INTER-AMERICAN CHILDREN’S INSTITUTE Analysis of the budget for 2017 September 19, 2016

A little history The Inter-American Children’s institute (IIN) is the specialized organization of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the area of child policy. Founded in 1927, the IIN has witnessed different periods of the history of the Hemisphere, different forms of viewing children, different ways in which the states undertake their protection, and different ways of viewing the OAS itself. The IIN must put this history at the service of the new strategic vision of the OAS.

The IIN and the new strategic vision of the OAS The new strategic vision is based on four pillars: Human Rights, fully enjoyed; Democracy, not only as a form of government but as a way of life; Integral Development, with emphasis on human development; and Multidimensional Security, understood as a safeguard of rights. In a continent where 40% of the population is under 18 years of age, and with subregions such as Central America where this figure exceeds 55%, we cannot define policies for these for pillars without taking children and adolescents into consideration.

OAS General Assembly resolutions The IIN’s position within the OAS was reaffirmed on receiving mandates in the areas of the four strategic pillars of the OAS and in the resolution on migrants [AG/RES. 2881 (XLVI-O/16) and AG/RES. 2883 (XLVI-O/16), respectively].

What does the IIN do? Priority issues: Early childhood >Intersectoral policy >Building parenting capacity >Elimination of violence in everyday settings >Children deprived of parental care—deinstitutionalization strategies Violence and sexual exploitation Juvenile justice systems Right to participation International child restitution (abduction) Unaccompanied migrant children Natural disaster risk management Institutional Strengthening to Promote a Rights-Based Culture >Institutional communication policy >Strengthening the relationship with the Committee on the Rights of the Child >Formalizing and strengthening the IIN’s Human Resources Training Program >Strengthening the Directing Council

Actions Technical assistance at the request of states Human resources training Support for policy implementation processes Diagnostic workshops and development of recommendations Opportunities for consultation with children

Presence of the Inter-American Children's Institute Courses Activities and technical assistance Events October 2015

The IIN and the inter-American human rights system VISION STATEMENT To position the IIN as an center of excellence and a political and technical reference point in the region in matters related to child rights, with linkages within the inter-American human rights system. MISSION STATEMENT To contribute to the development of public policies which will ensure the promotion, protection, and enjoyment of child rights in OAS member states, and promote the construction of a culture of rights for children, within a context of strengthened democracy. GENERAL STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE To strengthen the capacity of OAS member states and their respective societies by means of the relevant institutional frameworks, in order to comprehensively safeguard the full enjoyment of child rights. (Source: Action Plan 2015-2019)

The IIN and the inter-American human rights system The functions of the IIN as described in the program-budget for 2017, are: “Facilitates the activities of the General Secretariat in the area of the human rights of children, avoiding duplication of efforts and duplication of expenditures, ensuring better use of available resources, and coordinating its activities with the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and activities related to human rights carried out by the Permanent Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women and other dependencies of the General Secretariat.” (Program-budget for 2017, p. 72).

Budget 2017 The IIN’s “adjusted” budget for 2017 represents a budgetary reduction for the organization of US$356,000 vs. 2016, a reduction of 33%. The IIN’s budgetary reduction is larger than the average. While the OAS budget as a whole is reduced by 14%, the IIN’s budget is reduced by 33%. Therefore, its percentage of the budget would decline from 1.27% in 2016 to 0.98% in 2017. For the IIN to maintain the same level of priority within the budget as a whole, the organization should have approximately US$920,750 from the Regular Fund, that is, US$207,750 more than proposed.

Breakdown of Object 1 of the Regular Fund

The planned Object 1 reduction is based on the organization’s minimum needs. The Objects 2 to 9 reductions are based on the average reduction for the OAS (14%). The smaller budgetary allocation resulting from reconciling the budgetary needs with the new financial reality is 17.1%, over three percentage points higher than the average. The IIN’s share of the budget would decline to 1.22%.

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