice and
\nsecurity sector systems to protect children who come into contact with the law as
\nvictims, witnesses and offenders, and to end impunity for crimes against children.
\nThere is great scope for broadening our partnerships to harness the work of others
\naround governance, peace and security, and justice sector reform, as well as scaling
\nup the use of our expertise in improving respect for child rights, for example
\nthrough the legal empowerment and involvement of civil society.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Promote a common United Nations approach and tools for justice for children,
\nwith greater attention given to children in Rule of Law efforts, leveraging the
\ninvestments of United Nations agencies and other development actors in the
\njustice sector in support of children\u2019s issues.
\n\u2022 Improve and disseminate knowledge on issues relating to children in State and
\nnon-State justice systems, including diversion and child-sensitive procedures,
\nto inform advocacy, policy positions and programmatic interventions.
\n\u2022 Promote the legal empowerment of children, women and excluded families,
\nand civil society in order to improve their access to justice to redress violation
\nof their rights, helping to break cycles of poverty, violence and exploitation.<\/p>\n

18. Strengthen coordination amongst child protection system actors.<\/strong>
\nRecommendations 5 and 6 of the Violence Study call for enhancing capacity of
\nthose working with children, and strengthening response and reintegration services.
\nSystematic incorporation of child protection concerns within health, education,
\njustice and security sector codes of conduct, professional training, and information
\nand management systems should be areas for future UNICEF work. Coordination
\nbetween these sectors and the establishment of functioning referral systems are key\u00a0to children and families receiving timely, appropriate, accessible and child-friendly
\nservices.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Increase attention to the protection roles and mandates of professionals within
\nthe work of UNICEF sectors of education, child survival and HIV. These roles
\ninclude professional standards, referral mechanisms and coordination at
\ncountry level, and should be reflected in planning, policy and guidance.
\n\u2022 Strengthen inter-sectoral work among the justice, security and social sectors
\nfor support to children in justice processes and reintegrating into society.
\n\u2022 Promote better inter-sectoral and inter-institutional coordination and
\noperational work flows focused on child protection outcomes, at different
\nadministrative levels, through innovative methods and UNICEF convening
\ncapacity.<\/p>\n

19. Strengthen the social welfare sector.<\/strong> Strategic approaches to the social
\nwelfare sector should focus on policy development, management and oversight
\ncapacity, as well as the quality and quantity of human resources, and better
\nmonitoring and information systems.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Support social welfare ministries in assuming an upstream role in the overall
\nnational child protection system. This includes support to strengthening
\ncapacity in strategic planning and costing of needed services. It also requires
\nadvocacy for appropriate budget allocation.
\n\u2022 Support systematic improvements in the quality and use of social work,
\nincluding its professionalization.
\n\u2022 Promote the development of appropriate regulations and guidelines to improve
\nquality of service provision by non-State actors, as well as government service
\nproviders.<\/p>\n

20. Support birth registration.<\/strong> Birth registration is a human right, and can
\nstrengthen children\u2019s access to legal protection and basic social services while also
\nimproving national data, planning, policy and budgets. It supports the
\nimplementation of national legislation on minimum ages, including for child labor,
\nchild recruitment and child marriage, and is valuable for tracing efforts when
\nchildren are separated from their parents. By documenting the relationship between
\nthe child, his or her parents and place of birth, registration facilitates the acquisition
\nof nationality by birth or descent, helping to prevent statelessness.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Work with partners, including international financial institutions (IFIs),
\ngovernments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to strengthen
\nsupport for birth registration, placing special emphasis on vulnerable and
\nexcluded groups.<\/p>\n

UNICEF work, lessons learned and challenges<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

21. In child protection work, UNICEF has increasingly moved towards system strengthening,
\nincluding policy and institutional reforms and capacity-building of
\nsocial welfare ministries and local government, often joining with the World Bank,
\nthe European Union and bilateral partners. In several regions, UNICEF helped to
\nensure that child protection services were integrated into national development plans\u00a0and poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs), and contributed to the reform of
\njuvenile justice systems.
\n22. Experience at country level shows that a range of entry points can be used to
\nstrengthen child protection systems, from alternative approaches to institutional care
\nin CEE\/CIS to HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa to commercial sexual
\nexploitation and trafficking in East Asia and Latin America.<\/p>\n

