THE NEED FOR CHILD RIGHTS INDICATORS: HOW TO MEASURE WHETHER GOVERNMENT IS EFFECTIVELY DELIVERING ON ITS CHILDREN’S RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS DEENA HAYDON and MARINA MONTEITH Save the Children (NI) ‘Child Indicators: Diverse Approaches to a Shared Goal’ Chicago, USA 27 June 2007

DEFINING INDICATORS Indicators are: Indicators are: “… quantitative and qualitative statements that can be used to describe situations that exist and to measure changes or trends over a period of time. They are pieces of information that may provide insight into matters of larger significance, ie. they may be seen as small windows that provide a glimpse of a bigger picture.” “… quantitative and qualitative statements that can be used to describe situations that exist and to measure changes or trends over a period of time. They are pieces of information that may provide insight into matters of larger significance, ie. they may be seen as small windows that provide a glimpse of a bigger picture.” Hans-Otto Sans (2005) Human Rights Indicators. Purpose and Validity Paper for Turko/ Abo Expert Meeting on Human Rights Indicators, Finland, March 2005 Hans-Otto Sans (2005) Human Rights Indicators. Purpose and Validity Paper for Turko/ Abo Expert Meeting on Human Rights Indicators, Finland, March 2005

CONTEXT Existing work child well-being indicatorschild well-being indicators child rights indicatorschild rights indicators Northern Ireland NICCY research: Children’s Rights in Northern IrelandNICCY research: Children’s Rights in Northern Ireland 10-year Children’s Strategy10-year Children’s Strategy Children’s Services Planning in the Southern AreaChildren’s Services Planning in the Southern Area Anti-Poverty StrategyAnti-Poverty Strategy

WORKSHOP Belfast (March 2007) To produce a framework for the development of child rights indicators. These indicators should: To produce a framework for the development of child rights indicators. These indicators should: provide information about the condition of children’s livesprovide information about the condition of children’s lives assess whether the Government is fulfilling its obligations as a State Party to the CRCassess whether the Government is fulfilling its obligations as a State Party to the CRC

PURPOSES OF INDICATORS describe the condition of children’s livesdescribe the condition of children’s lives enable comparisonsenable comparisons monitormonitor inform policy-makinginform policy-making inform service planning, development and deliveryinform service planning, development and delivery reinforce accountabilityreinforce accountability evaluateevaluate lobby for changelobby for change

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILD RIGHTS INDICATORS qualitative and quantitativequalitative and quantitative positive and negativepositive and negative recognise childhood as a stage in itselfrecognise childhood as a stage in itself ‘measurable’ against rights standards‘measurable’ against rights standards valid, sensitive to differences and changevalid, sensitive to differences and change monitor and assess promotion and protection of children’s rights by State Partymonitor and assess promotion and protection of children’s rights by State Party address child rights principlesaddress child rights principles use disaggregated datause disaggregated data participatoryparticipatory hold duty-bearers to accounthold duty-bearers to account help empower rights-holders to claim their rightshelp empower rights-holders to claim their rights

METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING CHILD RIGHTS INDICATORS Framework no single set of indicatorsno single set of indicators Framework, Template and Guidance to support development of country-specific child rights indicatorsFramework, Template and Guidance to support development of country-specific child rights indicators Establishing the characteristics of ‘child rights’ indicators Establishing the characteristics of ‘child rights’ indicators

METHODOLOGY CONTINUED Principles based on international human/ children’s rights instrumentsbased on international human/ children’s rights instruments participatory, inclusive, empowering process of developmentparticipatory, inclusive, empowering process of development promote non-discrimination and equalitypromote non-discrimination and equality emphasise accountability and the rule of lawemphasise accountability and the rule of law recognise some rights can be realised only progressively and that those which can be guaranteed need to be protected from denial or violationrecognise some rights can be realised only progressively and that those which can be guaranteed need to be protected from denial or violation recourse to redress violationsrecourse to redress violations

PROCESS developing relevant indicatorsdeveloping relevant indicators involving key ‘stakeholders’involving key ‘stakeholders’ involving children and young peopleinvolving children and young people identifying information requiredidentifying information required - disaggregated data - information from Treaty bodies - international/ regional/ national/ local sources of information information

CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS being realistic!being realistic! developing child rights indicators – focus?developing child rights indicators – focus? manageability – prioritising domains?manageability – prioritising domains? data available – adequacy?data available – adequacy? comparability – minimum standards/ baseline?comparability – minimum standards/ baseline? use – capacity-building? reporting destinations?use – capacity-building? reporting destinations?