Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and the Challenges of the New Century

7/29/2019 Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and the Challenges of the New Century

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Globalization,Globalization,

ChildreninChildrenin

JeopardyandtheJeopardyandthe

ChallengesoftheChallengesofthe

NewCenturyNewCentury (Draft 1, subject to revision)

By Felipe Sanchez

Building Relations Project Leader

January 2001

PLAN InternationalBuilding Relations Project

NewPathstoBuildingRelationsandEnablingEnviron

mentsforChildren:

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The ideas contained in this document are the absolute responsibility of theauthor / s and they do not represent the official view of PLAN International


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PLAN International Building Relations Project 1

Felipe Sanchez / 01/ 2001 New Paths to Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children: Working Papers

Series #1; Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and the Challenges of the New Century / Draft 1

1

Key Assumptions Some Global Trends That Have Implications for International

Cooperation and Development

Increased number of Intra-state conflicts and more support forinternational humanitarian and relief interventions Less inter-state conflicts Intra-state conflicts on the rise More support for international humanitarian and relief

interventions More emphases on selected trans-national issues rather than on

traditional development concerns Population growth and urbanization Some key global public goods (water, food and energy) will be

scarce Growing preoccupation with trans-national negative

externalities (environment and health)

The Promise of Globalization Globalizations Downside: Its Reach and Benefits Might Not Be

Universal

In industrialized countries In lower income countries The digital divide

Globalization, Governance and International Cooperation States and Government The Business Sector The Non-profit Sector International Cooperation Towards an inclusive and equitable Globalization

1This Working Paper Series is composed of essays focused on selected Building Relations and

Capacity Building issues, including explorations on the international context and the probable world for

children in the 21st

Century, the Agenda for Children, building local and global communities for

children, the role of technology, programming issues, management and staff issues, the renewal of

PLANs Building Relations Mission, etc. As such, these papers are a work in progress intended to

encourage discussions and debate within the institution and with partners, contributing to the

enhancement of the concepts, policies and operational frameworks that facilitate the achievement of theBuilding Relations Mission. The ideas contained in these working documents are the absolute

responsibility of the author / s and they do not represent the official view of PLAN International.


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Progress so Far: 1990-2000 The ratification and incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of

the Child (CRC) There has been some progress in the well being of deprived

children Priority Actions Are Still Needed to Address the Remaining

Challenges Deprived Children Face

Furthermore, the Internationally - agreed Human DevelopmentTargets for the Year 2015 Wont Be Achieved by Many HighlyIndebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) If Current Trends Continue

Globalization, Yes, But With an Inclusive, Equitable and Child-friendlyFaceto Build a World Fit for Children!

Local and Global Communities for Children The Stakeholders for Children

Deprived Childrens immediate community Low Income countries intra-regional and national levels (program

country national and regional levels) International development and foreign aid levels (regional and

international development policy levels

Industrialized countries / New Emerging economies level (donorcountry level The Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children

Continuum

Pooling knowledge together and increasing awareness, educationand learning

Connecting children, people and organizations Pooling financial resources together Building capacity Establishing collaborative arrangements Implementing together a Rights-based Child-centered Development

Agenda Building accountable institutions for children

Building a World Fit for Children: Some Additional Reflections forAdvancing the Agenda for Children at the Local and Global Levels


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Summary

The document starts by exploring some global trends that might have implications forinternational cooperation and development. It focuses its attention on the nature of conflict

and trans-national issues such as population growth and urbanization, water, food, energy,environmental threats, and health. It is argued that these issues will be at the forefront ofinternational cooperation and aid concerns for the first quarter of the new century.

Chapter two moves on to explore globalization, focusing its attention not only on its promisebut also on its potential downside and the implications for international cooperation andforeign aid. It is strongly argued that the potential reach and benefits of globalization might notbe universal. After analyzing the backlash against globalization in the richer countries andthe implications for their foreign cooperation and aid policies- it is strongly argued that thebiggest risk of globalization is that more than half the worlds population is being left out of itspotential benefits! A more inclusive and equitable integration of the world is needed and thechallenges and governance tests for the states, the business sector, the non-profits and theinternational development actors are presented. If a pernicious, un-equitable and polarized

globalization is allowed to happen, even those who benefit the most from it will, in the longrun, be negatively affected by the alienation, hopelessness and despair of those left behind!

In light of the expected trends for international development and cooperation and thechallenges of globalization, Chapter three presents a more detailed look into what has beenachieved so far in terms of the well being of deprived children and the remaining challengesfor them in the new century. In spite of some progress (incorporation of the Convention onthe rights of the Child, some advances in health, etc), priority actions are still needed thatconfront children, political leaders, states, private actors, and others (e.g. persistency ofpoverty and exclusion, trans-national problems, etc). Given these challenges and the lack ofdecisive and concerted action- there is a high probability that the agreed upon humandevelopment targets for the year 2015 wont be achieved, especially in the case of the HighlyIndebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). Children are in jeopardy! There is urgent need for trans-

national / cross sector actions to stem the rise of inequality and blunt the transmission ofglobal economic shocks to poor households and to the more vulnerable women andchildren. Globalization may continue, yes, but with an inclusive, equitable and child-friendlyfaceto build a world fit for children!

The final chapter looks into the need to establish collaborations on a global scale, linkingchildren, individuals, public institutions, businesses and non-state organizations, gearedtowards achieving a more inclusive and equitable globalization that really helps to build amore enabling local and global environment for children and women. The stakeholders for thislocal and global community with children and for children are presented. Then, some ideas onthe type of relationships and interactions they might engage are analyzed in detail. Issues ofconnectivity, pooling knowledge and resources together, collaboration, capacityenhancement, building accountable institutions for children, and the implementation of a

rights-based child-centered development agenda are explored in more detail. The potentialinstitutional role of Plan International in such a facilitation of a worldwide community withchildren and for children is explored.

Finally, some additional ideas on how to make more progress in the advancement of a child-centered agenda are presented. Children, their families, local communities, governments,businesses and local and global organizations from both the private and public sectors mustbe very creative in setting up new institutional arrangements and collaborations that allowthem to tap into each others capabilities and resources to solve common problems arisingfrom globalization and to help realize its full potential for women and children.


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Key Assumptions:

It is assumed here that in the first quarter of the 21st Century:

The world economy will continue to integrate and expand (though notwithout occasional setbacks or interruptions). This process will be

largely market-and-technology-driven. Technological advancesincreasingly carry more weight as drivers of global development.

The United States will remain the predominant military and economicpower but there will be other countervailing economic and politicalblocks as more countries debate the impact of US hegemony on theirdomestic and foreign policies. If the integration of the global politicalinstitutions necessary to achieve a smooth globalization process is notin place, a highly competitive multi-polar scenario will characterize theforeign policy and aid environments2.

The world will be more open and liberal politically, and more connected

electronically, than at any other time in human history

3

. Non-state actors private corporations, local and international NGOs

and international agencies- will play an increasingly influential politicalrole4.

