Founded in 1994, the International Bureau for Children’s Rights (IBCR) is a non-governmental organisation based in Montreal, Canada that aims to make children’s rights a reality, with a special focus on those who face the greatest obstacles. With activities currently taking place in 14 countries, the IBCR works to transform the place of children in society and strengthen child protection and justice systems.
The International Bureau for Children’s Rights was founded in Montreal on September 7, 1994, on the basis of an observation and a commitment. The observation was that children did not have the opportunity to exercise their rights fully, equally and in all circumstances, even though these rights had been enshrined five years earlier in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. And the commitment was to help build “a world in which children’s rights are a reality.”
30 years later, our observation remains largely unchanged and our commitment is renewed.
First, let’s be optimistic. To date, the Convention has been ratified by 197 states and our work has directly contributed to strengthening child protection and justice systems in some 50 countries. And several other advances have been made worldwide.
But let’s also be realistic. There continue to be large gaps between the rights that have been guaranteed to children and the everyday reality of far too many young people around the world, though the challenges they face differ from one situation to the next. And the discrepancies are starker than ever, not only because new forms of child rights violations are emerging, but also because children are so often considered less than full-fledged citizens and their thoughts and experiences are overlooked or discounted.
That’s why, 30 years on, making children’s rights a reality continues to be our goal. Our focus is clear: we’re concentrating on the children who face the greatest obstacles in exercising their rights. We aim to transform their place in society and ensure that they have access to appropriate, supportive and child rights-friendly protection and justice. This is what we do and will continue to do. The hallmark of our work is to strengthen the willingness and ability of children and those who work with them to promote rights through concrete, day-to-day action.
This report covers the period from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. It provides a snapshot of our approaches and achievements with our partners. 2024 also marks the end of the 2021–2024 strategic planning cycle, which was based on the ambition “to rise up to the level of children.” For that reason, this annual report focuses on how far we’ve come with each of the priorities outlined in the Strategic Plan.
Of course, this report is also a way for us to look ahead to the coming years. Having refreshed our organisational identity on the occasion of our 30th anniversary, we hope to capitalise on our past achievements as we take on new challenges and issues. This annual stocktaking exercise will re-energise us and strengthen our collective resolve to make children’s rights a concrete reality.
This report is limited to just a few of the year’s highlights. For more information on our activities, please visit our website at www.ibcr.org, follow us on social media or reach out to our teams.
Martin Causin Director General
The International Bureau for Children’s Rights (IBCR) in 2024
MISSION
The organisation focuses on supporting the children who face the greatest obstacles in making their rights a reality by “transforming their place in society and strengthening the child protection and justice systems.”
This contributes to a world in which children:
• Have their place in our societies
• Have access to protection that promotes their well-being;
• Have access to a justice system that is adapted to their needs and respects their rights.
The
IBCR aims to create
“a world in which children can exercise their rights.”
- VISION
ACTIONS
Since all three of our stated objectives are interrelated, the IBCR has adopted a systemic approach that involves identifying relevant players and collaborating with them through six key areas of activity:
1. Strengthening capacities
To encourage flexible, child-friendly systems and practices
2. Facilitating coordination between actors
To break down silos and promote child-centred coordination
3. Promoting child participation
To support children’s meaningful participation in decisions that affect them and in their communities.
4. Facilitating experimentation
To rethink practices related to children’s rights
5. Mobilising the public and decision-makers
To create political environments that are more favourable to children’s rights
6. Generating knowledge
To understand the dynamics surrounding children’s rights
and figures from 2023–2024
We have active projects and initiatives in 14 countries throughout Africa, North America, Central America and South America.
2
ONGOING PROJECTS IN CANADA
5 ONGOING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS (13 COUNTRIES)
2
CORE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORKS UNDER DEVELOPMENT
348
CHILDREN INVOLVED IN OUR PROJECTS
69 EMPLOYEES, 28 INTERNS, 44 VOLUNTEERS, ACTIVELY WORKING WITH US 87 989
PEOPLE EQUIPPED OR TRAINED THROUGH OUR PROJECTS, INCLUDING 42 984 WOMEN
Our projects and initiatives in 2023–2024
Mali
DRC
Burkina Faso
Senegal
Canada
Honduras
Togo
Morocco
Tunisia
Côte d’Ivoire
Madagascar
Colombia
Peru
Costa Rica
The IBCR’s current projects and initiatives are featured on our website at www.ibcr.org.
Volunteer Cooperation Programme | 11
countries – 34 partners
Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Tunisia, Peru, Colombia, Honduras and Costa Rica | 2020-2028
The IBCR runs the Integral Reinforcement of Children’s Rights Program as part of Canada’s Volunteer Cooperation Program. It aims to improve the social well-being of vulnerable individuals, particularly women and girls.
OBJECTIVES
• Improve respect for children’s rights, gender equality and the inclusion of vulnerable groups at the national level by strengthening the capacity of partner organisations, particularly through the implementation of innovative initiatives
• Encourage Canadians to get involved in international development and children’s rights in order to spark change within Canada and beyond
KEY ACTIONS
• Coordinate more than 250 volunteer cooperation assignments, enabling qualified volunteers to share their expertise and experience in order to strengthen our partners’ ability to promote and uphold children’s rights
• Support the sharing of knowledge, skills and best practices between actors at all levels of the child protection system in a given country
• Promote innovation in the field of children’s rights and gender equality through the creation of a Social Lab, where project partners can collaborate, share ideas and work together to implement innovative approaches and initiatives
• Raise awareness among Canadians, through special events and campaigns, about current issues affecting children’s rights and how they can take action to address these issues
This programme was made possible thanks to financial support from Global Affairs Canada.
Burkina Faso | Preventing and combating sexual and genderbased violence against children
Biig-Yi-Nere: For the well-being of children | 2021-2026
This initiative is a partnership between the Burkinabe government, the IBCR, various networks, community groups and civil society organisations, and children from Burkina Faso. The goal is to improve the child protection system through capacity building and coordination efforts in the following sectors: defence and security, social work, health, education and justice.
OBJECTIVES
• Strengthen child-rights competencies and combat violence among members of the defence forces (armed forces and gendarmerie) and security forces (police and regional child protection brigades), and personnel from the education, social services, health, justice (magistrates and judges, prison security guards) sectors
• Implement tools to prevent and effectively counter sexual and gender-based violence against children, especially girls
• Empower children, enhance the mobilisation of children as rights holders, and promote their participation in their own protection
This project was made possible thanks to financial support from Global Affairs Canada.