23. Strengthening national child protection systems as a whole helps to avoid the
\nduplication that often occurs with purely vertical programmes developed in isolation
\nfor specific categories of children. It can yield synergies with development partners,
\nin particular those working to improve social protection or strengthen rule of law.
\nResponsive child protection systems should build on the strengths of issue-specific
\nprogramming by ensuring that specific forms of vulnerability are addressed,
\nincluding those related to gender, disability, HIV, and indigenous populations, and
\nbe able to measure outcomes for different groups.
\n24. This approach presents some challenges, particularly regarding the roles of
\nministries and sectors. Social welfare ministries, commonly the cornerstone for
\nprotection, are generally poorly resourced, often lacking the human resources to
\ncarry out even statutory responsibilities. The justice and security sectors tend to give
\nscant attention to children. And despite their important role, the health and
\neducation sectors often lack child protection policies, codes of conduct and
\nestablished procedures.
\n25. Earmarking funds for child protection within national budgets is an emerging
\nphenomenon. The challenge is to obtain recognition of the importance and the costs
\nof child protection. No less than health or education, this sector needs adequate
\nfunding, oversight, measurement and monitoring, with the requisite capacity and
\npolicies in place.<\/p>\n

26. Strengthening child protection systems is not an end in itself. This systems
\nfocus is expected to lead to both incremental and dramatic results in the medium
\nterm. As family support services, referral mechanisms, alternative care, justice
\nresponses and victim support improve at local level, the proportion of children in
\nresidential care or detention should decrease, hazardous child labour should
\ndecrease or at minimum be addressed more quickly, and violence against children
\nshould decline.<\/p>\n

II.B. Supporting social change<\/h4>\n

27. Better child protection needs social consensus. The Violence Study notes that
\nviolence against children is significant in its scale, scope and underreporting, all of
\nwhich are exacerbated by societal acceptance. Some forms of violence are rooted in
\ndiscriminatory and unequal societal gender dynamics, and harmful practices can be
\ndeeply anchored within societies, making the involvement of all stakeholders in
\nsociety crucial to bringing about change.
\n28. In emergencies, disruption of the social fabric undermines protective norms,
\nsharply increasing children\u2019s vulnerability to violations of their rights and
\ncompounding factors such as displacement and loss of shelter. In communities
\naffected by HIV, discriminatory attitudes and practices aggravate the vulnerability
\nof affected children and their families. Shifts in societal attitudes and behaviors can be slow, but in some cases gains have been made rapidly: understanding FGM\/C
\nas a social convention, for example, provided insights for programming that has led
\nto significant levels of abandonment of the practice in some heavily affected
\ncommunities. Norms and values also play an important role in the functioning of
\nformal institutions, and civil society and young people can play critical social roles
\nthat lead to stronger government accountability.<\/p>\n

Strategic actions for supporting social change:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n29. Increase knowledge and data collection.<\/strong> Since 2003, UNICEF has
\ncontributed significantly to advancing understanding of the societal dimension of
\nprotection programming. However, much remains to be learned about supporting
\nlong-term protection-related social and behavioral change strategies, making
\nfurther research, data collection and analysis essential.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Expand academic partnerships to focus on specific challenges that concern
\nsocial norms and practices harmful to children, particularly to girls.
\n\u2022 Prioritize further disaggregation of data pertaining to protection-related social
\nnorms and practices.
\n\u2022 Commission or promote external evaluations of innovative initiatives.
\n\u2022 Conduct pilots and support scaling-up of social and behavioral change
\ninitiatives in selected urban, peri-urban and rural communities.<\/p>\n

30. Strengthen the protective role of families.<\/strong> The Violence Study strongly
\nrecommends that governments implement culturally appropriate and gendersensitive
\nparenting and care-giving programs to support families in providing a
\nviolence-free home. Such programs should include: (a) increasing the
\nunderstanding by parents and caregivers of the physical, psychological, sexual and
\ncognitive development of infants, children and young people in the context of social
\nand cultural factors; (b) promoting non-violent relationships and non-violent forms
\nof discipline and problem-solving skills; and (c) addressing gender stereotypes.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Promote parenting education to encourage alternatives to violence for
\ndisciplining children.
\n\u2022 Secure greater access to social protection for vulnerable families.
\n\u2022 Strengthen advocacy on the elimination of violence against women and girls in
\nthe home, school, community and society.<\/p>\n

31. Strengthen the protective role of communities.<\/strong> Communities are primarily a
\nsource of protection and solidarity for children. Working at community level is an
\neffective way of promoting social change, notably through non-coercive and
\nnon-judgmental approaches that emphasize the fulfillment of human rights and
\nempowerment of girls and women.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Raise community awareness and stimulate open dialogue on the rights of the
\nchild and on practices that result in social exclusion or harm to children.
\n\u2022 Encourage outreach by community members to interconnected social groups to
\ngain the consensus needed for positive change. \u2022 Support\/evaluate community-based child protection networks that monitor
\nchild rights, promote behavior change, and provide protection services and
\nsupport to victims of violence and harmful practices<\/p>\n