Some Global Trends That Have Implications for InternationalCooperation and Development

1. Increased number of intra-state conflicts and more support forinternational humanitarian and relief interventions

5

Less inter-state conflicts Fewer inter-state conflicts over land and resources, albeit potentially

quite deadly, involving weapons of mass destruction. More professional armies and less use of child-soldiers for this type of

conflicts. Conversely, terrorism on the rise.

2See National Intelligence Council / Central Intelligence Agency, 2000, Global Trends 2015: A

Dialogue With Non-government Experts, Washington3

See Carol Lancaster, 2000, Transforming Foreign Aid: United States Assistance in the 21st

Century, Institute For International Economics, Washington, Institute for International Economics

Homepage4See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited

5This section based on Carol Lancaster, 2000, op cited


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Increased respect for international norms of behavior and forinstitutions such as the United Nations.

Intensifying network of economic and other forms of relationship andcooperation.

Intra-state conflicts on the rise Violence by armed groups within states is on the rise rather than

violence among states. These conflicts will tend to be rather prolongedand will become highly destructive of life and property.

These domestic conflicts probably will be concentrated in thosecountries or regions where societies are poorly integrated (e.g. whereethnic, religious, or regional identities are stronger than nationalidentities); where political leaders have exploited / will exploit suchdifferences for political gain; where governments are too weak toprevent the formation / arming of insurgent domestic groups; wherethere are few effective regional security arrangements that can mediateemerging conflicts before they erupt into full-scale violence; and wherethere has been a history of recent armed violence, the political andsocial after-effects of which have not been overcome.

They will generate even larger flows of refugees, and internallydisplaced people, usually without resources, drawing in the hostcountries and the international community, requiring large expendituresto provide refugees with shelter, food, medicine, and other needs.

In an increasingly interconnected world -with media having a globalreach- these conflicts and their corresponding refugee concerns- havelarger audiences who might influence more the domestic and

international foreign / aid policy agendas (both for the public andprivate sectors).

More support for international humanitarian and relief interventions

As a consequence of the decrease in inter-state conflicts and theincreased number and virulence of intra-state armed violence -and thecorresponding global media attention to these domestic-conflicts-witha-global-influence, there probably will be more and more internationaltolerance and support for external military and humanitarianinterventions to stop serious human rights abuses (including rights ofthe child abuses within the context of domestic conflicts).

These interventions change and expand the definition and nature ofinternational peace missions and humanitarian relief, from limitedpeacekeeping to peacemaking and rescue missions, and from short-term emergency relief to longer-term nation building.

The United Nations and regional organizations will be called upon tomanage local and regional conflicts because major states stressed bydomestic concerns, perceived risk of failure, lack of political will, or tightresources- will minimize their direct involvement6.

Finally, among the trans-national conflictive issues the internationalcommunity faces, world integration also works for organized crime and

6See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited


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terrorist syndicates that span the globe. Open systems and borders, improvedcommunications, transportation, and information management technologiesalso help these groups to act beyond their borders and coordinate with oneanother. Their actions may, impinge on intra-state conflicts affecting largenumbers of population, fostering more pressing and urgent refugee crisis.

2. More emphasis on selected trans-national issues rather than ontraditional development concerns

Population growth and urbanization

World population in 2015 will be 7.2 billion, up from 6.1 billion in theyear 2000, and in most countries, people will live longer. Ninety fivepercent of the increase will be in lower income countries, nearly all inrapidly expanding urban areas7.

Population growth is indeed decreasing in much of the world, due tothe spreading demographic transition / ageing of the population, the

increase in family planning services and education levels and theimpact of HIV / AIDS. However, the momentum of past populationgrowth will continue to produce significant population increases wellinto the next century (each year roughly 60 million people are added tothe total world population, which is expected to reach 9 billion by2050)8.

This increase in population is set to happen in some of the worldspoorest countries and most fragile environments (Africa and someparts ofAsia), with the resulting pressures on world resources and thecontinuing challenges to those countries.

Along with the increases in word population there will be a rapidacceleration in urbanization, creating growth in the demand forhousing, sanitation, social services, education, and employment incities. From 50% of the population now living in cities to roughly twothirds, or over 5 billion people, by 20159, with the most rapid rate ofurbanization continuing to occur in Africa.

There will be reductions in the relative size of the working population inthe advanced economies and in most emerging market countries aswell. This reduction will strain the social contract, increase health careand pension costs, and leave a significant shortfall in the size andcapacity of the work force. More importantly, this will create a demand

for un-skilled workers from lower income countries, fueling legal anillegal trans-national labor force migrations, draining the resources ofthose countries, and bringing in the corresponding domestic andinternational attention and potential for conflict10.


8United Nations, 1998, World Population Prospects: The 1998 Revision, NY,

http://www.unfpa.org/publications/swp.htm 9

United Nations, 1997, Critical Trends: Global Change and Sustainable Development, NY,

Economic and Social Council, E/CN.17/1997/3 Global change and sustainable development: criticaltrends10

See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited


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In some lower income countries, these same trends will combine toexpand the size of the working population and reducing the youth bulgeincreasing the potential for economic growth and political stability.

Some key global public goods (water, food and energy) will be scarce

Demand forwaterhigher than supplies In the next 30 years it is likely that water shortages will increase

dramatically. Water demand is rising fast, outrunning supplies. Onlythe Americas seem to be where this scarcity is less likely tohappen. Water scarcities and allocation will pose significantchallenges to countries in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa,South Asia and Northern China (regional tensions over water willbe heightened by 2015)11.

This demand stems from agriculture (70% of water usage), industry,and human consumption. Increased population and urbanizationand rising per capita incomes will require larger supplies for foodproduction and growing industrial activities.

The stress caused by lack of water supplies might have importantinternational consequences: less water for irrigation reducing foodproduction, and less water for domestic consumption with thecorresponding health problems. Further, conflicts might emerge, afactor that makes this issue an important trans-national one12.

Unfortunately there is no adequate international regime to deal withwater scarcity problems, unlike other sectors. The challenge is toset up an adequate framework to deal with this trans-national issuebefore it is too late.

Food distribution problems Much of the increased future demand for food will come from

developing countries, whereas a significant portion of the projectedincrease in world food supplies will come from farmers in industrialcountries. In emerging economies, higher quality agriculturalproducts demanded by the growing middle classes throughsophisticated supermarket chains will threaten the continuation ofsubsistence and more traditional farmers. There will be enough foodsupplies but most of it will be produced outside the developingcountries.

The main issue, then, will be one of food distribution. Poorinfrastructure and distribution, political instability and chronicpoverty will lead to malnourishment in several lower incomecountries13.

Not all segments of the world population will have enough income topurchase nutritionally adequate quantities of food or be able toproduce these locally. Sub-Sahara Africa is projected to requirelarge quantities of food imports in the coming years, perhaps even

11

See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited12See Carol Lancaster, 2000, op cited



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needing food aid for some time (if production levels remain similarto recent performance)14.

