Twenty-First Pan American
Child Congress
December 2014
Objective
• To promote experience and knowledge sharing and
make recommendations that will advance the wellbeing of children.
1. It is an Inter-American Meeting of Ministers, Secretaries of
State and other government authorities with responsibility for
matters involving children
Characteristics
2. It is one of the senior bodies in the hierarchical structure of the
IIN
3. It takes place every five years
4. Recent venues: Peru (2009), Mexico (2005), Argentina (1999),
Costa Rica (1993), United States (1984), Uruguay (1977), Chile
(1973)
5. The Pan American Child Forum began to be held at the same
time as from the 20th PACC
• The General Assembly of the OAS can
declare the Congress a “Specialized InterAmerican Conference”
• It addresses issues related to InterAmerican cooperation
• Its agenda is submitted for the
consideration of the governments
involved.
The process leading to consensus regarding the
proposed 21st PACC and 2nd Forum
1. Review with President and Vice-President of the
Directing Council of the IIN
2. Discussions with representatives of the Committee on
the Rights of the Child
3. Virtual Meeting with the Follow-Up Committee for
Action Plan held on July 10th, and a schedule decided to
consult the States in each sub-region. Members:
President - Panama, Vice-President - El Salvador, Canada,
Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador and Trinidad and Tobago
21st Pan American Child Congress presentation and analysis process
Analysis with President and Vice-President
9 - 10 July
Analysis with Host State – BRAZIL
Meeting with the Action Plan Follow-Up Committee and
analysis by sub-region
Canada, United States,
Mexico
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,
Venezuela
Comments received and discussion
with States regarding
recommendations
Remittance of papers to be considered
during the 88th R.M. of the Directing
Council
12 July - 12 August
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay,
Uruguay
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada,
Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the
Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago
12-20 August
21 August
Proposed Rules of Procedure
Objective
• To establish the procedures and rules which will
govern the 21st Pan American Congress and the 2nd
Child Participation Forum
1. The IIN Statutes
2. The IIN Rules of Procedure
Grounds
3. Resolution AG/RES. 87 (II-O/72) “Standards for the
Implementation and Coordination of the Provisions of the
Charter relating to Inter-American Specialized Organizations”
4. General Assembly Resolution AG/RES. 85 (II-O/72), “Standards for
Inter-American Specialized Conferences”
5. OAS Resolution CP/RES. 76 (84/72), “Model Rules of Procedure
for Inter-American Specialized Conferences”
Rules of Procedure Structure
NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE CONGRESS
PARTICIPANTS
CONGRESS AUTHORITIES, COMMITTEES AND SECRETARIAT
SESSIONS, DEBATES AND ELECTIONS
THE SECOND PAN AMERICAN FORUM
Participants
 Delegations from the States composed of:
•
•
•
•
A Head of Delegation
Alternate delegates
Technical advisers specializing in children and adolescents
Adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age
 The Secretary General of the OAS and representatives of other OAS
agencies with an interest in the issues addressed by the Congress
 OAS Permanent Observers and other Observers
 Special guests
Congress Authorities, Committees and Secretariat
President and
Vice-President
Committees
Secretariat
 President – one President
elected
 Accreditation Committee
– responsible for examining
 General Directorate
of the IIN – shall
 Vice-President – Two VicePresidents elected
 Style Committee –
These officers shall be elected
during the preliminary session, by a
simple majority of the participating
States. The president shall chair the
sessions and shall have the casting
vote.
the credentials of the
delegations
composed of at least one
representative for each
official language of the OAS
cooperate with the
president in all matters
relating to Congress
procedures.
Types of Session
Public
Sessions, Debates and Elections
Private
Attended by all delegation members,
observers and special guests.
Restricted to heads of delegation or persons
they appoint.
 Opening Session
 Preliminary Session
 General Plenary Sessions:
 89th Meeting of the Directing Council
 All matters pertaining to the 21st Congress
will be reviewed and agreements in their
regard will be reached.
Conferences, Panel of Experts,
Presentations by the States, 2nd
Participation Forum and Information Fair.
 Closing Session: Conclusions and Closing
Ceremony.
 Heads of Delegation Plenary Sessions
 Plenary Session: the adoption of resolutions
(formal and unified).
THE SECOND PAN AMERICAN FORUM
 CPNNA/RES. 1 (XX-09) -, in which resolute 10 urges the States to institutionalize
the Second Pan American Forum is part of the 21st Pan American Congress. It
provides a venue for the participation of the children who are part of the official
delegations of member states.
 All conclusions arising from the various workshops and committees of the
Second Pan American Forum shall be included in the final report of the
Congress.
 The Forum’s conclusions will be presented at the 21st Pan American Congress by
the official adolescent representatives to the second Pan American Forum.
Draft Agenda and
Methodology Framework
Methodological Aspects
 The methodology should be designed to foster discussion among the
States, on the basis of experts’ analysis and experiences in policy
application.
