It is totally unacceptable that at least 600 million children are still living in poverty, with millions facing increased vulnerability and hardship due to HIV/AIDS. Time is literally running out for these children. It is therefore imperative that the EU and other actors take renewed action and allocate resources to realise their commitments to children and meet the targets that have been set.
Although the EU and Member States have already made many commitments to children, to a great extent these principles are not being implemented in external policy and programmes. This is a very real concern that must be addressed if the MDGs are to be met. With six of the eight goals relating directly to children, the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) - the most universally accepted human rights instrument in the world – must inform action at all levels. Applying this framework by adopting a child rights approach helps to ensure processes and outcomes that promote and protect children’s rights. With an emphasis on accountability and process, this approach also has the potential to increase the effectiveness of EU external assistance and thus enhance the EU’s role in making progress towards the MDGs.
This guide is intended to assist EC officials in taking a child rights approach. It aims to demystify the approach and contribute to forming a common understanding of both the concept and application of a child rights approach across the EU institutions. The guide provides a generic overview of the child rights approach and focuses specifically on HIV/AIDS as a cross-cutting issue which threatens the survival and development of millions of children across the world. HIV/AIDS not only denies them the right to health, it also impacts on a multitude of other rights including the right to education, parental care and even protection from sexual abuse. The plight of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS is therefore an urgent concern that requires action at all levels and across all the sectors.
The overarching recommendation given is that a child rights approach should be applied to inform and strengthen action across all sectors in AIDS affected countries (AAC). This means both increasing policy and programme commitments for HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and ensuring that these commitments are translated into support for the specific rights and needs of OVC within the EC’s Programme for Action and the EC Development Policy.
©World Vision International