32. Promote meaningful child participation and empowerment.<\/strong> Engaging
\nchildren in active dialogue, and promoting respect for their views as established in
\nthe Convention on the Rights of the Child is critical for children\u2019s empowerment as
\nactors in their own protection and that of their peers. This includes child
\nparticipation in both formal and informal justice processes.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Strengthen UNICEF work in education, HIV and adolescence to promote
\nchildren as agents of change according to their evolving capacity, including
\nthrough life skills education, prevention of stigma and discrimination, and peer
\ncommunication.
\n\u2022 Partner with and support civil society networks to promote children\u2019s
\nparticipation and empowerment.
\n\u2022 Promote the legal empowerment of girls, boys and families, including through
\nlegal awareness and the provision of legal and paralegal services at community
\nlevel.<\/p>\n

33. Support public education and social dialogue.<\/strong> Public awareness campaigns
\ncan play a role in reducing the prevalence of unfavorable or discriminatory
\nattitudes, beliefs and harmful practices towards children.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Develop an approach to communication for social change that encourages the
\nabandonment of harmful or unprotective social practices and norms.
\n\u2022 Encourage opportunities for open dialogue on child protection topics, in
\nschools, institutions and community centers.<\/p>\n

UNICEF work, lessons learned and challenges<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

34. UNICEF contributed strongly to the participatory process of developing the
\nViolence Study, including organizing nine regional consultations with the
\nparticipation of governments, United Nations agencies, children, NGOs, media and
\nacademic research institutions. The main goal was to break the silence surrounding
\nviolence against children. UNICEF found remarkable openness to acknowledging
\nthe issue of violence, and readiness by governments to undertake significant new
\nstudies and surveys. The challenges of poor data, sensitivity and traditions must
\nnonetheless be acknowledged.
\n35. It is increasingly accepted that the social dynamics of traditional practices,
\nincluding harmful social norms and social acceptance of violent behaviour towards
\nchildren, are most likely to change through collective action. UNICEF and partners
\nare applying this collective model to accelerate social transformation at community
\nlevel, including the empowerment of women and girls and the promotion of gender
\nequality: In addition to a global coordinated strategy for the abandonment of
\nFGM\/C in one generation, UNICEF is examining the application of this approach to
\nother marriage-related practices such as child marriage and dowry. The community level
\nengagement needed for this approach poses short-term challenges to capacity.<\/p>\n

II.C. Strengthening child protection in armed conflict and
\nnatural disasters<\/h4>\n

36. Conflicts and disasters, more common and often more severe as a result of
\nclimate change, create new protection risks and worsen existing ones. The strategic
\nactions are grounded in international humanitarian and human rights law as well as
\nUNICEF emergency experience. Each involves strategy and tool development,
\ntraining initiatives, new and or strengthened partnerships with national counterparts,
\ninternational\/national organizations, academic and research institutions at global and
\nnational levels. All will be implemented through the relevant inter-agency processes,
\nsuch as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) cluster approach and
\nintegrated missions, where appropriate.
\n37. The Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCCs), organized
\naround categories of child protection violations, have encouraged rapid, predictable
\nUNICEF response. To limit duplication of effort, reduce stigmatization of targeted
\nchildren and adolescents and strengthen responses to other important categories of
\nvulnerable children, UNICEF is working to adapt the systems approach to child
\nprotection to emergency and transition contexts, for example through mechanisms at
\ncamp level that identify any vulnerable children, provide frontline support and
\nreferral to a range of support services (psychosocial support, family tracing, access
\nto education). The emphasis is on preventing and responding to violence,
\nexploitation and abuse rather than on particular categories of children. The present
\nstrategy complements the CCCs and strengthens coherence and synergies between
\nemergency and non-emergency child protection programming.<\/p>\n

Strategic actions for strengthening child protection in conflict and natural disasters:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n38. Build national (and subnational) child protection systems.<\/strong> In many
\nmedium-scale natural disasters or low-intensity armed conflicts, existing child
\nprotection systems continue to function to some degree. In rapid-onset emergencies,
\nthese systems have often played a crucial role in strong emergency response.
\nSupport strategies should take care not to weaken or undermine child protection
\nsystems, and where possible to strengthen the capacity of actors with national and
\nsubnational child protection responsibility to address the particular protection
\nchallenges of emergencies. This may involve supporting social welfare, education,
\nhealth, law enforcement and justice sectors to address issues such as the
\nidentification and provision of support and referral mechanisms for the most
\nvulnerable.
\n39. Where child protection systems do not exist or have been significantly
\nweakened, external actors should build on positive community mechanisms,
\nworking in partnership and strengthening the capacity of local actors, including civil
\nsociety, in support of child protection rights. Post-emergency situations can offer
\nopportunities to \u2018build back better\u2019, enabling the establishment of a separate
\njuvenile justice system, for example.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Develop and implement a framework on child protection systems in
\nemergencies and transitions.
\n\u2022 Support the incorporation of child protection emergency preparedness and
\nresponse planning into national planning mechanisms and help to equip\u00a0governments and other actors to identify and respond to new or exacerbated
\nchild protection challenges.
\n\u2022 Develop and implement models of community-based child protection systems
\nin emergencies.<\/p>\n