The potential for famine will still exist where the combination ofrepressive government or internal conflict and persistent naturaldisaster prevents or limits relief efforts. Donors will become more

reluctant to provide relief when the effort might become embroiled inmilitary conflict.

The international regime for dealing with food issues is in place. Thechallenge is to continue funding of specific activities, in particularresearch and increasing the efficiency of subsistence levelproduction, and in creating an adequate framework for fooddistribution.

Not enough energy from renewable sources to reach the poor Despite a 50% increase in global energy demand, energy resources

will be sufficient to meet overall demand; the latest estimatessuggest that 80% of the worlds available oil and 95% of its gasremain underground15. Most of the expansion in the demand forenergy will come from developing countries, in particular in Asiaand Latin America.

The supply of energy is projected to expand as well. Apart from oilscarcity issues in the early years of the century (issues ofexploration and marketing strategies), it is foreseen that new energysources will satisfy this increased demand, mostly coming fromnew, renewable energy sources (solar, fuel cells, wind, hydropower, biomass, etc.).

Rural areas in the developing world risk being left out of this energyrevolution. The challenge for the international community is toensure that the poor also have access to these new, more easilylocated, energy sources once they are available at a reasonablecost (specially solar and fuel cell energy sources).

Growing preoccupation with trans-national negative externalities(environment and health) 16 Trans-national environmental concerns

With increased prosperity, population, and urbanization, some oftodays environmental problems will tend to worsen, such as

the reduction on the ozone layer and the increase ingreenhouse gases, both contributing to global warming, theloss of forests, biodiversity, pollution of water and air, thedepletion of world fisheries, and degradation of soil -contributing to desertification.

Although much has been done to address these issues (theGlobal Environmental Facility, the Rio Protocol, the reduction inaerosol / spray gases, etc.), much remains to be done before

14See Carol Lancaster, 2000, op cited

15

Ibid16It refers to the adverse consequences (or negative externalities) of actions or conditions in one

country for populations beyond their borders.


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effective regimes are in place. Important trans-nationalenvironmental problems are still emerging.

Trans-national health problems Thirty new infectious diseases have emerged in the past twodecades, including HIV / AIDS17. Several diseases that are

debilitating and sometimes deadly have also began to regainground after being controlled or eradicated from various regions(dengue, malaria, etc.). And there is a growing resistance ofcertain pathogens such as malaria and tuberculosis- topreventive or curative drugs.

AIDS will be a major problem not only in Africa but also onIndia, Southeast Asia, several countries of the former SovietUnion, and possibly China18.

AIDS will reduce economic growth by up to 1 percent GDP andwill consume more than 50 percent of health budgets in thehardest hit countries. It will have a destructive impact on familiesand society, in some countries reducing average life spans by asmuch as 30 to 40 years, generating more than 40 millionorphans and contributing to poverty, crime and instability19.

Large movements of people (which can carry sickness faraway), increased urbanization and population densities (whichcan lead to the outbreak and spread of infection), andenvironmental disturbances induced by climatic change and the

expansion into new areas (which cause previously unknowndiseases to spread to human population), are trends that willkeep international health issues high on the world agenda

In spite of an elaborate international health regime, the capacityof the international community to respond to large, localized,disease outbreaks and less so for global pandemics- is verylimited. At the same time, developing countries healthauthorities will need more support to establish effective healthsystems.

17World Resources Institute, 1999, World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment, 1998-

1999, Washington18See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited

19Ibid


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globalization continues to be perceived by some in the north ashaving a negative impact on their quality of life).

Further, in the richer countries two different ways for global capitalism seem tobe emerging: on the one hand the more flexible, low taxes, open immigration

and hyper-competitive economy of the USA, touted as more efficient andfreer. On the other hand, the European way, where countries are more willingto trade some growth for social equity and where globalization is seen as aprocess that cannot be driven by business exclusively. Some would say thatthis way is less efficient and more interfering with personal liberties26thedebate is on!

What is important for this analysis is that the nature, emphases and prioritiesof foreign / aid policies and donor contributions of the northern countries forinternational development will be underpinned by:

The perceptions on globalizations benefits and its potential backlash The tension and the corresponding debate between the two paths to

achieve the promise contained in globalization: the laissez faire wayand the socially responsible road

The corresponding political processes in these countries, wheregovernments, non-governmental organizations and people on generalhave a growing say in defining the type of globalization that willemerge.

In Lower Income Countries

Concerning lower income countries, one potential cost of market-drivenintegration is the potential volatility of foreign direct investment and otherforms of capital in countries with weak institutions and regulatory systems.This is particularly true of short-term externals capital flows that might flee acountry -at Internet speeds- when investors perceive potential trouble. Theend result might be a worsening of the initial problems, probably leaving thatcountry with currency devaluations, credit crunches, debt servicing problems,and economic recession.

More importantly, more than half the world population risks being leftout of the benefits of a globalizing world. This is the paradox of the

years to come: Continuing poverty in spite of growing prosperity!

Key elements of the foundations for development physical infrastructure,education, and health services- have greatly expanded in most parts of theworld over the past half-century. This expansion emerged from a combinationof foreign aid in the early parts of the process, with increased localcapabilities to manage its own development at later stages, and as of lately,funding investment and long-term growth through rising levels of FDI -ForeignDirect Investment, accompanied by policy reforms including privatization ofstate-owned enterprises, and improved transportation and communicationservices27.

26See Newsweek, Issues 2001, December-February 2001 op cited

27Ibid


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These advances have supported some progress in raising per capita incomesin much of the developing world28. Low-income countries at the beginning ofthe 21st Century are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.Only a few countries in Latin America, South East Asia, and parts ofCentral Asia and the Caucasus remain low-income countries29. Thus, the

long-term prospects for continuing economic progress in much of the worldseems positive (taking into account that his scenario will also add to thepressures on resources and on the global environment).

However, the most pressing moral, political and economic issue of our timeremains third-world poverty. In spite of all this progress and increasedprosperity of the last years, nearly half of the world population is stillextremely poor (subsisting on less than $2 a day, with more than 1.2billion people one in five human beings- living on $1 or less a day!)30.These high levels of poverty are compounded by the recalcitrantpersistence of in-country income disparities in many countries.

These extremely poor are largely concentrated in China, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa31: The first two are better positioned to access international capital and have

more capacity to manage their own growth and perhaps emerge frompoverty in the coming years.

It is the problem of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in Sub-Sahara Africa that will continue to challenge the world community inthe 21stCentury!To offer these populations some hope for the future,Sub-Sahara Africa and the international community must overcome the

problems from the past

32

.

