The Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence and Child Focused Justice in Papua New Guinea

Authors: Kirsten Anderson, Catherine Burke, and Bruce Grant

2022

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This report presents the findings from a comprehensive mapping and analysis of laws, policies, and institutional frameworks aimed at addressing violence against children (VAC), child protection, and child justice in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It reviews the extent to which all relevant laws, policies, strategies, protocols, and planning documents concerning the right to protection and child-focused justice are compatible with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other relevant international standards, and highlights their gaps, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, as well as their linkages. Finally, the report provides evidence-based recommendations for further action and law reform to bring laws and polices in PNG in line with CRC provisions and principles and improve coordination, as required by the Child Protection Policy.

Training Package on Child-Friendly Legal Services

Author: Awaz Raoof

March 2024

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This training equips lawyers and other legal service practitioners with specialist knowledge, attitudes, and skills to provide child-friendly legal services, supporting children’s access to justice. The training, which was commissioned by UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) and written by Coram International’s Awaz Raoof, was developed in close consultation with UNICEF country offices, lawyers and civil society from across the region and rooted in research on children’s views of what makes legal services ‘child-friendly.’ This child rights-based training aims to implement UNICEF’s Guidelines on Child-Friendly Legal Aid and is highly participatory, including case studies, role plays and other activities to bring the principles of child-friendly justice to life. The training is intended to be adapted to national contexts and integrated into existing training programmes to sustain the training.

Author: Kirsten Anderson

February 2023

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This evaluation assesses the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of UNICEF Cambodia’s Child Protection Programme 2019-2023. The Child Protection Programme aimed to address key gaps in the Cambodia’s child protection system by strengthening national and subnational legal, policy and operational frameworks; strengthening the broader social welfare workforce; and addressing harmful norms that drive violence against children. The Royal Government of Cambodia and UNICEF will use the findings and recommendations of the evaluation, including lessons learned, to inform decision-making processes, including informing the planning processes for the development of the next Country Programme Document (CPD), 2024-2028.

Fiji National Youth Policy 2023-2027

Kirsten Anderson

2023

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The Fiji National Youth Policy 2023-2027 has been developed to provide guidance and direction for the Ministry of Youth and Sports and other Government ministries and departments to operate collaboratively towards achieving key strategic priority areas for all youths in Fiji. The Policy covers key areas such as health and wellbeing; education; skills and employment; safety; protection and justice; environment and climate change; participation and empowerment; inclusion and non-discrimination; and strengthening and enabling environment for youth. The goal of the Policy is to develop the capability of youth as part of a long term strategy and provide a holistic vision of Fiji where all youths are healthy, respected, safe, included, and empowered.

An Assessment of Routine Data Collection Gaps in the Justice for Children Sector in Sri Lanka and Recommendations on Improving Systems and Addressing Data Gaps

Authors: Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton and Dr. Amelia Smith

October 2023

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This report presents findings of an assessment of routine data collection gaps in the Justice for Children Sector in Sri Lanka. The recording of children’s encounters with the justice system by authorities and service providers is essential in order to understand the profile and circumstances of children who come into contact with the justice system, and for monitoring and evaluating the performance of the child justice system.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in its concluding observations to Sri Lanka’s 5th and 6th periodic report recommended that the government establish a comprehensive data collection system to assess the progress achieved in realising children’s rights and to help design policies and programmes to implement the CRC. Bearing in mind this recommendation, the purpose of this assessment is to contribute to the development of an integrated and coordinated child protection/justice for children information management system, and to inform the monitoring of policies and programmes to realise children’s rights.

Country Briefs: Children affected by migration in ASEAN Member States

Authors: Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton, Dr. Amelia Smith, Kirsten Anderson, Kara Apland, and Rosalie Lord

2023

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Cambodia

Indonesia

Lao PDR

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Thailand

Viet Nam

Each country brief summarizes the key findings of and is an annex to the UNICEF Situation Analysis on the Situation of Children Affected by Migration in ASEAN Member States. For each country, the briefs delineate the profile of children affected by migration, drivers of child migration, protection risks, policies, laws and services for children affected by migration, and suggested next steps.

Case Studies: Situation of Children Affected by Migration in ASEAN Member States

Authors: Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton, Dr. Amelia Smith, Kirsten Anderson, Kara Apland, and Rosalie Lord

November 2022 – April 2023

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Cambodia: Migration and Family Separation (Dr. Amelia Smith, January 2023)

Malaysia: Migration and Child Protection Risks (Kara Apland and Rosalie Lord, April 2023)

Philippines: Migration and Child Protection Responses (Kirsten Anderson, November 2022)

Thailand: Migration and Children’s Legal Status (Rosalie Lord and Kirsten Anderson, April 2023)

Viet Nam: Migration and Risks of Child Trafficking and Exploitation (Dr. Amelia Smith and Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton, January 2023)

These case studies supplement the UNICEF regional report on Situation of children affected by migration in ASEAN Member States.

Regional Situation Analysis: Situation of Children Affected by Migration in ASEAN Member States

Authors: Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton, Kirsten Anderson, Catherine Burke, Ramyah Harrichandiran, Rosalie Lord, Awaz Raoof and Amelia Smith

May 2023

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The Southeast Asian region is a major migration hub comprising countries of origin, destination and transit – with some countries a mix of all three – for a large number of migrants. Until recently, much of the migration literature focused on the experiences of, and the impact on, migrant adults. Children and their interests have been largely rendered invisible and their agency downplayed. It is within this context that the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (UNICEF EAPRO) commissioned a situation analysis of children affected by migration in ASEAN Member States. The focus of the study is on child protection, which includes an examination of the types of protection risks to which children affected by migration may be exposed and the response of child protection systems and services to these risks.

Legal Review: Situation of Children Affected by Migration in ASEAN Member States

Authors: Awaz Raoof, Jastine Barrett, Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton, Rosalie Lord, Ramyah Harrichandiran, and Giulia Manccini Pinheiro

April 2023

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This report contains the findings of a comparative legal review undertaken as part of the consultancy with UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) on the situation of children affected by migration in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The legal review consists of a comparative review and analysis of bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) related to the protection of children affected by migration between two or more of the 10 ASEAN Member States and a review of national laws related to the protection of children affected by migration in each of the ASEAN Member States (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam), against international child protection standards.

Repatriation and reintegration of children affected by conflict in Syria and Iraq to Central Asia: A Compendium of Promising Practices from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Author: Rosalie Lord

June 2023

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Since 2019, more than 1,100 children have been repatriated to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan from camps and places of detention in Syria and Iraq. These children are victims of armed conflict. While in camps and detention facilities, they were deprived of liberty, education, protection and other basic services, making them vulnerable to preventable illness and disease, and exposing them to exploitation and violence.

To support Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with gender responsive and human rights-based repatriation and reintegration of these children and their caregivers returning from Syria and Iraq, the European Commission Service for Foreign Policy Instruments initiated a joint EU-UN programme. In partnership with UNICEF, UN Women and these four Central Asian countries, the programme worked towards ensuring family-based care, education, mental health and psychosocial support, and other services to help children’s recovery and development.

UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office commissioned the development of a Compendium of Promising Practices to document the positive approaches taken by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to promote the repatriation and reintegration of children into their communities of origin. The compendium contributes to the commendation of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan for the commitment to children’s rights demonstrated by undertaking large-scale repatriation efforts, serving as an example to the international community.