40. Support positive social change.<\/strong> The Child Protection Strategy recognizes the
\nneed to work with communities, and contribute to public education and social
\ndialogue. The participation and empowerment of girls and boys, including
\nadolescents, in reducing the culture of violence is especially important, and
\nmechanisms that address family and community dynamics that affect a range of
\nreintegration and reconstruction contexts will be identified and promoted.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Strengthen capacity to promote a culture of peace (such as addressing gang
\nmembership, familial and communal violence) including identifying good
\npractice on engaging adolescents, families and communities to address
\nviolence, and mobilizing youth for positive social change.
\n\u2022 Develop approaches to better address social change in transition as a result of
\nemergencies, including reintegration and the changing roles of family
\nmembers, especially children and adolescents, as a result of emergencies.<\/p>\n

41. Review, update, expand and implement emergency-specific multi-partner<\/strong>
\nguidance and mechanisms.<\/strong> Multi-partner guidance facilitates effective field
\ncooperation, particularly in emergencies, and the process of developing shared
\nguidance often yields a better product. Multi-partner guidance developed among
\nUnited Nations agencies, NGOs and inter-governmental organizations includes the
\nIASC guidelines on gender-based violence, and on HIV and AIDS; the Paris
\nPrinciples; the United Nations Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
\nstandards; the Inter-agency Guiding Principles on Unaccompanied and Separated
\nChildren, the CD-ROM on Child Protection in Emergencies, the Minimum
\nStandards for Education in Emergencies and other standards in area of landmines,
\nsmall arms and explosive remnants of war.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Develop guidance and mechanisms to respond better to child protection
\nconcerns during and after natural disasters, and to address emerging issues
\nincluding justice in emergencies, security sector reform, and children\u2019s
\nparticipation in transitional justice mechanisms.
\n\u2022 Support implementation of IASC and other existing guidance, including new
\nIASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency
\nSettings.
\n\u2022 Continue active participation in conflict-related mechanisms such as the
\nmonitoring and reporting mechanism under Security Council resolution 1612.
\n\u2022 Contribute actively to inter-agency approaches to protection.
\n\u2022 Identify opportunities for training personnel assigned to peace-building
\noperations on relevant child protection standards.<\/p>\n

UNICEF work, lessons learned and challenges<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

42. The CCCs have helped to achieve progress in child protection. UNICEF has
\nalso played an active role in developing interagency international standards, tools
\nand mechanisms. These efforts have strengthened responses in family tracing and in\u00a0the provision of psychosocial support in natural disasters, as well as for the
\nprevention of recruitment and the reintegration of children associated with armed
\nforces and groups. The CCCs and common standards have improved UNICEF
\nability to coordinate and contribute to common strategies with our partners. The
\nprotection cluster, where UNICEF is the focal point for child protection, encourages
\nincreased cooperation among partners that cover a wide range, beyond traditional
\nchild protection actors.
\n43. There is considerable expertise, guidance and extensive networks for particular
\nissues and categories of children in emergencies, and developing and implementing
\nchild protection systems in emergencies, while continuing to address specific
\ncategories of child protection violations, including in situations of armed conflict,
\nforeign occupation, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, terrorism or
\nhostage-taking, or where peace-keeping operations are deployed, will require
\ncontinued efforts, vision and support. In transition situations, the reconstruction of
\nthe social sector may not be seen as a priority. The rights of children can, however,
\nprovide common ground for dialogue and the prioritization of children in recovery
\nefforts.<\/p>\n

44. Collaboration among agencies helps to improve the effectiveness of United
\nNations child protection activities. To this end, UNICEF contributes to inter-agency
\nworking arrangements and supports efforts to integrate child protection into the
\nwork of all relevant actors. UNICEF also will continue to promote child protection
\nissues in United Nations integrated missions, including by increasing the ownership
\nand the understanding of child protection concerns among the leadership of such
\nmissions.<\/p>\n

III. Priority cross-cutting areas<\/strong><\/h4>\n

III.A. Evidence-building and knowledge management<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n45. Improving data collection, analysis and use underpins all areas of UNICEF
\nwork. This strategy seeks to strengthen the evidence base on child protection,
\ncontribute to other areas of knowledge, and ensure that evidence is used effectively
\nto improve policies, laws and their implementation. Stronger national child
\nprotection monitoring and country-level diagnosis will form an important part of
\nthese efforts. Stepping up its intellectual leadership in this area, UNICEF will take
\nfurther steps to promote research, building on the solid foundation provided by the
\nwork of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Center and external knowledge partners,
\nand to consolidate, analyse and disseminate information on child protection, both
\nglobally and locally.<\/p>\n

