UNICEF IRC FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS, 2008-EARLY 2009

Innocenti publications are usually produced in English, French and Spanish. Some titles are available in additional languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Italian, German, Portuguese and Russian.

South Asia in Action: Preventing and responding to child trafficking ? Analysis of anti-trafficking initiatives in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (provisional title)

Addressing the human cost and practical challenges imposed by child trafficking in South Asia, governments in the region, along with partners, have in recent years undertaken a range of initiatives grounded in the principles of child rights. This UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre publication will present an analysis of anti-trafficking measures aimed to improve the situation of children in South Asian countries. Being produced in cooperation with the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia and the eight UNICEF country offices in the region, the study will assess relevant national legal and policy frameworks and recommends actions that apply a rights-based approach to address the problem of child trafficking.

Emphasis will be placed on the wide-ranging impacts that trafficking, exploitation and abuse have on the fulfilment of children’s rights and fundamental freedoms, on the indivisibility of these rights and on the holistic nature of required solutions. The study will underscore that to ensure a comprehensive and effective approach to child trafficking, exploitation and abuse, measures must be developed and implemented in full correspondence with the Convention on the Right of the Child and the broader framework of human rights. This report is the third in a series of three publications emerging from the South Asia research; the first two publications are available under ‘Latest publications’ on the IRC website.

Preventing Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism

International attention has heightened significantly on the problem of sexual exploitation in the context of travel and tourism. Within its wider analysis of the implementation of international standards on children, UNICEF IRC is carrying out a series of studies on the sexual exploitation of children and violence against children within a broader analysis of child protection concerns. The resulting publication will analyse the relevant international legal framework and its implementation in regard to travel and tourism. It will examine the role of the private sector and the consideration of corporate social responsibility, highlighting effective initiatives in the travel and tourism industry.

Children's Right to Play Safe (provisional title)

The importance of protecting children from all forms of abuse, exploitation and neglect in the context of play and sport has emerged into widened awareness in recent years, as highlighted by the United Nations Study on Violence Against Children and raised in the media and other forums. Following up on this area of the UN study, UNICEF IRC has undertaken research to highlight the need and effective strategies for promoting the right to ‘play safe’. This publication will provide a review of research findings on the range of discrimination and violence experienced by children in the sports setting. It will examine successful prevention strategies with a view to improving the safety of children in competitive sport as well as recreational activities. The publication is being prepared in partnership with international experts in the field of sports and child rights, and with representatives of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the International Olympic Committee and various sports federations.

The Childcare Transition: A league table of early childhood education and care (Innocenti Report Card No. 8)

A considerable body of evidence points to the importance of the early years as a key window of opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Recognizing this evidence, many country members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have adopted national strategies for enhancing the development of young children.

Report Card No. 8 will analyse these countries' policies and actions to support families and young children in the area of early childhood care and education. The report will document the extent of public resources invested by OECD governments in early childhood services. However, from the point of view of the best interests of the child, the situation in many OECD countries leaves room for improvement, potentially calling for a doubling of resources and reformulation of strategies to fully serve this population. The report will aim to present an internationally comparable record of countries’ performance according to a set of indicators of coverage, quality and impact of national policies and investment in early childhood services. The Report Card is intended to encourage closer monitoring and more focused debate among political leaders, the media and the public.

Monitoring, Analysing and Informing on Child Well-Being in the CEE/CIS region: Fifteen years of experience (provisional title)

Since 1992, through the MONEE project, UNICEF IRC has collected and analysed data, and published research on the evolving situation of children living in Central and Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States during the transition from central planning to market economies. This publication will survey the highlights and experience of this research collaboration, with contributions from various experts who significantly participated in the analysis. It will take stock of the changes in the lives of children across the region over the period 1992-2007, reviewing how monitoring and analysis contributed to informing policy development affecting children, and where the information fell short. The publication, informally being referred to as MONEE 15, will identify areas where the evidence base on the situation of children and adolescents needs to be further strengthened, and discuss how techniques for and quality of monitoring child well-being can evolve in the region to meet more complex information and research needs.