The Digital Divide

Further, the income gap between the northern and southern countries mightincrease even more as the latter countries are left behind, in a technologicaldesert, if certain conditions are not met. The 2 billion people living in lowincome countries have only 35 telephone lines and five personal computersfor every 1,000 people, compared with 650 phone lines and 540 computers inAmerica. One in two Americans is online, compared with only one in 250Africans.33

The Internet can help southern countries catch up with developed ones(leapfrogging some steps / investments, having instant access to a wealth of

2828

World Bank, 1999, World Development Report 1999/2000: Entering the 21st

Century,

Washington29

Ibid30

Ibid31

Ibid32

Underdevelopment in that region aroused, on the one hand, from self-inflicted wounds such as poor

policies, weak institutions, corruption and abysmal leadership; on the other hand, these problems were

exacerbated by foreign donors often imprudent provision of aid -characterized by lack of coordination

and dispersion of efforts, low participation, low accountability, tolerance of mismanagement andhuman rights abuses due to cold-war priorities, etc.33

See The Economist, Untangling e-conomics, September 23rd

29th

, 2000


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knowledge, etc.), so lack of access will clearly prejudice their growthprospects. However, it is not automatic that this lack of access will inevitablylead to slower growth or that the digital divide will increase34. Key decisionsneed to be made in order to benefit from the new technologies, rather thanjust deciding to concentrate on (and getting distracted by) getting wired. It is

more important to invest on improving education, on having adequatetransitional assistance for dislocated workers35, and on creating the conditionsfor citizen security and for having real competition, rather than justconcentrating on only investing on the hardware of the new technologies.

Globalization, Governance and International Cooperation

As the integration of the worlds markets for trade finance, and knowledgecontinues to accelerate, there is a need to recognize that this globalizingprocess is a work in progress where all international and local public andnon-state actors will confront fundamental tests of effective governance toensure that the promise and benefits of globalization reach not only the better-off but the poorer and more disadvantaged. The following sections analyzethese conditions affecting all major players.

States and Governments

The elements of globalization greater and freer flow of information,capital, goods, services, people, and the diffusion of power to non-state actors of all kinds- will challenge the authority of virtually allthe governments.

All states will confront popular demands for greaterparticipation inpolitics and to pay more attention tohuman / civil rights to guide thedevelopment process as well. These pressures, hopefully, willencourage greater democratization, participation and transparency.Politics rather than economics- is back as one of the key driversfor social policy36.

Globalization is drawing the worlds states into a global communitywith more responsibilities than ever before. At the same time, thedemands of local communities for power and voice, whilechallenging existing governance structures, create newopportunities for addressing development challenges within the

framework of new global and local institutional arrangements.Successful states will interact effectively with non-state actors tomanage authority and share responsibilities To prosper in the globaleconomy, governments will have to invest more in public education,technology, and in broader participation in government to includeincreasingly influential non-state actors37.

34The Economist, Untangling e-conomics, op cited

35See Institute for International Economics, The Tokyo Foundation and The Nippon Foundation,

Strategies for the New Century: A Report to the Leaders of the G-8 Member Countries, G-8

Okinawa Summit, 200036See Newsweek, Issues 2001, December-February 2001 op cited



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As the foundation of a real international community is gradually putin place, states and other actors, including the private and civilsociety sectors, are also more bound by a set of internationalagreements and standards on Human and Civil rights andstandards of action including the Convention on the Rights of the

Child38, which will guide and help them to implement social policyand to interact and relate among themselves.

Finally, states will also be challenged to monitor and regulatebusiness firms and other actors through measures consistent withlocal standards of social welfare that also conform to internationallylegitimized and binding agreements on human, civil andenvironmental rights and standards39.

The Business Sector

Business firms will largely benefit from a more integrated,technology driven global economy. Rapid expansion of the privatesector in many emerging countries is foreseen along with de-regulation and privatization

More global firms and a rapid convergence in market-basedfinancial and business practices may ensue.40

Business firms will spearhead many legal and judicial reforms andchallenge governments to become more transparent andpredictable. At the same time, businesses are required to conformto the emerging web of international human, civil, andenvironmental rights and standards. Firms increasingly are

pressured to have a more socially responsible reach. In doing so,firms will link with many non-profits, contributing to or partneringresources for several social and environmental causes.

Medium sized firms and micro enterprises will also multiply inmany countries, driven by the shift away from Communism and thebroadening of financial services and banking systems. As medium size and small businesses become more numerous, they will alsoencourage, and then link into, various global networks41.

The Non-profit Sector

In the globalizing world the non-profit sector will continue to provide criticalpublic goods and services to individuals and private groups, especially onhealth, education and social services. It is expected that in the next 15 years:

Non-profits will have more resources to expand their activities andwill become more confident of their power, some becoming morechallenging of existing international aid / cooperation arrangements.

38For a more detailed discussion of this issue see Sanchez, Felipe, 2001, Towards a Rights-based

Child-centered Development Programming Approach, Working Paper # 2 in this series39

Ibid40See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited

41Ibid


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and accountability45, not only in relationship to the general public

and the state but concerning their own primary constituencies,donors, partners and other stakeholders both in the northern andsouthern countries.

International Cooperation

Finally, globalization and technological change are raising widespreadexpectations that increased international cooperation will help provide a moreequitable face to the globalizing process and to help manage manytransnational issues that states can no longer manage on their own:

There is a trend to strengthen a web of international institutions andtreaties based on the UN System and Human Rights andEnvironmental Frameworks to guide international development andsocial policy.

There are a growing number of agreements on standards and

practices and a large number of closely linked trans-nationalnetworks and private groups to implement diverse areas ofresponsibility.

Most high-income countries will participate in multiple internationalinstitutions and seek cooperation on a wide range of issues toprotect their interests and to promote their influence.

Strongly nationalistic and / or autocratic states will play a moreselective role in intergovernmental organizations and collaborativearrangements: working within them to protect and project theirinterests, while working against initiatives they view as threatening

to their power structures and interests. Lower income countries will participate actively in international

organizations and arrangements to assert their sovereignty, garnerresources for social and economic development, and gain supportfor the incumbent government. The most unstable of these stateswill participate in international organizations and collaborativearrangements primarily to maintain recognition for the regime.

Towards an Inclusive and Equitable Globalization

Similar to the basic development challenge of the previous century, those

countries not able or not willing to put in place an educated workforce, anefficient physical and virtual infrastructure, and a policy and institutionalenvironment supportive of both private investment and equitable growth willnot be able to exploit the potential benefits of a market-technology-drivenintegration of the world; and education will be one of the key determinants ofsuccess in 2015 at both the individual and country level.

Investor / lender friendly governance measures as promulgated by theBretton Woods institutions- are perhaps a-necessary-but-not-enoughcondition to produce an effective poverty reduction in a given country.

45See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited and The Economist, op cited


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Investor / lender-friendly measures have to go hand in hand with povertyreduction and poor-friendly governance measures if the promise ofglobalization for lower income countries is to be realized

46.

To have an inclusive and equitable globalization process that enables the

majority of the worlds people including the poor and more vulnerable- tobenefit from its promise of increased wealth and participation it is essentialthat a virtuous circle develops among technology, economic growth,demographic factors and social investment. These actions should be focusedon putting in place the fundamentals of development, effective and inclusivegovernance and international collaboration:

Technological developments and diffusion need to be utilized tograpple effectively with some problems of the lower incomecountries.