Canada – Québec | Young people speak out
2021-2023
The IBCR firmly believes in the importance of listening to what youth have to say and taking their perspectives into account—particularly when making decisions that affect them. Since 2021, IBCR and its five partners have been working with roughly 60 young people ages 14 to 17 in the Montreal metropolitan area, enabling them to share ideas, ask questions, learn and connect with resources related to their rights.
OBJECTIVES
• Empower young people to take action by providing them with a safe space for participation and skill development, thereby enabling them to gain the confidence and tools needed to refine their critical thinking, express opinions and engage in dialogue with adults
• Provide youth with the tools they need to prevent sexual exploitation, play an active role in protecting themselves and their peers, and become key contributors in the development of measures aimed at combating sexual exploitation
• Raise awareness among decision-makers about the need for meaningful youth participation in the development of campaigns and policies that concern young people, with a view to making these initiatives more targeted and effective
This project was made possible thanks to financial support from the Ville de Montréal and the Ministère de la Justice du gouvernement du Québec. Proud partner of the City of Montreal’s Children’s Policy.
Democratic Republic of Congo | Strengthening the child protection system
Tonga Mpo Na Bolamu Ya Mwana*: Building for the wellbeing of the child | 2022-2027
Building on the Batela Mwana project (2015–2020), Tonga Mpo Na Bolamu Ya Mwana aims to build an effective child protection system that is adequately prepared for the various challenges it encounters. This will ensure that children across the country are able to exercise their rights and enjoy a life free of violence and exploitation.
In particular, the project aims to build capacities and strengthen coordination within three sectors whose roles in child protection are often overlooked:
• The penitentiary sector, to guarantee the rights of children deprived of liberty from the time they are detained through to their safe and inclusive rehabilitation
• The labour inspectorate, to help identify cases of child economic or sexual exploitation, which often involve informal arrangements and occur out of sight of traditional child protection actors
• The private travel sector, to better identify, prevent and counter violations of children’s rights, particularly economic or sexual exploitation related to internal and international migration, which is a major issue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
OBJECTIVES
• Expand the role and power to effect change of children (especially girls) and civil society associations in matters related to child protection
• Support the development of more child-friendly practices in targeted sectors
• Strengthen coordination between the various actors in the targeted sectors
* In lingala. The project title has also been translated into the DRC’s other national languages: Kikongo (Tunga Samu na mambote ya mwana) and Swahili (Djenga juu ya vizuri ya Mtoto).
This project was made possible thanks to financial support from Global Affairs Canada.
Senegal | Empowering girls and frontline actors to take action against sexual and gender-based violence
Xalé Sama Yité: The child, our top priority | 2020-2025
Through a partnership between the Senegalese government, civil society, the IBCR and the children of Senegal, this project aims to support the government’s efforts to reduce violence against children within the country, with special attention to sexual and gender-based violence.
OBJECTIVES
• Increase the professionalisation of key child protection actors in the following sectors: security (police and gendarmerie), the judiciary, the prison system and social services
• Reinforce the role and autonomy of children in the fight against violence and in the defence and promotion of child rights
This project is being conducted with technical and financial support from UNICEF and Global Affairs Canada.
Québec and Honduras | Increasing accountability within the tourism sector to prevent child sexual exploitation
2023-2024
This project uses a “mirror effect” approach to combat sexual exploitation in the tourism sector. The participants include players from the private tourism and travel industries, tourism training institutes, and national organisations working in the fields of tourism or the prevention of child sexual exploitation.
OBJECTIVES
• Co-develop a high-potential and innovative initiative to combat child sexual exploitation in the tourism sector
• Promote a broader understanding of child sexual exploitation in the tourism sector
• Learn from different prevention and intervention initiatives and experiences
• Share inspiring practices with tourism industry players to promote capacity building
• Create new channels for long-term collaboration and partnership
This project was made possible through financial support from the Québec Ministry of International Relations and la Francophonie.
Canada | Pre-departure training in children’s rights for Royal Canadian Mounted Police personnel assigned to peacekeeping missions
Ongoing
Every year, dozens of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers are sent on United Nations peacekeeping missions in countries experiencing conflict. They join tens of thousands of Blue Helmets deployed to protect the population, including children, in unstable areas.
Since 2011, the IBCR has contributed to their pre-departure training by offering a course on child protection in situations of conflict and by providing practical tools and handbooks that RCMP officers can bring with them on assignment. This prepares the officers to respond appropriately in situations involving children and ensure child rights are safeguarded in all circumstances.
Five highlights from 2023–2024
Five significant events marked the IBCR’s experience in 2023–2024. We wrapped up flagship projects, started new ones and achieved meaningful results during this period. Our strategic international position was reaffirmed and, of course, we celebrated our 30-year anniversary.
A sixth global competency framework for gender equality and inclusion
For almost 15 years, the IBCR has been working to professionalise services provided to children around the world. Our goal is to ensure that every profession, group or team charged with safeguarding children’s rights is properly equipped to do so. To achieve this, we use a competency-based development approach that stems from a consultative process involving hundreds of specialists from every continent. Over the years, we’ve defined core competencies in child protection for defence and security forces (2011), social services workers (2017), justice personnel (2019), and people working with children deprived of liberty (2020). These framework documents are now freely available at www.ibcr.org/publications
A fifth framework is currently being finalised. It will identify the core competencies required to enable the full participation and empowerment of children ages 13
to 18 in their communities. This year we also initiated the development of a sixth framework, this time focusing on the core competencies for gender equality and inclusion, in partnership with the African Union Mission for Mali and the Sahel.
It will help actors in the child protection system understand how to concretely promote gender equality and inclusion in their professional practice. Internationally, there is growing interest in—and demand for—inclusivity through universally accessible and equitable environments. And yet, doubts surrounding these ideals persist in many sectors involved in child protection. Because of the difficulty in identifying the skills and knowledge that uphold gender equality and inclusion, which are often seen more as an outcome or a posture, there currently are no reference materials or documentation on the subject.
Regional workshop to establish the core competencies for gender equality and inclusion, Côte d’Ivoire, November 2023
This initiative will help define a framework for the core competencies that professionals in the child protection system need in order to promote gender equality and inclusion in their practices. It will also uphold the United Nations’ sustainable development objectives, which focus on supporting marginalised people and ensuring that no one is left behind.