Strategic actions for strengthening evidence-building and knowledge management:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n46. Strengthen analytical capacities.<\/strong> UNICEF will strengthen its internal
\ncapacities and partnerships, including with academia, to generate, share and utilize
\nhigh quality knowledge, data and analysis on child protection. Additional support
\nfor the capacity of governments, partners and communities to collect, and apply,
\ninformation tools in child protection is essential.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Strengthen technical assistance and support to data collection and related
\ncapacity through multilateral and bilateral mechanisms.
\n\u2022 Maintain a repository of knowledge, good practices, innovations and lessons
\nlearned on child protection and ensure its dissemination.
\n\u2022 Establish communities of practice on child protection issues.<\/p>\n

47. Improve monitoring of child protection issues.<\/strong> The Violence Study
\nrecommends that States \u201cimprove data collection and information systems in order
\nto identify vulnerable subgroups, inform policy and track progress towards the goal
\nof preventing violence against children\u201d. There is also a need for global monitoring
\nand reporting systems to provide baseline data. National data collection on child
\nprotection should become routine, and should include disaggregation by sex, age
\nand other vulnerability factors, encouraging government accountability for
\nprotection results. UNICEF will continue to play a leadership role in global child
\nprotection indicator development and will emphasize the link between mechanisms
\nfor child rights monitoring and sectoral monitoring of child protection issues.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Convene partners to achieve consensus on child protection indicators and
\npromote regular local, national and global monitoring.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Establish regional monitoring mechanisms in partnership with regional bodies
\nand research institutions.
\n\u2022 Strengthen child protection modules of the multiple indicator cluster surveys
\n(MICS) and make these routine within MICS and other relevant datacollection
\nexercises.
\n\u2022 For emergency contexts, build consensus, support and implement indicators
\nfor standardized assessments of child protection in emergencies and for
\nmeasuring impact of interventions.
\n\u2022 Integrate, to the extent possible, regular and emergency child protection
\nprogram monitoring and reporting, and Security Council resolution 1612
\nmonitoring and reporting mechanisms in the relevant contexts<\/p>\n

48. Strengthen research and diagnosis of child protection challenges.<\/strong>
\nStrengthening national child protection capacities requires a sound analysis of child
\nprotection risks; of existing policies, structures and services that aim to protect
\nchildren; and the incorporation of the views of children themselves. Issues that may
\nappear identical from one country to another, such as children living and working on
\nthe street, can be driven by vastly different circumstances. Child protection situation
\nanalyses can inform the work of UNICEF as well as that of national, United Nations
\nand other development partners. Research on emerging issues that affect child
\nprotection needs to be identified and disseminated.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Improve and standardize child protection evaluation to demonstrate impact and
\nhelp replicate successful approaches.
\n\u2022 Improve child protection situation analysis to include law and policy review;
\nand gender and political environment analyses.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Identify, and initiate research into, the main evidence gaps, including: costeffectiveness
\nof various interventions, costing of child protection, assessment
\nof child reintegration programs, longitudinal research, global security agenda and child protection, and child protection and the changing physical
\nenvironment.
\n\u2022 Convene a high level child protection advisory group to identify and support
\nglobal, regional and national research needs.
\n\u2022 Consolidate, analyse and disseminate information on child protection in
\nemergencies, and promote further research.<\/p>\n

UNICEF work, lessons learned and challenges<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n49. Scaled-up efforts need to be based on sound evidence, a solid understanding of
\nlocal and national factors relevant to protection, including gender, and data that
\ninform decisions and support tracking of progress. In child protection, special
\nchallenges attach to each of these: data are hard to gather on issues that are illegal,
\nclandestine or sensitive; local social factors are important determinants of
\nprotection; and evaluation remains relatively sparse and of variable quality.
\n50. Since 2002, UNICEF has worked with many partners to introduce standardized
\ncommon child protection indicators. Partners working on Child Protection Indicator
\nDevelopment and Data Collection include the World Health Organization, the
\nInternational Labor Organization, the United Nations Development Program,
\nthe United Nations Statistics Division, the International Society for Prevention of
\nChild Abuse and Neglect, and members of the Inter-agency Coordination Panel on
\nJuvenile Justice.
\n51. While the identification of child protection indicators and the collection of
\ndata have improved significantly since 2002, data collection has proceeded more
\nslowly. Global data are collected by UNICEF on issues measurable through
\nhousehold surveys, including birth registration, child labour, child marriage,
\nFGM\/C, child disability and child discipline. Indicators have been agreed, but data
\nare not yet universally available on juvenile justice or formal care, which require
\nnational administrative information systems. Global data are not available on
\nviolence in schools, small arms and light weapons, and other issues that are
\nexceptionally sensitive or of a criminal nature, such as trafficking and sexual abuse.
\nThe DevInfo database management system is being expanded to include child
\nprotection data. EPI-Info is being used in several affected countries for surveillance
\nof landmine-related injuries and deaths.
\n52. Several governments have adopted mandatory data collection procedures, and
\ncountries are adding key child protection indicators in national development plans.
\nData often remain insufficiently disaggregated by some variables, such as disability,
\nleaving policymakers without the information needed to identify and plan
\nappropriate policies and services for those who are most at risk, excluded or underserved.<\/p>\n