Economic growth has to be spurred by a strong policy consensusand has to diffuse wealth widely while mitigating many of the

demographic and resource problems. The fundamentals of development must be in place:

o A Strong Human capital(a healthy and educated workforce)o Social capitalaccumulation (trust, relationships, participation,

organizations, good governance, strong institutions, the ruleof law, social norms and ways, etc., that really balanceindividual choices with group / community needs)

o Social integration, including the more vulnerable andexcluded in social, economic, and political processes, withattention to common axes of social differentiation and

exclusion defined by gender, race, age, and incomeo Access to efficient justice and quality of policing and anadequate degree ofcitizen securitythat is fair andencompassing

o Adequate infrastructure (physical and virtual)o Sustainable use of the natural base for livelihood security

and economic growtho Use of new technologies that promise bigger improvements

in economic efficiencies and bigger gains flowing from adenser network of connections and relations between thehigher income and lower income worlds

o More states fiscal dependence on critical resources from itsown citizens rather than on external or easily-monopolizedresources or classical foreign aid47

o Access to increased export opportunities -and on equalterms- derived from a more liberal and really competitiveworld trade system

46Countries with governance institutions that are only attractive to international investors and lenders

tend to perform badly at converting material resources (per capita GNP) into human development (as

expressed in the Human Development Index longevity, education and literacy). For facts supporting

this claim, see Mick Moore, Jennifer Leavy et al, 1999, Polity Qualities: How Governance AffectsPoverty, Institute of Development Studies, Poverty Research Programme, Working Paper #99, UK47

Ibid


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Effective and inclusive governance at both the national andinternational levels, based oninternationally legitimized rights andstandards, with an intensification of global cooperationcharacterized by growing numbers of local and global networks andpublic private partnerships focused on assorted development

issues.

The alternative to not achieving this inclusive and equitable globalizingprocess will be an un-equitable globalization, a pernicious regionalcompetition and a polarized world! If this is allowed to happen, those regions,countries and population groups feeling left behind will face deepeningeconomic stagnation, political instability, and cultural alienation. They willfoster more political, ethnic, ideological, and religious extremism, along withthe violence that often accompanies it. The poor and more vulnerable will benegatively affected by the perpetuation of their desperate situation. All thesefactors will force the international community to split and to remain focused on

old world challenges while concentrating on the implications of the newworld technologies at the same time!

If a pernicious, un-equitable and polarized globalizationis allowed to happen, even those who benefit the mostfrom the globalizing process will, in the long run, benegatively affected by the alienation, hopelessness and

despair of those left behind!


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3

At this stage, it is appropriate to have a more detailed look into what has beenachieved so far in terms of the well being of deprived children and into theremaining challenges for them in light of the probable world of the 21stCentury and considering the required concerted work to achieve an inclusiveand equitable globalization.

Progress so Far: 1990-2000

The Ratification and Incorporation of the Convention on the Rights ofthe Child (CRC)

In general terms, it is increasingly accepted that a universal set ofprinciples to guide social policy and international development processesis needed, based on the emerging and internationally legitimized UNHuman and Civil Rights Framework48.

This UN Human Rights Framework, including the Convention on theRights of the Child, sets out peoples agreed rights to claim resources,which meet both their practical and strategic needs. This Frameworkbounds not only the states but also civil society and private sector actors49.

After the near universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the

Child (and the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of DiscriminationAgainst Women) and their associated reporting and monitoringprocedures, it is increasingly recognized that the achievement of the rightsand development of children is fundamental for sustained human andeconomic progress there is also much recognition that women rights andwell being are central, in turn, to both the development of humancapabilities and the realization of childrens rights.

There Has Been Some Progress in the Well Being of DeprivedChildren

50: Reduction in infant and child mortality: these rates falling by more than half

between 1960-1990, and at a lesser pace over the last decade (due tomore internal conflicts, AIDS, etc.)

Expanded coverage in childhood immunization: Important advances inpreventing two thirds of the deaths associated with neo-natal tetanus and85% of measles deaths. Deaths from six major diseases (measles,tetanus, whooping cough, tuberculosis, polio and diphtheria) have been

48See Fergusson, Clare, 1999, Global Social Policy Principles: Human Rights and Social Justice,

Social Development Division, DFID, London49

Ibid; see also Sanchez, Felipe, 2001 (b),op cited, for a more detailed discussion of this issue50This section and all the statistics provided in it- is based on, UNICEF, 2000, A New Global

Agenda For Children, non-published draft paper, New York


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slashed by three million a year and at least 750,000 fewer children are leftblind, paralyzed or mentally disabled

Near eradication of polio: Eradication of polio is within sight in the next fiveyears

Control of Vitamin A deficiency: Distribution of Vitamin A supplements has

grown enormously, thereby contributing to the reduction of childhoodblindness and the risks of dying of other diseases such as diarrhea,measles and acute respiratory infections

Control of Iodine deficiency disorders: More than 70% of the worldpopulation is now protected from iodine deficiency, thereby preventingmental retardation in 12 million infants a year

Primary school enrolment on the rise: The absolute numbers of childrenenrolled in primary schools, and the net enrollment rate, have increased inthe last decade, although there are marked regional variations in the rateand extent of progress. The gender gap in primary and secondaryenrolment is gradually decreasing

A spotlight on the violence against women and girls: More awareness onthe suffering endured by women and girls as victims of violence, in thehome and outside. There is now more attention to Female GenitalMutilation (FGM) becoming a focus of global concern and advocacy

Making children and women visible in the policy agenda: Children andwomen issues are more visible in the national policies and public debatesdue to the widespread adoption of the CRC and the CEDAW

The Optional Protocol on Children on Armed Conflict, preventing childrento be involved in armed conflicts was formally adopted by the UN in theyear 2000:

The Ottawa Treaty on Landmines, forbidding the use, stockpiling,production and transfer of anti-personnel mines has been widely signedand adopted in the year 2000

Priority Actions Are Still Needed to Address the Remaining ChallengesDeprived Children Face

Issues of concern for deprived children confront political leaders, policymakers, organizations, families and children themselves in virtually all thecountries51:

Social and economic pressures are undermining the crucial role of parentsand families in ensuring the rights of the children to grow in a more stable,safe and nurturing environment

Persistent poverty and exclusion: Of the 1.2 billion persons that struggle tosurvive on less than US$1 per day half of them are children!