A collaborative process was launched with professionals who work with children and want to be better equipped to take diversity into account in their work. Two workshops
were held this year: the first in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in July 2023, and the second in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in November 2023. Through these activities, a number of related experiences and best practices were identified from over 15 countries, resulting in a common vision of gender equality and inclusion in work involving children.
The consultation process will continue in 2025 in Central America, and the framework will be finalised and distributed later in the year.
November 20, 2023: Global advocacy for child-friendly justices
On November 20, 2023, the IBCR celebrated World Children’s Day with a hybrid event called “Zooming in on child-friendly justice.” Bringing together people from more than 10 countries, the event featured eight specialists from Canada, Africa, Europe, Central America and South America. Speaking on two panels, these specialists discussed concrete actions aimed at promoting child-friendly justice on a global scale. The two themes addressed included effective practices in the field of justice, and various perspectives on the deprivation of liberty in children. Nearly 200 people attended the event, either online or in person.
Following the conference, the IBCR published an open letter as an urgent appeal to governments. In it, the IBCR argued that there is an indisputable need to tailor the justice system to the specific needs of children, as most aspects are currently designed for adults. The letter stressed the crucial importance of stepping up efforts to implement child-friendly restorative approaches.
Opening address by Martin Causin, IBCR Director General, World Children’s Day, November 20, 2023
Excerpt from the open letter:
“By ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, Canada officially committed to giving children access to child-friendly justice. However, if the government wishes to uphold its national and international commitments to this important issue, the IBCR believes that it must adopt specific measures that take into account the unique realities and needs of children. This means implementing three interrelated approaches: child-centred justice, […] restorative justice [...] and a justice system made up of several complementary systems.”
The full letter is available at www.ibcr.org.
December 31, 2023: The Young people speak out Project Wraps Up
It all started with an observation in 2021. At this point in time, Québec had just recorded a significant increase in reported and confirmed cases of online sexual exploitation and sextortion, a trend that was exacerbated by the pandemic and the advent of the screen-centric era. The Young people speak out project involved the IBCR, five partners and around 60 young people ages 14 to 17. They spent a year sharing ideas and holding discussions on the role and place of young people in society. Then, during the summer of 2022, the youth participants began surveying their friends and families on topics such as the influence of social media on young people, interpersonal relationships (including romantic relationships, friendships, power dynamics, trust, etc.) and sexual consent.
In 2023, these efforts led to the development of recommendations on how to improve tools, prevention methods and awareness-building campaigns targeting youth, the goal being to make them more effective and representative their reality, particularly in the area of online sexual exploitation.
All of their recommendations are available at www.ibcr. org/en/young-people-speak-out-the-recommendations/.
World Children’s Day event organised by the IBCR, November 20, 2023
Young people speak out recommendations launch event, Montreal, May 11, 2023
In the latter half of 2023, the young project participants came together at a summer cottage retreat to come up with ideas for an advocacy strategy that would get the attention of policymakers and lead to changes in decisions affecting children and youth. Afterward, the group organised a round table discussion on participation together with decision-makers from the City of Montreal. The event took place in Montreal on December 7, 2023. In addition to sharing diverse perspectives, the attendees also laid the foundations for a movement to improve child participation in decisions that concern them. The young participants also drafted a letter to Québec’s Minister of Youth outlining how they and their peers need access to spaces where they can take positive action on issues that concern them.
The project was discussed in an interview that aired on Radio Canada’s L’heure du monde on June 26, 2023. The project and event were also featured in an article in Le Devoir.
In the fall of 2023, a documentary came out chronicling the Young people speak out project and its unique process centred on adolescents. It offered a close look at their perceptions, views and work on the project, while highlighting the importance of including youth in discussions on matters that concern them.
The documentary is available on the IBCR’s YouTube channel.
Radio-Canada interview with participants in the Young people speak out project, Montreal, June 26, 2023
1994-2024: Celebrating 30 years of the International Bureau for Children’s Rights
The IBCR was founded in 1994 and it celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024!
The organisation marked the milestone throughout 2024, with various press articles and roughly 30 social media posts highlighting its past achievements and ongoing initiatives. The celebrations culminated with a special anniversary event on November 21, 2024.
Early in 2024, a number of videos and posts were shared on the IBCR’s social media accounts, showcasing our mission, values and child-rights activities.
The IBCR logo was revamped for our 30th anniversary.
Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for full coverage of our anniversary activities.
A new project in Québec
In March 2024, the IBCR obtained funding from the Québec Ministry of Justice for the Partir de nous project. The initiative aims to give girls involved in sexual exploitation the opportunity to lead discussions with their caseworkers and peers, and to develop training tools that genuinely reflect their reality. The broader purpose of the project is to transform the place of children in society and improve their protection and participation by ensuring that practices support the needs of girls experiencing sexual exploitation and safeguard their rights. The project also aims to spur the creation of spaces where these girls have the chance to speak and be heard by adults, leading to greater empowerment.
The project will be implemented in 2024 and 2025. Complete information about the project, including the related press release, are available on our website at www.ibcr.org.
Strategically important progress in 2023–2024
The International Bureau for Children’s Rights’ Strategic Plan 2021–2024 sets out clear priorities informing the organisation’s decisions and actions during the fouryear period, with the aim being for the IBCR and its members to “rise up to the level of children.”
The strategic plan is available on our website at www.ibcr.org/publications.
This annual report describes the progress we made during 2003–2004 in each of the priority areas established in the Strategic Plan. The information presented in this report stem from the IBCR’s institutional processes, the Biig-Yi-Nere project in Burkina Faso (third year of implementation), the Young people speak out project in Canada (second and final year of implementation), the Volunteer Cooperation Programme (third year of implementation), the Tonga Mpo Na Bolamu Ya Mwana programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (second year of implementation) and the XaléSama Yité programme in Senegal (fourth year of implementation).
Listening to children and ensuring their participation
/ OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2023–2024 /
Child participation is central to the IBCR’s approach. We value children’s right to freely express their opinions and to be actors in their own development, as appropriate for their developmental stage, well-being and best interests. Children should be empowered to defend their protection and rights, and not simply be spectators to these processes. They are able to understand and form opinions on decisions affecting them. As a process, youth participation must be well thought out, inclusive, scalable, appropriate and meaningful, as it is for adults.