53. More systematic evaluation of child protection initiatives will improve
\nlearning within and beyond UNICEF. Evidence of programme impact is increasingly
\nbeing captured across different sectors, as the Violence Study has illustrated.
\nUNICEF should do more to seek out and disseminate such evidence and to draw
\nattention to the child protection research agenda.<\/p>\n

III.B. Convening and catalysing agents of change<\/h4>\n

54. UNICEF is expected to take a leadership role on child protection issues. This
\ngives UNICEF a high degree of responsibility to act as an advocate, convener and
\npartner, encouraging and not overshadowing the contributions of others.
\n55. Child protection interventions can be accelerated and maximized by leveraging
\nthe full potential of partnerships with United Nations agencies, IFIs, national
\nGovernments, civil society, the private sector and faith-based communities.
\nUNICEF also has a useful catalytic function in brokering the potential assistance
\nand engagement of partners, in both advocacy and support and action on the ground.
\nIt is important to emphasize that as UNICEF moves away from issue-based
\nprogramming, there is still need to harness the energy and advocacy potential of
\nissue-based partnerships. The catalysing and convening action of UNICEF will be
\nenhanced by building and sharing a repository of knowledge, data and analysis on
\nprotection issues. New and creative forms of partnership will be explored.<\/p>\n

Strategic actions to convene and catalyse change agents:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n56. Promote the development and implementation of common, multi-partner<\/strong>
\nguidance for programs and advocacy.<\/strong> UNICEF will pursue existing
\npartnerships and networks to develop common positions and programming
\napproaches, leveraging the programming of partners for better child protection
\ndelivery.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Use current partnership frameworks and convene new ones to develop and
\nsupport the implementation of common approaches to child protection
\nprogramming.
\n\u2022 Build on major public and government commitments to specific groups of
\naffected children \u2014 such as children orphaned or affected by AIDS, trafficked
\nchildren or children with disabilities \u2014 while encouraging a broader approach
\nto programming.
\n\u2022 Convene and provide leadership around key emergency child protection issues,
\nincluding the IASC child protection subcluster, psychosocial support,
\nseparated children, justice for children, children unlawfully recruited or used
\nin armed conflict, and mine risk education.<\/p>\n

57. Encourage private sector collaboration.<\/strong> The private sector often plays a
\ncritical role in child protection. Building on the success of individual partnerships, a
\nbroader dialogue with the private sector will be pursued. Efforts will go towards
\nencouraging corporate social responsibility for child protection goals in both
\ndeveloping and developed countries, and in emergencies.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Expand dialogue with corporate partners, emphasizing the promotion of good
\npractices, and liaise with other expert partners to identify appropriate actions
\nat global, regional and country levels.<\/p>\n

58. Seek upstream benefits for child protection through partnerships.<\/strong>
\nPartnerships<\/strong> with bilateral and multilateral organizations, including IFIs, can
\ngenerate greater investment in sectors with child protection responsibility. UNICEF
\nwill work with partners to promote greater strategic support to government agencies
\nresponsible for protection, such as social welfare, and to ensure that the importance
\nof child protection is recognized and systematically addressed in economic
\ndevelopment initiatives. As well, UNICEF will support integration of emergency
\nresponse and preparedness strategies for child protection into national and peace support
\noperations.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Review with donors and agency partners the inclusion of child protection
\nwithin justice, governance, social protection and other categories of support.
\n\u2022 Support the incorporation of child protection priorities in humanitarian reform
\nand peace-building and peace-support operations, including at early stages of
\nmandate development.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Expand use of cost-benefit analysis to support strategic choices, including with
\nIFIs and the private sector around economic development issues.
\n\u2022 Participate in global child protection learning networks related to both
\nemergency and development contexts.
\n\u2022 Include national emergency preparedness and response capacity in national
\nplanning processes \u2014 especially in disaster-prone countries, for example, in
\nPRSPs, United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks, Common
\nCountry Assessments and Country Assistance Frameworks.
\n\u2022 Build engagement with and increase the capacity of peace-keeping troop
\ncontributing countries in order that their troops will contribute to a protective
\nenvironment for children when deployed.<\/p>\n