 Content should address the management of institutions, the
challenges facing governments and the cross-sectoral dynamics of
the States.
 New content should add to current thinking on each subject.
21st PAN AMERICAN
CONGRESS
Monday
Tuesday
Topic 1: 25th Anniv.
Topic 2: Criminal Liability
Convention
Topic 3: Child Sexual Exploitation
Wednesday
Accreditations
Accreditations
Opening
Session
21st PACC
89th Meeting
of the
Directing
Council
Conference T1
Thursday
Friday
Conference on
T2
Adoption of Resolutions
Panel of Experts
T2
Conference T3
Panel of Experts
T1
Panel of Experts
T3
Opening
Ceremony
nd
2 Child Pan
American Forum
States’
Presentations T1
States’
Presentations
T2 and T3
Opening
Information Fair
Cross-Generation
Discussion
Cross-Generation
Discussion
• Overview by President
of 21st PACC
• Recommendations of
Civil Society Forum
• 2nd Child Pan
American Forum –
Conclusions
• States’ Presentations
– Conclusions
Closing Ceremony
21st PACC
Conference
One presenter per conference
- 45 minutes
 Introduction to debate
 Place discussion in a broad context – main topics, descriptive
information regarding the situation of children
 Give a conceptual definition
 Establish frameworks of reference
 Share principal recommendations and goals of international
treaties
Panel of
Experts
three experts and one moderator
- 60 minutes
 Provide analysis of key aspects in each issue
 Generate discussion among presenters and participants
 Summarize principal aspects
States’
Presentations







2 or 3 concurrent panels
2 or 3 States and 1 moderator
- 90 minutes
Analysis of meaningful experiences involving their institutions
Learning experiences mainstreamed
Summary of lessons learned
Information regarding challenges facing management
Experiences that are applicable to urban and rural areas
Emphasis on the joint responsibility of States and families
Geographical representativeness
 The presentations by the States will provide greater
opportunities for discussion among participants
THE TWENTY-FIRST PAN AMERICAN
CHILD CONGRESS
Childhood: Building Peaceful Environments
General topic
Violence against children
Childhood: Building Peaceful
Environments
A positive perspective of the subject
Refrain from characterizing children as
victims
Focus debate on strengths and areas of
opportunity
DRAFT AGENDA
1) Violence against Children. “25 years after the CRC:
Building Peaceful Environments”
2) Juvenile Criminal Liability Systems
3) The Sexual Exploitation of Children
1) Violence against Children. “25 years after the CRC:
Building Peaceful Environments”
 General Assembly of the OAS AG/RES.2803 (XLIII-O/13)
Implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the
Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence Against
Women, “Convention Of Belém Do Pará”
 The influence of the CRC in the eradication of all forms of
violence
 Follow-up to the recommendations of the World Report on
Violence (1, 2 and 11)
 Follow-up to General Comment Nº 13
 The relevance of the Third Optional Protocol and the right to
participation
Conference
Panel of
Experts
25 years after the CRC: Building Peaceful
Environments
1. Legislation reform for the elimination of
violence against children.
2. Means of coordination and planning for
the elimination of violence against
children.
States’
Presentations
3. Monitoring mechanisms for the
elimination of violence against children.
2) Juvenile Criminal Liability Systems
 Articles 37 and 40 of the CRC
 Follow-up to Action Plan 2011-2015 and resolution CD/RES. 03 (87-R/12)
 IACHR report on Juvenile Justice and Human Rights in the Americas
Conference
Analysis of violence in juvenile criminal liability
systems in the region and the role played in
prevention by various stakeholders.
Panel of
Experts
Legislation reform, means of coordination and
information systems for the effective application of
alternative and early termination measures in criminal
proceedings, as well as non‐custodial penalties.
States’
Presentations
• Alternative and early termination measures in
criminal proceedings.
• Application of non-custodial penalties.
Presentation of experiences involving legislation reform, means
of coordination and information systems.
3) The Sexual Exploitation of Children
 Inter-American Cooperation Programme for the Prevention and
Eradication of Sexual Exploitation, and muggling of and Trafficking in
Children General Assembly Asamblea General AG/RES: 2028 (XXXIV 0/04)
 SEC – One of the worst forms of violence
 Article 19, paragraph 1 of the CRC: "[...] all forms of physical or mental
violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment
or exploitation, including sexual abuse"
 The efforts of the States in the framework of the “Rio Commitments”
(2008)
Conference
Panel of
Experts
States’
Presentations
Child sexual exploitation in the Americas
(SEC)
• Protection systems against SEC and its new
forms
• Challenges in the application of legal
regulations when fighting against SEC
• International cooperation in the fight against
SEC: the participation of international agencies
and technical assistance for the States
• Cross-sectoral coordination in the fight
against SEC: tourism and the Internet
• Cooperation between States to fight the
trafficking and exploitation networks
• Strategies for the restitution of rights
Information
Fair
 Sharing information about the programmes offered by the States
 Stands available for governments and observers
 Free access to all
 Official launching ceremony. Closes at the end of the second day of
the Congress
2nd Pan
American
Child Forum
Constitution Process
How is the right to participation interpreted?
