Advocating for change by Plan International

Advocating for Change Plan UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva Annual Activity Report 2013-2014

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Introduction to Plan International

Our Story Founded over 75 years ago, Plan International is one of the oldest and largest child rights and development organisations in the world. Today, we work together with communities in 50 developing countries reaching over 78 million children, and have offices in 21 fundraising countries. By actively involving children and working at the grassroots level with no religious or political affiliation, we inspire people around the globe to transform the world for children.

Our Mission Plan aims to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives, by:

• enabling deprived children, their families and their communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from their societies; • building relationships to increase understanding and unity among peoples of different cultures and countries; • promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children.

Advocacy Plan works to create lasting change in the lives of children across the globe. To achieve this, we not only enable children and their communities to have the support and services they need through our country offices, but we also carry out advocacy work at all levels to change laws, policies, and practice, as well as to empower children to realise their rights. We use our experience and position as an authoritative, global voice to influence those with power or responsibility in order to improve the rights of children on a wider scale. At the international level, Plan has two UN liaison and advocacy offices representing the Plan federation at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva and New York. Additionally, Plan has two regional liaison offices working with the European Union and the African Union. Plan International has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Children play in a Plan-supported community in Laos

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

From the Head of Office

As the fiscal year 2013-2014 comes to an end, we take time to reflect on the past year and our achievements. It has been an exciting year for Plan’s UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva, as we have been part of significant victories for children. Among the highlights of the year is the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, also called OP3 CRC. This was the result of years of strenuous advocacy efforts from Plan and other NGOs. This mechanism gives children all over the world, for the first time, the opportunity to seek remedies at the international level for violations of their rights. This year was also one of rapid advances for work on the elimination of child marriage at the Human Rights Council. Throughout the year and across all our activities, we have continued to support Plan’s priority areas, including child protection, education and non-discrimination. In addition to our spe-

Child-to-child inclusive session at Plan-supported centre in Egypt

cific thematic activities, our office has worked with Plan country offices to strengthen their domestic advocacy work through engagement with various UN human rights mechanisms. Plan has become an influential member of the international human rights community, taking on the Co-Chairmanship of the global Ratify OP3CRC Coalition as well as the Presidency of Child Rights Connect. We had developed partnerships with many key stakeholders, collaborating with Permanent Missions in Geneva, UN agencies, treaty bodies, special procedures mandate holders, civil society actors and with Plan colleagues. This office will carry on fostering fruitful partnerships at all levels for effective child rights advocacy. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) this year, we note that progress has been made; however, many challenges still persist. Plan is committed, through its ambitious advocacy goals, to continue to put children’s rights high on the UN agenda in Geneva, the capital of the rights of the child. We will go the extra mile to make change a reality and to make a difference in the lives of millions of children. Anne-Sophie Lois Head of Office and UN Representative Plan UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Plan UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva

“The United Nations is the primary global platform for promoting and protecting human rights. It is therefore crucial for Plan to not only engage with the UN at the international level, but to lead the dialogue and influence the outcomes so that all children have their rights respected and realise their full potential.” Nigel Chapman CEO of Plan International

The UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva represents Plan International at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in Geneva. The mission of Plan UN Geneva is to improve the situation of children through strategic advocacy activities within the UN. The Office carries out advocacy work to change laws, policies

Anne-Sophie Lois shakes hands with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (2013)

and practice at the global level. It also acts as a child rights hub for Plan’s policy and strategy, and supports other Plan offices in their engagement with the UN. Plan’s work in Geneva covers three core areas, all of which are rooted in the rights of the child: child protection; child participation; and non-discrimination, equality and inclusion.

Influencing policy and practice Plan UN Geneva is actively involved in advocating for child rights to be included, promoted and respected in key processes and debates taking place in Geneva and relevant to Plan’s priority areas. One of the main focuses of Plan UN Geneva is to advance child rights in the processes and activities of the Human Rights Council. The Office also engages with other UN organisations and treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Country-based advocacy Plan uses the international human rights mechanisms to make sure the rights of children are respected, and to hold duty- bearers accountable for their actions in this regard. An important aspect of the work of the UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva is to support the involvement of Plan offices in these mechanisms.