The overwhelming effects of external debt and the inadequate investmentin social services is increasing the risks of children: Poor infrastructure, lowcoverage and low quality social services mean that over half a millionwomen a year are killed by complications in pregnancy and childbirth.More than a billion persons cannot have access to safe drinking water and

over 2.4 billion dont have adequate sanitation, and at least 40 million51

Most of the issues and the supporting statistics in this section are based on UNICEF, 2000, op cited


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children a year go unregistered at birth. Over 11 million children annuallydie from mostly preventable causes and malnutrition. Over 200 millionchildren are still malnourished

Growing effects of trans-national health issues such as HIV / AIDS: TheHIV / AIDs pandemics is reversing decades worth of gains for children,

specially in Sub-Saharan Africa A number of global environmental trends pose major challenges to the

future well being of children: Among these trends are the unsustainableuse of water and other natural resources, inadequate sanitation, poorhygiene, unsafe drinking water, air pollution, hazardous wastes andcrowded housing

113 million children still out of school, mostly girls: A third of all children failto complete five years of schooling. Over 110 million of primary school agechildren the majority of them girls- are not enrolled at school

Growing gap in technology / access to Internet-based economy: In a worldof rapid technological change, children without basic education includingthe many millions trapped in child labor- are consigned to a growing digitaldivide that is a form of disability and exclusion

One out of every 10 children lives with moderate to severe disability:Children with disabilities, particularly girls, often lack access to the mostbasic services, being discriminated against and, in many societies,shunned from social life

The vulnerability of children leaves them exposed to violence, abuse andexploitation: 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 areeconomically active, while over 100 million children are engaged inintolerable forms of labor. Many are bonded labor, subjected to trafficking

or forced into prostitution or pornography More than 2 million children died as a result of armed conflict; more than

three times this number were permanently disabled or seriously injured.Few children living in war-affected zones can aspire to even the mostbasic standards of care, education or health

Substance abuse, accidents, violence and suicide among adolescents:Accidents, violence and suicide are the leading causes of death amongadolescents, often related to alcohol or drug consumption, which itself isanother form of alienation and exclusion

Discrimination against children and women: Continued gender and agediscrimination is often compounded by ethnic and religious discrimination

as well as by poverty and social exclusion. Finally, childrens participation in the affairs that directly affect them and

their societies has to go beyond mere tokenism: Boys and girls have acapacity to make unique contributions to their own development and totheir community development, helping to construct a more inclusive andequitable environment.

Furthermore, the Internationally agreed Human Development Targets for theYear 2015 Wont Be Achieved by Many Highly Indebted Poor Countries(HIPCs) If Current Trends Continue!


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The indicators for the 41 HIPCs are improving at an abysmally slow rate,leaving these countries well off track for achieving the 2015 humandevelopment goals agreed by all nations52:

Of the 44 countries ranked in the low human development category in

the UN Development Program, 30 are in the HIPC group. About half the citizens in the HIPCs are living below the international

poverty line of $ 1 a day. Average life expectancy is 53, 10 years lower than the average for all

developing countries. In several HIPCs, over 5% of the children are not expected to reach the

age of five; the average under-five mortality rate is 154 deaths per1,000 live births.

40 percent of children of primary school age in the HIPCs (or 40 millionchildren) are not attending primary school. Many millions more drop outof school before gaining basic literacy; the quality of education istypically abysmal and fewer girls than boys enroll in school (being thisgender gap around 10%). Womens literacy rates are below 25 percentin most HIPCs).

New health threats have emerged: The HIPCs account for most of the5,500 deaths that occur each day as a result of HIV/AIDS. Healthsystems are being stretched to breaking point by the increase in theincidence of secondary infections to which the HIV-positive fell prey.Microbial evolution and resistance to antibiotics are posing furtherchallenges, also placing huge stresses on both households andnational health systems.

The outlook for the future is bleak if no decisive actions are taken. In manycountries human development indicators are in fact deteriorating. According tothe Center for International Development at Harvard University53, nearly halfof all HIPCs have recently started to register declines in per capita proteinconsumption; life expectancy is declining in 13 countries, partially as a resultof the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

According to UNICEF and OXFAM, at this rate, many HIPCs wont be able tomeet the internationally agreed targets for the year 2015, including the keygoals of reducing child mortality, achieving universal primary education and

halving the numbers in extreme poverty54

Globalization, Yes, But With an Inclusive, Equitable and Child-friendlyFaceto Build a World Fit for Children!

The impetus for globalization has come mainly from the spread of marketsand a knowledge-based economy, while the impacts, as we have seen in

52Statistics based on UNICEF (1999), Children in Jeopardy: The Challenge of Freeing Poor

Nations From the Shackles of Debt, Division of Evaluation, Policy and Planning, New York53

Sachs, Jeffrey. (1999), Implementing Debt Relief for the HIPCs, mimeo, Center for InternationalDevelopment, Harvard University, Boston, cited in UNICEF, 1999, op cited54

See UNICEF (1999), op cited


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previous sections, have much broader implications social, cultural, political,as well as economic- in both the industrialized and lower income countries.

A key conclusion at this stage is that, in a rapidly globalizing world, waiting formarket / technology-led integration and for investor / lender friendly policies to

produce the desired effects in poverty reduction and in eliminating the factorsthat exclude large numbers of the population -and that put women andchildren at risk- is not enough.

Economic growth is indeed a pre-requisite for development and certainly therehas to be in place the necessary conditions to foster market forces and moreefficient distribution mechanisms to help lift large numbers of people frompoverty.

But these growth-friendly policies have to ensure there are no unduecornering of the market by a given player to the detriment of the poorest and

most vulnerable- and have to be complemented with decisive actions throughpublic policy to make social investments a priority and spend proportionallymore in basic social services:

Thus, it is increasingly urgent to ensure the realization of the positive aspectsof the globalizing world (its promise) and to deal with its potential negativeimpacts in a concerted manner:

Globalization is a work in progress in need of urgent trans-national / cross sector actions to stem the rise of inequality and toblunt the transmission of global economic shocks to poorhouseholds and to the more vulnerable. More specifically, there isurgent need to ensure that these globalizing processes bringbenefits to the more disadvantaged women andchildrenGlobalization, yes, but with an inclusive, equitable andchild-friendly faceto build a world fit for children!

To address the remaining issues and the emerging challenges concerning thewell being of poor children, some key lessons from the development thinkingand practice of recent years need to be recognized and applied in the NewCentury:

There is a growing recognition that the starting point of internationaldevelopment strategies that emphasize equitable humandevelopment is the rights and well being of children. It is childrenwhose individual development and social contribution will shape theworlds future and it is through children that inter -generationalcycles of poverty, exclusion and discrimination can be broken

It has also become increasingly clear that womens rights and wellbeing are central both to human development and to the realizationof childrens rights

Sustainable development requires the participation of children,

women and men in the decisions that affect them within the family,


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community, and at local and national levels (going beyond tokenismin childrens participation).

Childrens participation is a pre-requisite to making all other claimscontained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. TheirParticipation in the affairs that directly affect them and their

societies has to go beyond tokenism and has to happen accordingto their own evolving capacities.

To break the intergenerational cycles of poverty, there is a need torecognize and use to the fullest extent possible the spillover effectsand inter-linkages in the provision of basic social programs andservices.

Finally, the world must tackle development in general, and povertyreduction and social inclusion in particular including women andchildren, in a concerted manner and at all levels.


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The integration of the worlds markets for trade finance, and knowledgecontinues to accelerate drawing the worlds states into a global communitywith more responsibilities than ever before.

At the same time, the demands of local communities for power and voice arechallenging existing governance structures both global and local, whilecreating new opportunities for addressing equitable development and bringing

about a world fit for children.