 As a right and a principle recognized by the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC)
 Broadly, in establishing procedures
 General Comment Nº 12
“[...] should not only be a momentary act, but the starting
point for an intense exchange between children and adults on
the development of policies, programmes and measures in all
relevant contexts of children’s lives.”
The right to participation in the CRC
Article 13: Freedom of Expression
Children have the right to express their
opinions, to obtain and share
information and to impart ideas and
information, regardless of frontiers.
Article 14: Freedom of thought,
conscience and religion
Children have the right to think and believe
whatever they wish, and to practise their
religion. Parents should guide their children in
these matters.
Article 12: Children’s opinion
Children have the right to express their views freely
and that these views be given due weight in matters
affecting them.
Article 17: Access to appropriate
information
Article 15: Freedom of association
Children have the right to obtain reliable
Children have the right to meet, and
information from the mass media. Television,
to form groups and organizations.
radio and newspapers should provide
information that children can understand, and
avoid promoting material injurious to children.
What is the Pan American Forum?
 A venue for the promotion of child participation
 An opportunity to enjoy the right to give an opinion and be
heard by regional authorities
 A transitional stage in the advocacy process – it requires a
broad “pre-forum” and “post-forum” approach
 Adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 take part
First Pan American
Child Forum
Lima, Peru, 2009
Objectives
 To guarantee opportunities for sharing between children, and
across generations with participants at the Twentieth Pan
American Congress.
 To gather the opinions of children (assessment and
recommendations), twenty years after the adoption of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
 To compile opinions and recommendations regarding the right
to participate.
 To include the conclusions arising from the Pan American Forum
among the resolutions of the 20th Congress.
Achievements:
Representation
• Level of attendance – 61 delegates participated (32 girls
and 29 boys)
• Delegates were between 10 and 19 years old – most of
them were in their teens
• Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad and
Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela
• Information building and sharing through
workshops and plenary sessions
Achievements:
Interaction
• Opportunities for play and recreational activities
• Cross-generation opportunities: adolescents took
part in discussion groups as presenters on the
participation experience. They also participated in
the Congress itself as observers and to present the
Forum conclusions.
• The “Congresillo” (mini-Congress) was an event for
deliberation and recapitulation that was widely
commended by all
Achievements:
Methodology
• A Steering Committee provided support and
advice in the development of strategies.
Institutions (public and private) and professionals
participated
• The Steering Committee was cross-generational:
children also participated
Lessons
Learned
• The quality of participation and its impact
depends on the processes that preceded it
• Valuable information available and put into
practice in advocacy opportunities such as
Consultative Councils
• Most of the States implemented training sessions
and informative meetings in relation to the
Forum’s key topics
2nd Pan American
Forum
Objectives
* To promote participation as a process, within
the context of the 21st Pan American Congress
* To foster leadership among young people with
regard to promoting their rights
* To encourage initiatives in the States tending
towards the eradication of all forms of
violence, with the participation of children
The Forum as a Process
•[Text]
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Before
During
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After
Before
1. Forming a Steering Committee
Composed of children, technical liaison
officers and strategic partners
Online sessions and one face-to-face session
2. Designing methodologies and guidelines
3. Activities planned to prevent, prohibit and
combat violence against children
During
 A programme covering 4 days
 Delegations of 4 adolescents and 2 adults
 Cross-generation discussion – generating serious listening
 Pursuant to resolution CD/RES. 04 (85-R/10), Forum
contributions are included among the official documents of
the Congress
After
Dissemination of the Forum outcomes
Promoting action against violence
Follow-up to recommendations
Developing leadership
Requirements
To include extensive activities with a view to the Forum in
the yearly programmes of the participation areas of
institutions
To allocate resources for the participation of delegations
To facilitate the collaboration of the technical staff
responsible for participation programmes, so that they may
contribute to the development and success of the event
To promote adolescent steering committees for decisionmaking
Civil Society Forum prior to the
21st Pan American Congress
Regulatory
Grounds
Objective
Forum
Coordination
• Resolution CP/RES. 759 (1217/99) “Guidelines for the participation
of civil society organizations in OAS activities”

To generate discussion and recommendations for the
consideration of country delegations and authorities in
preparation of the 21st Pan American Child Congress

The OAS Department of International Affairs, in collaboration
with the IIN. In coordination with the Global Movement for
Children.
PROPOSED FORUM FORMAT
Three plenary sessions directly related to the issues to be
addressed during the 21st PACC.
One final working session to review and compile the
recommendations and suggestions arising from the previous
sessions.
 The recommendations paper will be included among the
official 21st PACC documentation.
 The recommendations arising from the “2nd Civil Society
Forum” will be read during the final plenary session of the 21st
Congress.
THANK YOU