59. Strengthen advocacy<\/strong>. UNICEF will promote child protection through
\nadvocacy in both developed and developing countries through research and
\nevidence, existing partnerships and new opportunities. Linking programming and
\nadvocacy initiatives, or \u2018upstream\u2019 and \u2018downstream\u2019 efforts, can be particularly
\neffective. UNICEF ties with the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Office of
\nthe Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed
\nConflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against
\nChildren, and the Offices of the High Commissioners for Human Rights and for
\nRefugees will remain important. Engagement with civil society and young people in
\nthese efforts will be a priority.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Form high-level child protection expert groups to strengthen identification of
\ncritical and emerging issues and responses (these could include gang violence,
\ncyberspace depictions of child abuse, and children and migration).
\n\u2022 Develop strategies to support the incorporation of child protection targets on
\ndevelopment, rule of law and human rights agendas.
\n\u2022 Work with Parliamentarians to encourage political and legislative attention to
\nchild protection concerns.
\n\u2022 Identify and use opportunities to speak out on specific violations of children\u2019s
\nprotection rights, especially when doing so can help make an immediate
\ndifference, or contribute to positive changes in attitudes, practices or policies
\nin the medium or long term.
\n\u2022 Support advocacy on violence against children through cooperation with and
\nsupport to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence
\nagainst Children and the inter-agency group on Violence against Children, and\u00a0systematic follow-up of recommendations in the Secretary-General\u2019s Study on
\nViolence against Children.
\n\u2022 In industrialized countries, build on global initiatives, and the work of
\nNational Committees for UNICEF, to advocate for greater attention to child
\nprotection.
\n\u2022 Expand teaching initiatives and academic partnerships on child protection.<\/p>\n

UNICEF work, lessons learned and challenges<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n60. The extensive child protection partnerships at global level are illustrated in the
\nStrategy Reference Document (the companion background document to the
\nStrategy). Many of these partnerships are also active and effective at regional and
\nnational levels, and UNICEF is engaged in thousands of additional partnerships as
\npart of programming and advocacy at country level. More progress can be made in
\npartnerships and advocacy, especially taking into consideration the leadership role
\nof UNICEF in child protection, the opportunities presented by the ongoing process
\nof United Nations coherence, the aid effectiveness agenda, and collaboration with
\nboth IFIs and private sector bodies.
\n61. Partnership-building around justice for children is an example of making good
\nuse of the environment created by United Nations coherence initiatives. The
\nSecretary-General\u2019s Rule of Law Reports and related decisions identify UNICEF as
\nlead agency for juvenile justice, enabling the organization to convene a process with
\nother agencies to develop a United Nations-wide approach to justice for children.
\nThis goes beyond \u2018children in conflict with the law\u2019 to look more broadly at the
\ntreatment of children within the law enforcement and justice sectors. This approach
\nshould ultimately enhance attention paid to children across all United Nationssupported
\nrule of law work and on the broader agendas of governance, security and
\njustice sector reform, areas in which justice for children can easily be integrated.
\n62. Understanding Children\u2019s Work (UCW) is a partnership among UNICEF, the
\nWorld Bank and ILO\/International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour.
\nThe UCW joint research program has produced reports on the linkages among
\neducation, health and child labour and has begun to engage in advocacy.
\nNevertheless, progress is yet to be made in introducing child labor into priority
\nareas, such as the economic and social development work of the World Bank or the
\nsocial protection aims of the ILO.
\n63. UNICEF has a long history of engagement with the private sector for child
\nprotection, including on broad-based campaigns and Codes of Conduct. There are
\npromising examples of reducing and eliminating the use of children in\u00a0manufacturing, agriculture and extractive industries, children\u2019s sexual exploitation
\nin connection with travel and tourism, and in the sale of child abuse images. In
\nmany cases, companies have taken initiatives to prevent the exploitation of children
\nin their own sectors, and have been influential in the formulation of public policy as
\nlobbyists, advocates and advertisers.
\n64. Advocacy around child protection issues in industrialized countries has been
\nincreasingly taken up by National Committees for UNICEF \u2014 nearly always
\nthrough partnership with other national civil society organizations \u2014 on issues
\nranging from child trafficking (United Kingdom Committee) to FGM\/C
\n(Switzerland Committee).<\/p>\n

65. The role of young people in protection advocacy is becoming more evident
\nand more visible. Adolescents who face acute protection challenges have been
\nhighly effective advocates on violence against children and the impact of armed
\nconflict, and in breaking the silence on subjects considered sensitive.<\/p>\n

IV. Leveraging results through the strategic use of resources<\/strong><\/h4>\n

66. UNICEF will intensify its efforts to increase the knowledge and awareness of
\nall staff members regarding child protection; to further strengthen the skills of child
\nprotection staff; and to deploy staff for greatest impact. Work with partners will also
\nbe strengthened to leverage the greatest impact from financial resources. UNICEF
\nwill promote codes of conduct or ethical standards for human resources and
\nbusiness practices that reflect child protection principles.
\n67. Staffing.<\/strong> UNICEF child protection costs reflect little direct
\nimplementation\/service delivery, and almost no supplies, working mainly through
\ncapacity development, technical support, policy advocacy, liaison and alliance building.
\nThis labor-intensive and interactive work requires highly qualified staff.
\nIn the absence of sufficient child protection staff with the required skills, child
\nprotection objectives cannot be met.
\n68. Child protection staff traditionally have backgrounds in law, social work and
\nadvocacy, and also need sound political judgment and analytical skills. Strengths in
\nsocial policy, behavioural sciences and social change, organizational development,
\nand networking and coordination are increasingly important. Country
\nRepresentatives and staff in other sectors also require the skills to build child
\nprotection into the full range of UNICEF programming and advocacy.
\n69. In strengthening staffing at country, regional and headquarters levels, staff
\ntime for effectively maintaining the many child protection partnerships should be
\ntaken into account.<\/p>\n