To address these issues, the world must tackle development in general, andpoverty reduction and social inclusion in particular including women andchildren, in a concerted manner and at all levels.A global developmentarchitecture has to be in place to create conditions that support, on the onehand, economic growth in lower income countries and their integration into theworld economy, and on the other, the realization of effective actions ensuringthe respect to all internationally legitimized human rights including the Rightsof the Child- and putting in place the fundamentals of development at the localand global levels.

Lower income countries investment in their own peoples education andhealth as a foundation for sustained development, putting in place solidinstitutions, effective citizen participation and the rule of law based oninternationally-recognized human rights, protecting these allocationsthroughout time, and paying attention to the poorest and most vulnerable arecritical actions if equitable development and the realization of the rights ofwomen and children are to be achieved in the New Century.

Local and Global Communities for Children

Collaboration on a global scale, linking public, non-state organizations andindividuals at the local and global levels and geared towards achieving a moreinclusive and equitable globalization that builds an enabling environment forwomen and children is a priority55. Thus:

In the Globalizing world of the early years of the 21stCentury, thechallenge is to establish and enhance a worldwide community ofsupporters of children and their families, and organizations, sharing acommon understanding of the rights of the child and having an interest

55Examples of such global networks already exist, some of them relatively successful (re the Global

Environmental Facility GEF, GAVI the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, etc.).


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Deprived childrens immediate family with particularemphasis on women, lifting themselves up from poverty andexclusion, also sharing the agenda for children andcommitted to create an enabling environment for theirchildrens survival, protection, development and participation.

o Secondary Stakeholders Civil Society actors in the immediate community, grassroots

organizations (GROs), community-based organizations(CBOs)

Local State Social Service Institutions, INGDOs (International Non-governmental Development

Organizations) Local level Program Units and Teams (PLANInternational PUs will be included here),

Low Income Countries Intra-regional and National levels (programcountry national and regional levels):

o Secondary Stakeholders: Civil Society Actors and Rights of the Child coalitions at in-

country and national levels, local Development Non-governmental Organizations (NGDOs), etc.

Regionalized State institutions, with the task of providingeffective and efficient social services closer to the poor andmore vulnerable

Regional and national level private sector and mediaorganizations,

National level social service Ministries and institutions and

the State in general, Public bilateral and multilateral missions an international aid

agencies located in the country, International Non-government Development Organizations

(INDGOs) working in the country (includingPLANInternational Country Office and support teams)

International Development and Foreign Aid Level (regional andinternational development policy levels):

o Secondary Stakeholders: International Civil Society Actors and Coalitions for Children

Rights International private sector and media organizations, International public development multilateral institutions INGDOsregional and international teams (including PLANs

Regional Offices and International Headquartersmanagement and support teams)

Industrialized Countries / New Emerging Economies Level (donorcountry level):

o Secondary Stakeholders:

Sponsors and supporters for children, individuals andorganizations in industrialized countries -and in some new


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emerging economies- who are informed about rights of thechild and about children / development issues, sharing acommon child-centered development agenda, contributingsome of the means for its achievement (financial, informationand other resources) and being engaged in all or part of the

local and global actions necessary to obtain the sharedobjectives and results.

Civil society actors and coalitions for the rights of the child inindustrialized countries / new emerging economies

Private sector and media organizations in industrializedcountries / new emerging economies,

Bilateral aid / donor organizations and the State inindustrialized countries / new emerging economies

Donor Country INGDOs National Office management andsupport teams (including PLAN Internationals)

The Building Relationships and Enabling Environments for ChildrenContinuum

The Stakeholders in this network of local and global communities for childrenmay engage in a series of interactions to share their understanding on rightsof the child and on other development issues and to be involved in a series ofrelations and interventions geared towards the implementation of a local andglobal development agenda for children.

Table 1 at the end of this document shows the full extent of potential

relationships among all the stakeholders and levels (children to children,children to local state, state to state, INGDO to children, sponsor / supporterto children, etc)57.

These communities or networks of individuals and organizations workingtogether to improve the conditions of deprived children relate to each other,share a common child-centered agenda, play different roles but aim toachieve the same objectives, have different degrees of collaboration amongthemselves, contribute means according to their capacity, and work togetherfor disadvantaged children of selected locations in the lower income countries,for their families and for their immediate communities.

When interacting among themselves, the members of this networks orStakeholders establish a series of relationships and actions that might lead tochanges in the conditions of deprived children.

This set of relationships spans from, on the one side, providing information tosponsors, supporters and deprived children, helping them to become aware ofrights of the child, children issues etc., to, on the other side, directly involving

57

This issue of the type of relationships among the stakeholders for children will be explored in moredetail in Working Paper #3 in this series, currently under preparation. Also, the Quito Building

Relations Workshop explores this issue in more details.


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them in joint actions towards the achievement of a child-centereddevelopment agenda with both a grass root focus and a global reach.

We will call this set of relationships The Building Relationships and EnablingEnvironments for Children Continuum, which may include the following

typology of interactions among the different stakeholders involved in the localand global networks. Stakeholders for Children may be involved by:

Pooling knowledge together and increasing awareness, educationand learning

Connecting children, people and organizations Pooling financial resources together Building capacity Establishing collaborative arrangements Implementing together a Rights-based Child-centered Development

Agenda

Building accountable institutions for children

The following paragraphs describe in more details the elements of thiscontinuum:

Pooling Knowledge Together and Increasing Awareness, Educationand Learning: This interaction includes researching, informing, andproviding interactive learning opportunities on development and rights ofthe child issues and on the implementation of a child-centereddevelopment agenda, with a grass root focus and a global reach: Increasing access to knowledge, having better possibilities to

disseminate it effectively to those who need it the most Bringing light and different perspectives to any particular issue Promoting cross cultural appreciation and learning among the different

stakeholders Disseminating promising practices and lessons learned, thus

contributing to better performance in the implementation of the child-centered agenda

Connecting Children, People and Organizations: Bringing peopletogether including women and children- and organizations that have acommon understanding of rights of the child and share a common agendafor child-centered development: Tapping information and expertise from a variety of backgrounds,

including the indigenous knowledge of diverse cultures Giving voice to previously unheard of groups, specially to the most

vulnerable, women and children; giving them a global reach Fostering linkages and mutual understanding on the rights of the child

and on the implementation of a child-centered development agenda Building bridges between children and local communities, and between

children / their families and communities of sponsors, supporters andorganizations who want to help and also have a stake in the rights of

the child and in the implementation of the child-centered agenda Volunteering to support the cause of deprived children


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Lobbying, reconciliation and mediation to ensure social policy anddevelopment processes at the local and global levels are equitable,inclusive and conducive to the implementation of the child-centeredagenda

Pooling Financial Resources Together: Leveraging financial resourcesthat can be applied to the solution of a relevant problem and / or to theimplementation of the child-centered development program. Pooling of resources coming from Individual / Group / Corporate