“Working in close partnership with NGOs like Plan is key to promoting and realising young people’s rights. UNFPA is proud to have Plan International as a close partner both at the UN in Geneva and on the ground, using our combined expertise and experience as powerful tools to raise attention and demand action to advance human rights.”

So far, Plan has mostly been engaged in three of the UN processes through which the state of human rights in countries is regularly reviewed: the monitoring and reporting processes for the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Human Rights Council.

Alanna Armitage Director of UNFPA’s Liaison Office in Geneva

High-level debate on child marriage at the UN in Geneva, March 2014. From left to right: Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, Ellen Løj, Chair of Plan International’s Board of Directors, Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Canada

Building strategic partnerships An integral part of Plan’s efforts towards a world where all children fully enjoy their rights is working in partnerships at different levels and creating strategic alliances to push for child rights nationally, regionally and internationally. By working together, Plan can increase its impact and combine valuable expertise from different areas to approach child rights in a holistic manner. In Geneva, Plan works in close collaboration with many non-governmental organisations and institutions, and is part of various networks and coalitions, including Child Rights Connect and the Ratify OP3CRC Coalition.

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Year at a Glance

This timeline is a non-exhaustive representation of the work of Plan UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva. It presents a selection of the main activities of financial year 2013-2014.

SEPTEMBER Plan UN Geneva lobbied extensively for the

first ever resolution on child, early and forced m arriage of the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution calls for a

2013

report and a high-level panel discussion on the theme in June 2014.

OCTOBER After years of intense advocacy by Plan and other partners, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) adopted an important

policy document focused on civil registration, aimed at guiding global efforts to ensure the protection of the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers, returnees, the internally displaced and stateless people.

NOVEMBER Plan UN Geneva published

“Keeping Child Rights Alive”, a guide to help Plan and other NGOs in their engagement in the monitoring of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The full guide and the executive summary are available Scan to read Plan’s guide “Keeping Child Rights Alive”

in English, French and Spanish.

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

MARCH Anne-Sophie Lois, UN Representative and Head of Plan UN Geneva, was unanimously elected President of Child Rights Connect, a global child rights network made of around 80 national, regional and international NGOs and networks across the globe, which aims to connect the daily lives of children to the UN. On 3 March, during the Human Rights Council session, Plan, in partnership with NGOs, UN agencies and States, organised a high-level panel debate on child marriage, set against the backdrop of the powerful Too Young to Wed photographic exhibition by Stephanie Sinclair. Alongside ministers and heads of UN agencies, the Chair of Plan International Ms. Ellen Løj shared Plan’s experience of working with communities to eradicate this harmful practice. Plan and partner NGOs successfully lobbied the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to prepare a new General Comment on “Public Spending to Realise Children’s Rights”. The Annual Day of Discussion on the Rights of the Child of the Human Rights Council in 2015 on “Towards Better Investment in the Rights of the Child” – another victory for the child rights community – will be a key opportunity to advance the discussion.

JUNE During the high-level panel d iscussion on child marriage held during the Human Rights Council, Plan had a unique opportunity to share its experience and influence the debate as one of the five speakers on the panel.

2014

Representatives from Plan Cambodia, Colombia, Sweden, and Tanzania came to Geneva to present NGO r eports on the situation of children’s rights in their countries to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

APRIL 14 April was a historic day, with the entry

into force of the Optional Protocol

to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, which will allow children

to seek justice through the UN. In its capacity as Co-Chair

MAY

of the International Coalition Ratify OP3CRC,

Plan UN Geneva co-organised with other NGOs, States and UN agencies an event to discuss how to further advance child rights

Plan, together with ratifying States and NGOs, organised an event at the UN in New York to celebrate this important moment and encourage further ratification.

and child participation through the Universal Periodic Review

process of the Human Rights Council.