01 | Reorienting our advisory committees
In 2023–2024, all of our projects included consultations with children. Some 60% of these projects had children’s advisory or consultative committees who were tasked with providing opinions, influencing strategic decisions and monitoring the results of the IBCR’s projects.
During the year, however, the roles of these committees were updated in Senegal, Burkina Faso and the DRC. In addition to preparing children to analyse their environment and establish priority areas, actions were taken to establish closer ties between these children and the various agencies in their respective national protection systems.
Over 340 children, including 134 girls, took part in IBCR projects this year.
These activities allowed us to gain better self-confidence, develop as leaders, learn not to discriminate against others and always act with integrity […].
- Boy member of a committee, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
02 | Strengthening our ability to collect data with children
This year, we developed our collaborative research processes, most notably with a pilot collaborative assessment process conducted with children in Tunisia as part of the mid-term review of the Volunteer Cooperation Programme (VCP).
In Senegal and Burkina Faso, children on advisory committees collected data to improve their understanding of sexual and gender-based violence against children in their communities. They established research priorities and methods, observed their environment, exchanged views with key child protection actors, collected and analysed relevant data, and generated their own findings.
03 | Approving the IBCR’s Child Safeguarding Policy
A new Child Safeguarding Policy was approved this year. The policy sets out principles to guide the implementation of measures for safeguarding the rights of children and adolescents in all of the IBCR’s activities and to ensure their safety. It establishes a comprehensive framework to make sure that, in our day-to-day work environment, children and youth are protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence.
Capacity building was also extended to the IBCR’s partner organisations that work with children to align their interventions with this safeguarding policy.
In the DRC, training tools on child protection were developed and a child protection focal point was appointed within each of the advisory committees’ partner organisations.
Under the Volunteer Cooperation Programme, three initiatives (one per region) were carried out to improve these partners’ capabilities in child safeguarding.
We already had certain safeguarding tools in place, but this workshop shed light on the need to systematically carry out a risk analysis before any activity with children.
- Community organisation member who received training under the project, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
04 | Further developing a global reference framework on core competencies in child participation
Through our ongoing partnership with the Université du Québec en Outaouais, we continued our collaborative work on an initiative to identify the core competencies for empowering youth ages 13 to 18 and support their full participation in their communities.
Our partner organisations initiated consultations with children aimed at collecting information that will be used to determine which competencies they deem important.
/ FIGURES AND TESTIMONIALS /
Some 84% of the young people participating in the VoY project in Québec say they’re able to identify the various forms of adolescent sexual exploitation (a 21 percentage-point improvement since the project outset). All participants now join discussions or share opinions on issues related to sexual exploitation (compared to 79% previously).
Before the project, I felt really disconnected from the social issues that concern me, but now that my views and recommendations have been taken into consideration, I feel much more involved in society. I now feel motivated to get involved [...] and take a stand on certain issues. I feel more like I’m part of society.
- 17-year-old participant in the VoY project, Quebec City
Workshops with children, Burkina Faso, June 18, 2023
In Senegal, project activities helped strengthen child participation in community awareness building, a process that enabled young people to develop their leadership and advocacy skills. Participants reported improvements in their self-confidence, self-reliance and ability to defend their rights and protect themselves (particularly against child abuse).
Through the committee, we were able to develop a lot of leadership skills. Before, we didn’t feel comfortable speaking in front of a large audience, but now we can express ourselves in front of anyone. We’re not shy anymore. We’ve gained confidence and skills.
- Child member of the advisory committee during the focus group with committee members, Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso and Senegal, children organised prevention and awareness-raising activities to combat sexual and gender-based violence against themselves and their peers.
89% of the participating girls and boys say they take steps to prevent violence (Burkina Faso).
83.5% of the children (and 92% of the girls) feel capable of defending their rights in collaboration with other players, in particular with the various national authorities (Senegal).
84% of the girls who took part in the empowerment activities now feel confident expressing their views (Burkina Faso).
As soon as I joined the project, I had a kind of revelation. The project has opened my eyes. Not only did I learn new things, I also developed skills and knowledge about child protection and how to interact with my friends and other members of my community. [...] We’re leaders! We’re sufficiently prepared, equipped, mature and responsible to ensure that children’s rights are respected in our communities and everywhere.
- 17-year-old female member of the empowerment committee in Fatick, Senegal
/ WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON? /
We spent the last several years structuring our actions in terms of child participation and safeguarding. Now we need to ensure that the practices developed are applied systematically and bring about meaningful change in the vision for child participation in our projects and in their communities, so that children can be full-fledged players in their own protection. The IBCR will continue to develop innovative methods for more active and significant child participation in all our projects. We will add specific training for our staff on facilitating child participation, focusing on safe and engaging methods and on ensuring that their voices have real influence.
2APV child protection workshop, Saint-Louis, Senegal, July 12, 2023
Providing tools and permanent training for actors in contact with children
/ OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2023–2024 /
Strengthening the capacities of professionals who work with children is one of the IBCR’s core activities. We offer training on approaches for aligning practices with children’s rights and help develop and update tools that clarify and standardise the roles and responsibilities of the various actors in youth protection systems. In doing so, we enable professionals to do their jobs more effectively, gain a better understanding of children’s rights and needs, and appreciate the special considerations specific to each individual.
This year, nearly 2,900 professionals (of whom 25% were women) received information, training and tools on how to make their practices more child-friendly.
01 | Better training for relay agents in our host countries
Relay agents are members of professional sectors targeted by IBCR projects. Their role is to disseminate the tools and procedures produced by each project on a larger scale. They facilitate the adoption of these tools and approaches by a larger number of professionals in their countries, thereby encouraging more widespread changes in practice.
This year, training for relay agents was strengthened, with a focus on training the trainer and adding simulations.
In Burkina Faso, relay agents ensured that new procedures were shared broadly across the justice and armed forces sectors, enabling them to be adopted throughout the country.
In the DRC, 35 relay agents received training on the new child intake procedure for staff at state-run childcare and education establishments (EGEE), and these agents are now ready to disseminate it in the field.
I really liked the methodology used by the project facilitation team, as it made it easy to understand the content of the operating procedure. [...] I feel adequately prepared to pass it on to my colleagues.
- Relay agent who participated in the training on the EGEE operating procedure in the DRC, March 2024
In Senegal, 20 relay agents received training and disseminated information on the justice system’s procedure for supporting child victims of sexual violence in the country’s main courts of appeal (Dakar, Thiès, Saint-Louis, Kaolack, Tambacounda and Ziguinchor). Some 165 people, including specialised educators, members of the judiciary and first instance court staff, benefitted from this initiative.
