FMSI?s Micro-Project for Bice

With its micro-projects programme, FMSI Onlus contributed to the Latin America Seminar organized by Bice (Bureau International Catholique de l?Enfance) on the ?Participation of civil society in evaluating the fulfilment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Latin America and the Caribbean?, a convention held in Quito, Ecuador, October 27 ? 31, 2008.

The seminar was organized by Bice?s Regional Delegation for Latin America, supported by OPAN (Capuchins) and sponsored thanks to a major contribution of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The seminar was addressed to 32 partner organizations of Bice, located in 19 countries of Latin America. Given the approaching 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the seminar was intended as a reflection on government policies for children in Latin America countries and the possible contribution of civil society to the formulation and implementation of such policies. In particular, the seminar focused on:

– Improving the local organizations? knowledge of the UN system for child rights defence and promotion;
– Encouraging participation in the preparation of reports for the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC);
– Assuring the effective implementation of the CRC recommendations;
– Networking;
– Stimulating the reflection on children and young people?s participation in the process of implementing their own rights.

Bice is a network of organizations committed to defending the dignity and higher interests of the child. Founded in 1948, Bice promotes childrens rights in more than 30 countries on 4 continents, and implements projects to protect children who are exploited sexually or by work, children in the street, in prison, those affected by war, those who are disabled.

Bice has consultative status at UNICEF, the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and participatory status in the Council of Europe; it also has operational relations with UNESCO. Bice actively represents its membership before national and international institutions, and on NGO platforms and coalitions of which it is a member.

FMSI?s application to become a full member of Bice was approved last June. This micro-project, as a way of fulfilling the Foundation?s general commitment to children?s rights, was intended as a means of offering a concrete participation in the networking.