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Highlights

Increased attention to child marriage at the UN If current trends continue, 140 million girls will be married before they reach adulthood in the coming six years. Those numbers are staggering, and the international community has started mobilising around eradicating the practice once and for all. Encouraged by the first ever resolutions on child, early and forced marriage at the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly in the fall 2013, Plan has continued to work with UN agencies, governments and other NGOs to keep the issue high on the UN agenda. Throughout the year, the Plan UN Liaison and Advocacy Office has sought to influence the debate in Geneva by conducting targeted advocacy based on Plan’s extensive field experience. This has been done through various means, in particular by participating in an expert meeting organised by the World Health Organization in December 2013, as well as contributing to the report of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Plan’s voice was also heard at major events. Plan International’s Chair, Ms Ellen Løj, was one of the panellists alongside ministers and Heads of UN agencies at the high-level debate held in conjunction with the March session of the Human Rights Council (HRC). Plan, represented by Dr Ayman Sadek from Plan Egypt, had another unique opportunity to share its expertise at the high-level panel discussion on child marriage during the HRC session in June.

“Plan International has proven to be a key ally in our efforts to promote universal birth registration. They have provided our Mission with reliable information and technical support. Plan has also acted as an important facilitator of the entire initiative, not only connecting us with the larger birth registration network, but also coordinating the efforts of other NGOs and UN agencies already working on this critical human rights issue.”

Ambassador Jorge Lomónaco Permanent Representative Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva

This success followed five years of strenuous advocacy and lobbying by Plan, together with many NGOs. As Co-Chair of the International Coalition Ratify OP3CRC, Plan, through its UN office in Geneva, has worked tirelessly to ensure the entry into force of OP3CRC and continues to advocate with its partners for universal ratification. During the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child of the UN Human Rights Council, Plan helped develop and delivered a statement on behalf of Ratify OP3CRC, calling on all States to ratify the new protocol. It also co-organised two events in Geneva and New York to mark this important development and encourage further ratifications.

The ultimate objective of Plan’s advocacy strategy in Geneva is to pave the way for further progress in halting child marriage, including through a substantive resolution at the Human Rights Council.

Children can now seek justice through the UN Children whose human rights have been violated will finally be able to bring their cases to the United Nations after a new international treaty entered into force on 14 April 2014. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure (OP3CRC) allows victims to seek justice internationally when they cannot get redress for violations of their rights at the national level.

Pile of birth certificates in Indonesia Scan to read Plan’s report “A Girl’s Right to Say No to Marriage”

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Ensuring child rights in disasters In a world where natural disasters continue to increase in frequency and magnitude, the rights, needs and safety of millions of children are threatened by the impact of emergencies. Their right to life, education, housing and food is jeopardized by loss of family, infectious diseases, and malnutrition. Children become dependent on governments’ ability to effectively respond to the situation. These matters were less prominent at the time when the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. It is therefore not surprising that disaster risk management is still very rarely mentioned in State reviews under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The lack of debate on the connection between disasters and human rights is troubling, and Plan works intensely to promote the need for reporting, monitoring and follow-up on States readiness in disasters in the context of the rights of the child. During the past year, Plan UN Geneva supported the preparation of a report to guide Plan offices in monitoring and reporting. Plan also initiated a dialogue with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to advocate for disaster risk management to become an integral part of State reviews.

Scan to read Plan’s report on disaster risk management and children’s rights

Breakthrough on civil registration in humanitarian settings Registering a birth is the first legal acknowledgement of a child’s existence. In many countries a birth certificate is a key document to gain access to basic services and to exercise fundamental human rights. In emergency situations, a child´s vulnerability to abuse is very high. Birth registration as part of a functional civil registration and vital statistics system can help build a protective environment for children. In this context, the adoption of a policy document on civil registration in October 2013 by the governing body of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) represents a truly important

Children take part in climate change research study in Sri Lanka

Case Study

For example, Plan estimated that in Colombia, a country already disrupted by protracted internal conflict, a shocking 86% of the over 5 million internally displaced people live in areas of high or medium risk of earthquakes. Children, who represent approximately 33 percent of the population, are especially affected by disasters in the country. Plan’s Office in Colombia has started raising issues related to disaster risk management in their reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Periodic Review, in an effort to encourage the government to increase disaster readiness. They reported on the government’s ability to assess, prepare and recover from disasters and emergencies, and on current risk situations in Colombia that leave children vulnerable to rights violations. Plan in Colombia is planning to use the outcomes of the review of Colombia by the CRC Committee to push the agenda of child rights in disaster risk management at the national level. Greater recognition is needed of the impact of disasters and climate change on the realisation of children’s rights. Using country-level reporting and international advocacy is one powerful way to get it.

