
The International Catholic Office for Children (BICE)
The BICE (International Catholic Bureau for Children) is a network of organizations committed to the defense of the dignity of the children and their best interests. Founded in 1948, it promotes and advocates for the needs of children in more than thirty countries on four continents, by implementing projects for the protection of children who are victims of sexual exploitation, exploitation of labor, are street children, are in prison, or affected by war, as well as children who are disabled.
BICE enjoys consultative status before UNICEF, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and participative status before the European Council.
The Marist Brothers participate in the network of the BICE in order to press for the rights of children by means of FMSI Onlus, which has been a member of that Office since 2008.
In 1979, the BICE was one of the promoters of the International Year of the Child. During the 1980?s it played a significant role in the Convention of the Process of Writing of the Rights of Children. The BICE has always followed up the implementation of these said rights in the Committee of the United Nations on the Rights of Children, in Geneva, by means of a permanent representative status.
On June 4, 2009, in Geneva, the BICE will begin a Worldwide Call for a New Mobilization in Favor of Children, with the purpose of commemorating the XX anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The signing of this Call is open to all ONG?S, to educational institutions, youth organizations, social institutions, to organizations of moral and religious leaders, to all committed personalities and the public in general?.
In order to learn more about this Call and to download related documents, please visit the BICE web site: http://bice.org