MONEE 15 will consider general trends in child well-being regionally, and the responsiveness of policy reforms to the needs of children and families in more market-oriented economies. It will examine the challenges that have faced the generation that was born in the early transition days, which grew up during the transition period and is now entering adulthood. Thematic analytical reports contributed by National Statistical Offices will provide country-specific insights on a range of topics that affect children, policy opportunities and challenges, the unfinished agenda and lessons learned.

A Statistical Portrait of Children in Immigrant Families in Rich Countries

Among the critical information gaps on children is a lack of systematic and validated evidence on the situation of children who have migrated with their parents. While this gap exists for virtually all countries, it is particularly striking for industrialized countries where data on children and families is generally complete. This IRC study will present internationally comparable statistics on the family contexts in industrialized countries in which different groups of immigrant and native children live. It is intended to promote a greater understanding of the situation of these children and the barriers to inclusion they may face, and to suggest recommendations for policy.

The research will be complemented by a review of literature on the experiences of immigrant children outside the home: their access to social services, vulnerability, situations of conflict with the law, and inclusion and socialization in the resident societies. Sources of the information used for this study include national censuses, surveys and registration data as well as current literature from eight countries – Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.

The Social Dynamics of the Abandonment of Harmful Practices: A multicountry study

Based on the research findings and programmatic insights previously published by the Innocenti Research Centre in its Digest on FGM/C (2005) and in the UNICEF Coordinated Strategy to Abandon FGM/C in One Generation (2007), a new study is being conducted by the Centre in collaboration with researchers in a number of countries. The study focuses on the nature and implications of social norms and how they promote or limit the well-being of children and the realization of their rights.

Expanding and refining the ‘social convention’ framework, the publication will document and analyse similarities and differences among experiences in five countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and Sudan) that have declared success in abandonment of female genital mutilation/cutting as well as in ending child marriage. The national results have all been externally evaluated, and are reviewed in this work. The analysis is intended to provide evidence and reflections to contribute to improved policies and programmes for the abandonment of harmful practices in other countries.

Children and Truth Commissions

In collaboration with the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), UNICEF IRC will produce a publication that reviews the experience and good practices of children’s involvement in post-conflict truth commissions. The study will analyse lessons learned and recommend steps to promote children’s full and effective participation in future truth commissions. The study will include reviews of the situation and experience of truth commissions in Guatemala, Liberia, Peru, Timor-Leste, Sierra Leone and South Africa. The discussion and findings are expected to be of strategic relevance to these countries as well as to other post-conflict countries such as Burundi, Nepal and Uganda. Child and Truth Commissions will support the work of truth commissions, child protection agencies and organizations, legal experts, child rights advocates and other professionals in their efforts to protect the rights of child victims and witnesses, and to engage children as partners in truth, justice and reconciliation processes.

The Role and Functioning of Ombuds for Children

Independent Human Rights Institutions for Children have gained considerable attention in recent years as an important element of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and as a key contributor to policy-making for children’s rights at country level. The role of these institutions is to monitor the actions of government and other actors affecting children, to promote children’s rights at national and local level, and facilitate dialogue between children and the State. Many States in all regions have established or are setting up such institutions, while others are working on strengthening of existing ones. Global and regional networks have been created or consolidated to facilitate and support these efforts.

Building on this momentum ,UNICEF IRC has undertaken a global study on Independent Human Rights Institutions for Children. The research has been carried out in coordination with relevant actors in each region, including UNICEF offices. It investigates the role of these institutions in the realization of children’s rights and examines the links between independent institutions and the perception of childhood in society. The resulting publication will identify good practices and lessons learned to support informed decision-making regarding Ombuds for Children. To complement the main study, a detailed report, being developed in partnership with UNICEF’s regional office, will focus on Independent Human Rights Institutions for Children in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Page updated: 15 October 2008