Personnel working with children deprived of liberty

range of viewpoints helped shape the competency grid, ensuring that it was both comprehensive and relevant. These meetings led to the creation of a report on core child rights competencies for justice personnel, which was published in 2018.

“Magistrates are leaders who oversee all judicial procedures involving children. In order to achieve child-friendly justice, we must develop the skills of these magistrates, identify best practices applicable to their profession, and appeal to their sense of personal responsibility and dedication.”

- Philip Jaffé, Director, Interfaculty Centre for the Rights of the Child at the University of Geneva and member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (2018)

CORE CHILD-RIGHTS COMPETENCIES

FOR JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS

An initiative aimed at promoting child-friendly justice

CORE COMPETENCIES FOR JUSTICE PERSONNEL

1 | Interacting and communicating with children in an appropriate manner

2 | Adapting procedures to the child’s specific needs, level of development and circumstances

3 | Interpreting the rules of law through the use of national, regional and international case law and legal instruments relating to children

4 | Taking action to effectively promote and protect the rights of the child

5 | Optimising cooperation with formal and informal actors in the juvenile justice and child protection systems

6 | Acting ethically and complying with judicial conduct principles relating to children

PERSONNEL WORKING WITH CHILDREN DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY

Building on its experience developing core competencies for security forces, justice, social services sectors, the IBCR began a fourth work phase in 2020. This new initiative aimed to reflect on and formally establish core competencies for personnel working with children deprived of liberty. 70 individuals working in this sector and in child protection were invited to participate in a consultative process to determine the core competencies required in their occupations. The process involved a unique hybrid delivery model, with a series of online consultations with representatives from some 30 countries as well as an in-person workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, attended by specialists from eight French-speaking African countries (Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Togo,

Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Chad). During the week-long consultation, participants identified the situations and settings in which children may be deprived of liberty, the workers who interact with them, including their roles and responsibilities, and the factors that need to be considered in such situations.

As a result of the discussions, eight core competencies were identified to help workers who interact with minors deprived of liberty make their practices more protective of children’s rights. A report was subsequently published with complete details on these competencies, including the associated knowledge, skills and attributes.

CORE COMPETENCIES FOR PERSONNEL WORKING WITH CHILDREN DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY

1 | Being familiar with and applying national and international laws and standards relating to child deprivation of liberty

2 | Tailoring interventions to uphold the rights and reflect the trajectory of each child deprived of liberty

3 | Creating an environment that is conducive to effective communication and interactions with children

4 | Protecting and safeguarding children deprived of liberty and reducing the risk of harm

5 | Adapting applicable tools, procedures and systems to the needs of each child deprived of liberty

6 | Promoting and facilitating child reintegration and rehabilitation in each intervention

7 | Collaborating with all formal and informal actors, including institutional workers, family members and community representatives, to ensure that interventions are effectively coordinated

8 | Being familiar with and adhering to the code of conduct applicable to personnel working with children deprived of liberty

“For me, as a representative of a South American NGO that provides training to various actors in the child protection system, this workshop was a unique opportunity to share thoughts and experiences with my counterparts from the Americas and Africa. We were able to identify the similarities in our practices, as well as the common challenges we all face. The methodology used for developing the core competency frameworks is crucial for reaching consensus and creating a model that can be used in other contexts.”

- Andréa Querol, President of CHS Alternativo, Peru (2020)