Strategic Action<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Undertake strategic human resources planning to integrate these capacities into
\nrecruitment and training.
\n\u2022 Design a corporate learning strategy for non-protection staff.<\/p>\n

70. Funding. Support for longer-term strategies in support of systems strengthening
\nand social change remains a challenge. Funding for child protection in
\ncountries giving it low priority has also been a challenge. Strategies should be
\ndeveloped to strengthen support for child protection initiatives.<\/p>\n

Strategic Action<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Undertake review of how best to leverage additional resources for child
\nprotection through governments, the private sector, United Nations and IFI
\npartners, and other UNICEF priority areas.
\n\u2022 Convene annual meetings of the Child Protection Donor Group.<\/p>\n

71. Applying child protection principles to practice.<\/strong> Child protection principles
\nmust also be reflected in UNICEF human resources and business practices, and
\nextended to the wider United Nations family. In recent years, UNICEF committed to
\na \u201czero tolerance\u201d policy towards the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, or
\nany other form of child abuse or exploitation by its staff or those directly affiliated
\nwith the organization. In addition, the Secretary-General\u2019s bulletin on special
\nmeasures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse established a
\ncode of conduct for all United Nations staff.<\/p>\n

Strategic Action<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Reflect the UNICEF zero tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and
\nabuse of children through the inclusion of the policy\u2019s provisions in the
\ncontracts of UNICEF staff, UNICEF partners and UNICEF vendors.
\n\u2022 Review human resource and business practices with respect to strengthening
\nprotection against other forms of child exploitation and abuse.<\/p>\n

V. Tracking progress<\/strong><\/h4>\n

72. Indicators of child protection outcomes are tracked within the MTSP. In
\naddition to this results-monitoring, UNICEF is working to broaden tracking to
\ninclude critical indicators not currently in wide use, and measurements of the
\ncoherence of government efforts to improve child protection. UNICEF proposes the
\nfollowing measures and milestones for 2010:<\/p>\n

\u2022 A biannual review of child protection progress, accompanied by a dedicated
\nreport on the State of Child Protection, beginning with a leadership forum\/high
\nlevel review of child protection progress.
\n\u2022 A review of child protection policies and procedures in selected national health
\nand education systems.
\n\u2022 The tracking of official development assistance related to child protection.
\n\u2022 The establishment of global baselines in juvenile justice and alternative care.
\n\u2022 Review of the evaluability of programme outcomes in UNICEF-supported
\nchild protection programmes.<\/p>\n

VI. Conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n

73. Safety and support should be the norm for all children everywhere.
\nGovernments have made extensive commitments to prevent children from being
\nexploited and abused, and to respond effectively when they are. Even as countries
\npost impressive gains in child survival and in education, however, full child
\nprotection remains elusive, in developed and developing countries alike.
\n74. Over the past decade, child protection has risen higher on the UNICEF agenda
\nand that of the international community. There is broad recognition of the fact that
\nchildren in both developed and developing countries face protection risks, and of the
\ncross-border nature of many protection issues. There is also greater recognition of
\nthe linkages between improved child protection and sustainable achievement of the
\nMillennium Development Goals. As this strategy helps illustrate, there are abundant
\nopportunities to strengthen attention to child protection in national development\u00a0plans, within rule of law and other sector-strengthening efforts, to make social
\nprotection a reality, and to improve humanitarian response. The ability of UNICEF
\nto use these opportunities will depend on building the evidence base, scrutinizing
\nand applying lessons learned by all child protection and development actors, taking
\nleadership on knowledge management and strengthening and making effective use
\nof partnerships.<\/p>\n

VII. Draft decision<\/h4>\n

75. It is recommended that the Executive Board adopt the following draft decision:
\nThe Executive Board<\/p>\n

Endorses the \u201cUNICEF Child Protection Strategy\u201d (E\/ICEF\/2008\/5\/Rev.1)<\/em>
\nas the UNICEF strategy document for programs and actions in support of Child<\/em>
\nProtection.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary The Child Protection Strategy defines the contribution of UNICEF to national and international efforts to fulfill children\u2019s rights to protection and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, within the context of the UNICEF medium-term strategic plan (MTSP) for 2006-2009. The strategy has been developed through intensive consultation with a wide range of key partners … <\/p>\n

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