02 | Innovative training tools
The IBCR aims to keep training relevant and appropriate by being attentive to trainee feedback and sensitive to the contexts in which courses are delivered. This year, this was particularly true of our Biig-Yi-Nere project in Burkina Faso, in which we worked with the country’s armed forces. We developed an innovative training programme to ensure our actions were aligned with the sector’s specific needs. The programme was designed to be delivered in the field, where military personnel intervene, rather than in a school setting. The course content focuses on teaching military personnel how to act appropriately and respectfully in their interactions with children. This new approach will serve as the starting point for a more indepth review of all our training courses.
In Burkina Faso, three training courses were finalised: for the military, the judiciary and the child protection system.
In Senegal, six training courses were completed. Designed to strengthen the core competencies and knowledge of individuals working in the country’s target sectors, the courses focused on protecting children’s rights, and preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence against children, with specific attention to the needs of girls. Two courses were developed for social workers, two for security forces, one for the penitentiary workers, and one for justice personnel. In total, 73 trainers (including 16 women) were prepared to deliver the courses, all of which will be permanently added to the educational programmes for each sector. This will lead to lasting change in the professional practices.
The training taught me a lot about the right way to interact with children, especially as a soldier. We first covered how to communicate with children in difficult situations, then we learned about children’s rights and finally how to care for injured children.
- Participant in the military train-the-trainers course, Burkina Faso
Child-rights training for Royal Canadian Mounted Police personnel: Four training sessions were held this year for Royal Canadian Mounted Police personnel for a total of more than 40 hours of instruction. In all, some 40 individuals received training prior to their deployment to the International Criminal Court, Ukraine, the West Bank, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti.
Military SOP dissemination workshop – Burkina Faso, June 2023
SOP refresher workshop for justice-sector relay agents – Senegal, January 2024
The training put us into field scenarios, [with] very relevant and contemporary topics. It was very comprehensive […].
The case studies confirmed what we’d learned [and] clarified points that could be misunderstood by individuals who have never been on a UN mission before.
- Constables who attended the training
/ FIGURES AND TESTIMONIALS /
97% of security force and justice personnel who participated in the project activities related to standard operating procedures say they feel adequately prepared to intervene in cases of sexual and gender-based violence, compared with 42% before the project (Senegal).
96% of professionals in the target sectors who took the training or participated in activities related to standard operating procedures say they have the right skills and knowledge to implement childfriendly practices, marking a 32 percentage-point improvement in one year (Senegal).
86% of the partners of our Volunteer Cooperation Programme significantly improved their organisational practices after receiving support from the project.
We are now very sensitive to cases involving children [...]. We used to treat children the same way we treat adults, within the limits established under the law. For example, going forward, if I have to question a child, I will wear civilian clothes instead of a police uniform to help them feel at ease.
- Judicial police officer, Senegal
/ WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON? /
One challenge that remains is to develop and implement competency-based tools that strike a balance between respecting the current context and promoting changes in professional practices. The IBCR will continually assess whether the training tools developed through our projects are accessible and relevant, taking into account end user needs and feedback. When appropriate, we will make adjustments to ensure the tools are as effective as possible.
Up: Participants in the FDS Specialised Toolkit pilot course – Senegal, January 2024
Emphasising partnerships, shared responsibilities and collaboration
/ OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2023–2024 /
The IBCR uses a collaborative approach in each of its initiatives. This involves ongoing collaboration with all actors within the child protection system and justice sector in all our target countries. Before recommending solutions or offering support, we actively seek their input and assess their specific needs and constraints. Given that collaboration is fundamental for our work, we share responsibility for the success and sustainability of our initiatives with our strategic partners. We believe that sharing responsibility and strengthening collaboration with and between our partners leads to a stronger sense of agency for the project initiatives and results. This in turn translates into better engagement, even once the project ends, and promotes longer lasting impact.
01 | New institutional partnership policy
This year we finalised our partnership approach, which is firmly anchored in the IBCR’s identity and underpins our work in developing and leading a network of partners whose visions, missions, activities and values are similar to our own.
02 | Facilitate the sharing of experiences and practices between our partners
In keeping with our collaborative approach, the IBCR facilitates meetings and forums for discussion for our partners so that they can share ideas on child-friendly practices and make tangible changes.
In November 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire, we capitalised on a workshop to identify core competencies for inclusion to host discussions between several of our partners from Frenchspeaking Africa. The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange ideas with members of the African Union Mission in the Sahel and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, most notably on the challenges of protecting uprooted children in the Sahel.
In February 2024, we organised a workshop in Honduras to collaboratively develop an initiative on preventing the child sexual exploitation in the country’s tourism industry. The co-construction workshop enabled our VCP partners (CICESCT and UDIMUF) to collaborate with public and private actors from Honduras and Québec.
03 | Better-targeted advocacy work
In some of our more recent projects, including the one in the DRC, we’ve reviewed the process for disseminating situational reports. This has allowed us to jointly define advocacy approaches aimed at strengthening the child protection system and addressing overlooked sectors.
04 | Facilitating coordination between justice and child protection actors
Through all our projects, the IBCR seeks to strengthen coordination between the various actors concerned by our mission by identifying their synergies: Who does what? When? With whom? How?
This can involve developing sector-specific procedures, multi-sectoral operating procedures, standardised practices and so on. This approach also helps eliminate siloed work and develop child-centred coordination.
This year in Senegal, two procedures tailored to the needs of girls were defined and formalised to help the justice system and security forces improve prevention measures and support services related to sexual and gender-based violence
In the DRC, three procedures were prepared. The first addressed intaking children into state care and education establishments (EGEE). In addition to clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the
various persons involved in intaking children at detention centres, it provides these workers with practical tools. The second was prepared for the labour inspectorate, providing information on how to identify and refer potential cases of child economic exploitation. The third was a practical guide on detecting, preventing and reporting cases of child sexual exploitation and related risks. The guide is intended for long-distance truck drivers, hotel workers and tourism personnel.
I’m glad we’ve been included in the work for the transport sector because we’ve started to consider child protection in our services.
- PPerson who attended the multi-sector working group in the DRC
In Burkina Faso, a fourth procedure was finalised concerning the rehabilitation of child victims of violence by child protection networks. This latest procedure complements three others already created for these actors. It addresses how to prevent violence, intake child victims and provide them with support during service interruptions.
