HCW joins UN advocacy group for children without parental care

HCW has been given the opportunity to support global efforts to strengthen children’s care in the context of the 2019 UN General Assembly Resolution on the Rights of the Child, which will focus on children without parental care. We have endorsed the recommendations contained in the resolution on children's rights, specifically, the focus on children without parental care that is being presented to the UN General Assembly this year. Additionally, HCW has joined the UN Advocacy Group on Children Without Parental Care, partnering with hundreds of other organizations working to ensure that children all over the world grow up in a loving family.
 
Each year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) makes important decisions affecting the lives of people around the world. They recommend a course of action for all United Nations Member States on a wide array of topics from human rights to education, development, climate, violence against children, and peace and security, among others. The focus of the 2019 UN General Assembly Resolution on the Rights of the Child is children without parental care. The UN’s general agenda for the coming years is built on an understanding that to truly achieve sustainable development, we must start by focusing on those who have been left the furthest behind. According to the UN’s Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs), strategic investments in children are key to furthering peace, ending global poverty, and ensuring that all human beings can fulfill their potential. The SDGs set forth bold targets across sectors and include an explicit focus on improving child outcomes through poverty reduction and increased access to health, nutrition, education, justice, and protection. Decades of research have demonstrated that we cannot truly support children without investing in family relationships and ensuring that quality care is provided to all children. 
 
In November 2018, representatives from 14 organizations, networks, and agencies met in New York to discuss the 2019 UNGA Resolution on the Rights of the Child. At the meeting, participants agreed to work together to develop and propose key recommendations and messages for Member States to include in the draft resolution. Several calls were organized, and a working group collaborated to develop and negotiate key recommendations on behalf of the coalition. The final negotiated text reflects the broadest agreement among almost all members and provides a strong basis for joint advocacy with Member States at national, regional, and global levels.

The Key Recommendations reflect agreed commitments by States under international standards, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, as well as previous UNGA resolutions and other negotiated documents. The recommendations are bold and focused on what needs to be done to implement the commitments made by governments towards children, families, and communities. 

 The 64 recommendations are divided under 8 key priority areas:

1. Recognize and prioritize the role of families
2. Support families and prevent unnecessary family-child separation
3. Protect children without parental care and ensure high-quality, appropriate alternative care
4. Recognize the harm of institutional care for children and prevent institutionalization 
5. Strengthen child welfare and protection systems and services
6. Ensure adequate financial and human resources
7. Improve data collection and regular reporting
8. Ensure full participation of children without parental or family care

Helping Children Worldwide is proud to endorse the 2019 UNGA Recommendations on the Rights of the Child as outlined below.

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