milestone, setting the framework for the advancement of civil registration as a protection mechanism for the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers. This is the result of more than three years of advocacy work led by Plan, in collaboration with other organisations in the Working Group on Universal Birth Registration (UBR) under Child Rights Connect. The adoption of the UNHCR ExCom Conclusion is but the first step to improving the protection of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. The Working Group on UBR is now developing a strategy to ensure its implementation on the ground. It has produced a video to facilitate the dissemination of the Conclusion among implementing actors on the ground.

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Highlights

Country-specific advocacy: From local to global… and back International child rights frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) not only set out children’s fundamental rights and freedoms, they also contain obligations for States parties to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights. In order to monitor how States live up to their legal commitments to realise children’s rights in their countries, the UN has established a number of international and regional mechanisms, including the Universal Periodic Review and the review cycle of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. As Plan’s child rights hub, Plan UN Geneva helps guide Plan offices in their work with these mechanisms. During the fiscal year 2013-2014, Plan UN Geneva assisted 20 Plan offices in maximising their involvement with UN human rights monitoring, reporting and follow-up mechanisms, including by developing recommendations to States and calling for specific, time-bound, rights-based policy changes for children in the countries where Plan works. The Office conducted training sessions on international child rights monitoring and advocacy in Asia.

Children in a Plan-supported school in Kenya

Plan UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva has also partnered with other NGOs and institutions to advocate and raise awareness among State representatives and institutions about the importance of promoting effective and meaningful child and youth participation in human rights monitoring, reporting and follow-up processes, and to ensure that children’s voices are heard and taken into consideration when dealing with their rights. This included a successful event on child rights mainstreaming into the Universal Periodic Review in May.

“In its work to monitor child rights worldwide, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child highly values the contribution made by NGOs like Plan. With their solid experience on the ground, they can provide the Committee with timely, concrete and reliable information that help get an accurate picture of the situation of children’s rights in a country.” Kirsten Sandberg Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

PLAN UN LIAISON AND ADVOCACY OFFICE IN GENEVA ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013-2014

Advancing child rights through the human rights mechanisms Through their engagement with the international human rights mechanisms, Plan offices can develop more efficient national advocacy strategies to improve the situation for children in their country. Outcome documents from review cycles under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the treaty bodies are immensely useful to further national advocacy, educate and empower children, and ultimately promote concrete improvements for children across the world. The recent experience of Plan in Nicaragua is interesting in this regard. Plan’s Country Office in Nicaragua, as part of a child rights coalition, submitted extensive information in preparation for the UPR of Nicaragua in 2014. Nearly half of the recommendations adopted by the Government of Nicaragua were closely related to those made by the Coalition. These accepted recommendations can now be used by Plan and other NGOs at the national level to have leverage with the government and make sure it lives up to its commitments.

Case Study

In Rwanda, Plan is using the education-specific Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other treaty bodies to improve children’s knowledge of their right to education. Through child-friendly information and collaboration with local communities, Plan is teaching children to claim their rights and become their own advocates. Plan aims to monitor the implementation of the Concluding Observations on education together with children in the coming years, joining forces to hold the government accountable. “Working in partnership with the Geneva team has been very useful for us thanks to their expertise on, and proximity to, the UN. We believe that such cooperation strengthens our advocacy efforts nationally and ensures that the voices of the most vulnerable children in the country are heard at all levels, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.”

Gabriela Bucher President and CEO, Fundación Plan Colombia

Children vote during National Children’s Parliament in Bolivia

Follow @PlanUNGeneva on Twitter Visit our website www.plan-international.org/geneva Published in 2014. Text and photos © Plan. Photo credit: p.2, Plan/Alf Berg Plan UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva 1 Rue de Varembé, 5th floor – 1202 Geneva – Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)22 749 15 20 Email: UNOfficeGeneva@plan-international.org

The UN Liaison and Advocacy Office in Geneva is a part of Plan International Inc. 25%

This report was printed on 100 % eco-friendly, reusable paper.