The tool clarified the roles [of child protection network members] and reinforced what each person’s responsibilities are in terms of responding to violence against children. [...] Since the standard operating procedure was made available, it has become a reference for our work.
- Zakaria Ouedraogo, Sanmatenga Provincial Director, Kaya Capital City, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso, December 2023
/ FIGURES AND TESTIMONIALS /
90% of our partners got involved in developing strategies for sharing responsibilities.
84% of the professionals who participated in the project’s activities say they are satisfied with their level of collaboration and the coordination with other players in the child protection system in responding to child sexual and gender-based violence (Burkina Faso and Senegal).
86% of our VCP partner organisations increased their interactions with other national and international organisations thanks to the project, including 73% at the regional level.
Thanks to the project’s support, 62% of our VCP partners say they have established longer-lasting partnerships, which should strengthen broader efforts to improve children’s rights and gender equality.
Before the project, collaboration between the police and gendarmerie was practically nonexistent, which made it difficult to intervene in emergency situations [and] could have a negative impact on victims [...]. What’s more, we saw ourselves as competing actors, which created a toxic working environment when we had to cooperate. [...] Thanks to the project’s activities, we were able to work side by side in several workshops, breaking down certain barriers [...] and even building bonds. [...] There aren’t many projects where the police work with the gendarmerie in this way. [...] This collaboration between the police and the gendarmerie is very important and should be applauded.
- Zac Mbao, Police Commissioner, project focal point at the National Police Headquarters, Senegal
/ WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON? /
Our work to strengthen partnerships and improve collaboration has underscored the importance of shared responsibility management. But it has also highlighted the fact that optimised governance structures are necessary to ensure lasting results. All partners need to be involved in a balanced and effective way to ensure there is buy-in for changes and that initiatives are effective and sustained over the long term. Synergy and coordination between all actors in the protection and justice chain are central to these processes, which is why the IBCR must focus on strengthening them. The IBCR will continue to apply its partnership and collaborative approach by creating and leading a network of key partners, including those already involved in our projects and new ones identified as strategic. Through our actions, we will aim to achieve genuine co-construction of initiatives and projects, and more robust mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating partner collaboration.
Child care and education SOP validation workshop – DRC, August 2023
Mobilising and providing recognition for agents of change and innovation
/ OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2023–2024 /
Creating lasting, child-friendly change within youth protection and justice systems is dependent on the combined efforts of these agents of change and their influence on social norms and perceptions of child rights, and on legal, economic and political frameworks. The IBCR often works with professionals whose contributions are not sufficiently appreciated within systems, such as members of armed forces, social workers, workers in the informal economy, labour inspectors, and prison workers. By upgrading their skills and reviewing the procedures governing interactions within youth protection systems, we can increase awareness of what these workers do and strengthen the social fabric needed to make children’s rights a reality.
One of the IBCR’s key activities is to facilitate processes between actors that allow for practices and paradigms to be tested, analysed, developed and deconstructed, while experimenting with new or improved initiatives to address the challenges affecting children’s rights. These processes can take the form of a Child Rights Lab, collaborative research with children or initiatives implemented by children, and they help to rethink practices related to children’s rights. Several experimentation processes took place this year.
01 | Facilitating experimentation processes with adults
Through our Volunteer Cooperation Programme, 12 processes for developing experimental initiatives on children’s rights were launched or advanced this year: 11 national processes in Africa (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Morocco, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia) and Latin America (Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras and Peru), and one regional process involving Honduras and Québec.
These processes brought together members of civil society associations and/or government agencies. The first phase involved capacity building, which included performing a joint critical assessment of the initial situation, developing member collaboration and creative thinking, acquiring experimentation skills, and so on. This phase was essential for establish the paradigm shift and collective intelligence needed to think outside the box.
Seven of the eleven national processes subsequently developed their own experimental initiatives. These processes were fa-
cilitated by IBCR teams, but the content was entirely partner-specific. By inviting our partners to take a fresh look at their day-to-day operations and reflect on new approaches, the IBCR has helped these groups give thought to the child’s place in their various activities. For many adults, considering the place of children and adolescents is complex because it means conferring a certain degree of power to children and adolescents. By providing our partners with a space to experiment, we helped them to become aware of these mechanisms and opportunities to do things differently. Ultimately, 100% of the groups decided to question existing norms and the place of children in society, thereby laying the foundation for more peaceful intergenerational relations and greater social cohesion.
In Costa Rica, an experimental initiative was pursued by partners of our Volunteer Cooperation Programme. They sought to gain a better understanding of risky behaviours and recruitment practices related to human trafficking and child sexual exploitation through information and communication technologies. The knowledge gained will be used to develop prevention and intervention strategies in the communities in Limón.
02 | Experimentation in child empowerment processes
We helped develop and set up child empowerment processes through collaborative activities designed in partnership with children and civil society organisations. Using an approach based on experimentation and child participation, these initiatives fostered collaboration between children and adults, while creating community spaces and platforms conducive to social cohesion and inclusion. The aim of these processes is to deconstruct power structures that often exclude children, and to propose new forms of collaboration that give children a more prominent role in social and community dynamics.
These processes involve capacity building for organisations and community actors who work with children, and the creation of participatory spaces that promote children’s empowerment and skill development (expression of ideas, self-confidence, collaboration, initiatives, children’s rights). These actions result in spaces for inclusive governance (with children), renewed community dialogue and experimental initiatives driven by children in their own communities.
Space for coordination and collaboration – Madagascar workshop –November 23 and 24, 2023
This year, these processes were successfully carried out in Senegal and Burkina Faso, with experimentation being central to several aspects, including:
• Collaborative processes to cocreate capacity-building plans for adult members of the community and civil society, as well as children. These processes aim to empower children and ensure their views are taken into account in their communities. They enable children and adults to call learning and knowledge-sharing models into question, and to come up with new formats together.
• Collaborative research with children, during which the children determine which questions, tools and methods should be used to assess their rights. This research approach enables children to form their own opinions on issues that concern them, to propose a new paradigm for knowledge co-construction and to develop fresh dialogue with adults.
03 | Creating spaces conducive to dialogue
• Reflection and exploration activities with children, conducted in collaboration with civil society organisations, to enrich their participation skills. Thanks to special information packages and toolkits tailored to their needs, children had access to alternative methods complementing existing educational models.