Sponsorship funding / Funding from official multilateral-bilateral aid/Funding from Southern / Eastern governments / Funding from privatecorporate sources / the Gift economy

Complementing / leveraging / multiplying local community resources forthe implementation of the child-centered development agenda

Building Capacity: Building indeed, embodying- social capitalaccumulation and human capital formation to establish enablingenvironments that lead to the realization of childrens potential: Achieving greater trust among participants and network members Creating global and local forum and more adequate global and local

architectures for an equitable and sustainable development for womenand children in the midst of a market and knowledge driven integrationof the world

Fostering norms, values, attitudes and behaviors at the family and local/ global levels primed to build a positive environment for children andcentral for their ability to chart their future

Actions to increase Stakeholders capacity (including childrens) toeffectively and efficiently carry out their role in the implementation of anagreed upon agenda for children with local and global actions. Itincludes increasing their capacity / skills to carry out a program ofaction centered on childrens practical and strategic needs: assessing,planning, managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating andlearning. Also to enhance stakeholders capacity to negotiate, rallysupport, obtain resources and collaborate among themselves

Establishing Collaborative Arrangements: In spite of some difficultiesand constraints58, collaborative arrangements and networks have many

advantages over other alternatives of institutional action: Stakeholder / inter-organizational collaborative arrangements are the

pillar of an emerging development paradigm that seeks to mobilize thevalues and voluntary energy of citizen groups and sponsors /supporters, the know how and capital of businesses, and the legitimacyof the State59

58Among such constraints are: slow processes, the possibility of diluting decisions for the sake of

consensus or the interests of key players, the tendency to reflect stakeholder perspectives and not

necessarily practical or feasible objectives, and the danger of dominance of the network by a powerful

player.59See Covey, Jane, (2000), Inter-organizational Cooperation and the Art of Partnership, PLAN

International Program Conference, University of Sussex, UK


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Promoting broad ownership for a given course of action / providing aplatform for decision making that is more acceptable to a range ofparticipants spanning the global and local settings

Creating synergies by reaching out to key stakeholders, including themin the definition of objectives, priorities, strategies, and in the execution

of network tasks and the child-centered agenda. This includes theestablishment of effective linkages among local communities and withsocial service providers

Promoting unity through positive and effective co-operation, buildingstrong local and global communities around the practical and strategicneeds of children

Addressing governance problems caused by inadequate legitimacy ofany of the three sectors public, private and civil- when addressingglobal and even local- issues

Networking, contracting, partnering, establishing alliances, coalitionsand consortia for the advancement of the child-centered developmentagenda, at both the local and global levels

Implementing Together a Rights-based Child-centered DevelopmentAgenda60: Drawing on the internationally recognized Convention on theRights of the Child a program of action for and with children, implemented,with both a grass root focus and a global reach: Strengthening the ability of children to claim social, political and

economic resources to meet their practical needs of survival anddevelopment and their strategic needs of protection and participation

Children are seen, heard and act to meet their practical and strategic

needs. Participation of children becomes a pre-requisite. Childrensempowerment will enable them to participate and influence the decisionmaking process, in the household as well as in the public arenas thatshape their lives

Concerned with the minimum subsistence of children, which takesprecedence over the other rights / needs, which can be progressivelyrealized. A core program of social services provision that responds tochildrens survival and their families everyday needs (quality education,health, potable water and basic shelter services), focused on thepoorest of the poorest, and implemented with a focus at local levelwhile fostering policies at the national and international levels that will

facilitate the realization of this core social programs Also concerned with childrens livelihood security, referring to the

material resources, assets and services required for subsistence andwealth generation. Increasing household prosperity through income,affordable credit and the sustainable use of the natural base so that itcan be applied to improve childrens well being

Concerned with the accumulation of social and human capitals that willhelp establish a more enabling environment for children and central totheir ability to chart their own future within their communities (the web

60For a more detailed discussion of this issue of the agenda for children, see Sanchez, Felipe, 2001 (b),

op cited


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of group ties, memberships, local and global relations, networks,collaborations, organizations, trust, values, norms, attitudes, etc.)

Concerned with the integration of children and the more vulnerable insocial, political and economic development processes. Requiringattention to common axes of social differentiation and exclusion of

children and their families defined by gender, race, age and income

Building Accountable Institutions for Children: By implementing anAgenda for Children at both the local and global levels, there arecorresponding issues of obligation, conduct, transparency and result for allthe stakeholders for children: The CRC contemplates obligations that are not only binding to states

but also to civil society and private sectors (the UN framework has alegitimacy that reaches beyond the boundaries of purely legal or state-only requirements)61

In order to ensure the costs of globalization are not disproportionatelyborne by the poor and most vulnerable women and children included-inter and intra national development processes have to be based uponadherence to clear principles and standards accorded in the CRC andother UN Human, Civil and Environmental rights agreements

Accountability requires that responsibilities are identified, actions aretargeted, agreed and monitored and there are means of claimingredress if obligations are not met.

Accountability requires systems for monitoring implementation oftargets and standards and access to information about stakeholder forchildrens performance. These standards for implementation of the

Agenda for Children must be nested within international and nationalframeworks Primary accountability in terms of conduct and results is towards

children and women. Accountability to other stakeholders will be basedon legal responsibilities, moral or legal obligations to supporters /sponsors, and the public interest

Economic, social and cultural differences require that the CRC-andother human rights principles- should be flexibly applied. However,particular standards of government, INGDO / NGDO and private sectoraction for children, and the targets that are used to measure theirimplementation, need to be democratically negotiated in different

contexts and levels. Local communities and children must be involvedwhenever a particular entitlement is negotiated or implemented.International agreements can be used as a point of leverage for intra national process so that the CRC standards and obligations are notdiluted in the negotiations.

The children, individuals, groups and organizations from the state, for profitand nonfor profit sectors and belonging to the different levels, interact in thiscontinuum of Relationships and Building Enabling Environments, have a long-term and sustained commitment to support child-centered development and to

61See Fergusson, Clare, 1999, op cited; also Sanchez, Felipe, 20001 (b) op cited


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having fulfilling relationships among themselves (children, sponsors /supporters and others with shared interests on the agenda for children).

These stakeholders contribute means and work, according to their capacity, tothe implementation of a collaborative program aiming to improve the

conditions for deprived children, their families and immediate communities tomanage their own development and reduce their poverty and exclusion.

While being independent entities which possess varied capacities andresources and that are responsible for their own actions and development,these Stakeholders for Children are the object and subject of PLANs BuildingRelations and Capacity Building facilitation services, the institutional raisondetre for PLAN they constitute its main customer and constituency base.

(This issue concerning PLANs role and its facilitation and capacity buildingservices for a long term process building relations and enabling environments

for children will be explored in more details in a further working paper currentlyunder preparation by the BR Task Force).

Building a World Fit for Children: Some Additional Reflections forAdvancing the Agenda for Children at the Local and Global Levels

.At the global and local levels, there is a need to work to remove constraintsthat cou

Documents

Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and the Challenges of the New Century