• Participatory initiatives led by children in their communities. These collaborative activities helped children develop their autonomy and skills, while challenging communities to question their perceptions of child inclusion and community dialogue.
• The creation of spaces for child-led collaboration and community dialogue. These spaces aim to establish inclusive governance by testing platforms for dialogue and collaborative bridges between children and key community actors to ultimately strengthen child protection.
This year, several large-scale meeting and dialogue forums were set up to encourage reflection and debate on key issues relating to children’s rights. These events were organised around themes such as child participation, international volunteering and child-friendly justice. Participants from different countries shared their views, experiences and practices. Our partners’ practices were also used within these spaces, giving them visibility and paving the way for future collaboration.
The newly launched Droits devant! webinar provides an excellent example of these spaces. This monthly webinar, which is organised by the IBCR as part of the Volunteer Cooperation Programme, showcases our volunteers and partners, including their experiences, achievements and learnings. It also sheds light on the impact of international volunteering on children’s rights.
Be sure to watch the videos on our social media accounts!
Panel discussion: “Supporting child participation – Tunisian and Canadian perspectives” –September 29, 2023 – Montreal
/ FIGURES AND TESTIMONIALS /
90% of Volunteer Cooperation Programme partners say they’ve implemented improved initiatives to make children’s rights a concrete reality.
87% of VCP partners say that participating in the project has enabled them to develop new or more innovative approaches, practices or partnerships.
We’ve seen how using the experimentation strategy has opened the door to interacting with other organisations in Colombia. Dialogue and collective construction help us understand each organisation’s potential and gain a broader appreciation for how the rights of children and adolescents can be supported.
- COALICO, a VCP partner in Colombia
In Senegal, the data collected following child empowerment processes indicate that:
• 90% of girls and 81% of boys believe they’re now better equipped to identify rights violations and how they can respond to these situations
• 86% of girls and 76% of boys believe they developed the skills needed to defend their rights in collaboration with other players
In Burkina Faso, the data collected following child empowerment processes indicate that:
• 93 % of girls and 91 % of boys believe they’re now better equipped to identify rights violations and how they can respond to these situations
• 90% of girls and 88% of boys who participated in the empowerment processes are now actively involved in preventing and responding to violence against children
/ WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON? /
Gradually we’re seeing a return to a more holistic approach that combines strengthening practices and systems, particularly reinforcing overlooked sectors, providing support for innovative players and pursuing advocacy. The IBCR hopes to continue establishing and facilitating processes for identifying and experimenting with practices and initiatives that could lead to a more effective realisation of children’s rights. These efforts should not be limited to our Volunteer Cooperation Programme, but also be included in most of our ongoing projects. The next step will be to set up community groups, women’s groups and advocacy groups in Mali, so that they can become key forums for identifying and implementing innovative practices that promote children’s rights. The IBCR is also committed to further documenting the status of children’s rights to facilitate institutional change.
Ensuring that transparency and accountability to partners are central to the IBCR’s actions
/ OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2023–2024 /
This strategic priority highlights the IBCR’s efforts to maintain high standards of governance, professional development and external communication. .
01 | A new organisational identity
Following several months of teamwork, the IBCR unveiled a new organisational identity this year. This included updates to our vision, mission, actions and values, reflecting the changes we’ve made and effected in recent years. Through these changes, we have highlighted our determination to ensure that everything we do is centred on the realisation of children’s rights, and particularly for those facing the greatest obstacles in having exercising their rights. Beyond that, our revamped identity will help the IBCR stand out and differentiate itself in the international child rights sector.
Updating our policies, strategies and procedures is a crucial aspect of the IBCR’s internal governance. This year, we continued work on an initiative kicked off in 2022. We finalised new policies on child safeguarding and personal data protection, in addition to a new code of conduct.
03 | Improved in-house training
A free e-learning platform is under construction and will be made available to all our teams to support their professional development.
04 | Updated approaches
The IBCR updated its vision and approach to volunteer cooperation, aligning them with the changes to our organisational identity and partnership approach.
We also revamped our external communications to reflect our new approaches and supports. Our processes were revised to increase our responsiveness and ensure that our actions remain relevant and in line with our objectives.
/ WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON? /
Transparency and accountability continue to be essential pillars for maintaining trust and remaining effective as an organisation. The IBCR is committed to continually improving our internal workings and governance so that we remain in line with best practices and regulatory requirements. This involves making sure that our teams and partners receive regular training on the IBCR’s institutional governance guidelines and procedures. It also means conducting more robust ongoing assessments of our programmes and approaches using data and testimonials collected in the field, for the purposes of informing strategic decisions and rapidly adjusting our actions in response to emerging needs and challenges.
Summary of our strategic progress in 2023–2024
Even though significant progress was made this year in making children’s rights a reality, the IBCR must continue its work. Effecting changes in mindsets and practices is something that not only takes time but requires sustained effort to:
1) deepen our expertise;
2) strengthen our initial analyses;
3) be attentive and adapt to developments and changing realities, partner situations and expectations;
4) equip ourselves with additional resources, improve their distribution and take better stock of changes resulting from them.
and engagement in 2023–2024 522 726
PAGE VIEWS ON OUR WEBSITE 76 910
TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITS
163
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
408 598
NUMBER OF VIEWS
750 000
PEOPLE REACHED THROUGH OUR AWARENESS-BUILDING AND MOBILISATION ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING 48 % WOMEN NEARLY
6 259
NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR NEWSLETTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, FOR A TOTAL OF 28 459
FOLLOWERS
9 027 REACTIONS
14
VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS ORGANISED OR CO-ORGANISED BY THE IBCR
1 059
NUMBER OF PEOPLE ATTENDING
3 OPEN LETTERS PUBLISHED BY THE IBCR
9
MEDIA MENTIONS ABOUT THE IBCR AND ITS PROJECTS IN THE ORGANISATION’S TARGET COUNTRIES
Financial information for 2023–2024
The organisation’s complete financial statements as at March 31, 2024, are available upon request. The audit was conducted by Deloitte LLP.
REVENUE 2024 2023
EXPENSES 2024
2023
Partnerships
The IBCR wishes to acknowledge that all of its partners contributed to its 2023–2024 results. We thank them for their invaluable support, which enables us to do more and go further each year in making children’s rights a concrete reality.
BURKINA FASO
Government of Burkina Faso and its departments, schools and services related to children’s rights
Association of Women Lawyers of Burkina Faso (AFJ/BF)
Keoogo Association
Association of Working Children and Youth (AWCY)
Pugsada Awakening Support Association (ADEP)
ANADJI
Associations for Community Development and the Promotion of Children’s Rights (ACD/PDE)
Tabital Lobal Association
Coalition of Community Initiatives for Development Association (ACICD)
Den Kanu
CANADA
Global Affairs Canada
Department of Justice Canada
Ministère de la Justice du gouvernement du Québec
Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie du Québec
Ville de Montréal
Montréal International
Emploi-Québec
Fonds d’aide aux victimes d’actes criminels (FAVAC)
Association québécoise PlaidoyerVictimes
CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-deMontréal
Collège Notre-Dame
École secondaire Externat SacréCœur
École secondaire des Patriotes
Fondation Chamandy
Fondation Marie-Vincent
Maison des jeunes MAGI
Motivation-Jeunesse
Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)
And some 30 other organisations in Québec
COLOMBIA
Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Youth in Armed Conflict in Colombia (COALICO)
Foundation for the Integral Development of Gender and Family (GENFAMI)
Office for the Pastoral Care of Children and Families (OPAN)
COSTA RICA
Fundación Paniamor
CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Association des femmes juristes de Côte d’Ivoire (AFJCI)
Conseil national des droits de l’homme (CNDH)
Forum des ONG et associations d’aide à l’enfance en difficulté
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
Government of the DRC and its ministries, departments, schools and services related to children’s rights
Réseau d’encadreurs pour l’initiation à la participation de l’enfant (REIP)
MAMAN LUFUMA
EXAGON
Association for the Protection of People Living with Albinism (APVA)
National Coalition for Education for All / Central Kongo (CONEPT/KC)
National Catholic Child Bureau (BNCE)
Para-Social Workers Corps (CTPS)
KENO UNITED Foundation (FKU)
Organisation for the Supervision, Education and Protection of Street Children (OSEPER)
National Coalition for Education for All (CONEPT)
African League for the Defence of Children’s Rights (LIZADEL)
KIMBILIO children’s sanctuary (KSE)
SOS/Femmes et enfants en détresse (SOS FED)
Organisation for the Placement and Protection of Street Children (ORPER)
Congo Girls Brigade (BFC)
Tiens Orphans Africa Help Me World (TOAHMW)
Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace (CDJP)
Family Welfare Association (ABEF)
HONDURAS
Inter-institutional Commission against Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking in Persons of Honduras (CICESCT)
LGBT Arcoíris Association
Unit for the Integral Development of Women and the Family (UDIMUF)
Centre for Women’s Studies of Honduras (CEM-H)
MADAGASCAR
Independent National Commission on Human Rights (CNIDH)
Higher Institute of Social Work (ISTS)
Civil Society Platform for Children (PFSCE)
MALI
Government of Mali and its ministries, departments, schools and services related to children’s rights
MOROCCO
Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and its ministries, departments, schools and services related to children’s rights
Bayti Association
Child Protection Unit Support Association, Casablanca
Amane Foundation for Child Protection
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
African Union Mission for Mali and the Sahel
Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum)
Terre des hommes Lausanne
UNICEF
International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIM)
United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations
PEROU
Social and Alternative Human Capital (CHS Alternativo)
Commitment from childhood and adolescence (COMETA)
SENEGAL
Government of Senegal and its ministries, departments, schools and services related to children’s rights
Association of Senegalese Women Lawyers (AJS)
Vulnerable Persons Aid Association (2APV)
Child Education and Development
NGO (EDEN)
Enda Jeunesse Action NGO
National School for Specialised Social Workers (ENTSS)
TOGO
Legal and Social Expertise Clinic (CEJUS)
Kekeli Centre
World Association for Orphans (WAOAfrica)
TUNISIA
Government of Tunisia and its ministries, departments, schools and services related to children’s rights
ADO + Association
Office of the General Delegate for Child Protection (DGPE)
Tunisian Forum for Youth Empowerment
Every year, many generous groups and individuals show their support for the IBCR’s work through donations. It’s thanks to them— and you—that we can continue promoting children’s rights. We would like to express our deep gratitude to everyone who stands behind us. And in particular, we wish to thank the following organisations for their financial support.
Comité central de partage –Les Oeuvres Leroyer
Congregation of Notre Dame
Sisters of the Cross Fondation Émilie Jauron
Fonds Marie-François
Missionnaires Oblates de SaintBoniface
Oblates Franciscaines de SaintJoseph
Petites Soeurs de la Sainte-Famille
Sisters of Charity of St. Louis
Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul
Sisters of St. Martha of Antigonish
Sisters of Présentation de Marie
Sisters of Jeanne d’Arc Institute
Sisters of Notre-Dame du BonConseil
Sisters of Notre-Dame du SaintRosaire
Sisters of Sainte-Anne
Sisters of Sainte-Croix
Sisters of Saint-François d’Assise
Sisters of Saint-Joseph de SaintHyacinthe
Ursulines
Our team
BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN 2023–2024
Théophane Nikyèma Chairperson
Annick Murphy Vice-President
Jean-Claude Legrand Secretary
Darrel Nadeau Treasurer
Ghizlane Benjelloun Board Member
Roberta Cecchetti Board Member
Alexia Tye Board Member
Ulla Kourany Board Member
Luis Ernesto Pedernera Reyna Board Member
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IN 2023–2024
Martin Causin Director General
Mélissa David Director of Finance
Julie Dénommée Director of Programmes and Education
Morgane Faber Director of Human Resources, Administration and Security
Marie-Claude Mercier Director of Operations and Partnerships (since May 2023)
The Board wishes to extend its sincere thanks to Morgane Faber for her many years of service in a number of strategic positions at the IBCR. In particular, we are grateful for your valuable contributions in the areas of safety and security, human resources and administration, during a time when the IBCR was growing rapidly. We wish the best in her future endeavours.
The IBCR also has the privilege of relying on a team of dependable employees, interns and students who generously offer their time and talent to advancing the cause of children’s rights around the world. THANK YOU!
MONTREAL OFFICE (CANADA, HEAD OFFICE)
805, rue Villeray, Montréal (Québec) H2R 1J4 Canada
Tel. +1 514 932 7656 info@ibcr.org
BAMAKO OFFICE (MALI)
Rue 415, Porte 104, Hamdallaye ACI 2000, Bamako, Mali
