Module 7: Child Rights in Crisis and Risk-prone Situations

What is your focus?

Emergencies can happen anywhere, any time It doesn’t matter how developed a country is, or

wealthy or prepared.

Impact on communities Disruption of community and state protection

mechanisms Disruption/loss of access to basic services Increase in vulnerability (girls pushed into early

marriage, sons sent to work…)

Introduction

Yet, there is recognition that the impact of crisis can be mitigated, prevented and prepared for

Building resilience The heart of development cooperation’s efforts in humanitarian and

development contexts.

Development programs need to tackle the root causes of recurrent crisis rather than just their consequences in order to ensure development gains are genuinely sustainable.  

Working with vulnerable populations to build their resilience is also a fundamental part of poverty reduction –the ultimate goal of EU development policy

Resilience

Resilience:The ability of an individual, a household, a community, a country or a region to withstand, adapt and quickly recover from stresses and shocks such as drought, violence, conflict or natural disaster.

What is resilience?

Alleviating underlying causes Enhancing capacities

High vulnerability/low national capacity to prevent and manage shocks Localized support to service delivery, explicit capacity development

strategies targeting the roots of fragility through humanitarian and development interventions

High vulnerability/limited, but growing, national capacity Strengthening systems while filling critical gaps, gradually transferring

leadership to national institutions High vulnerability/high national systems capacity

Advocacy, disaster risk reduction, and policy advice Challenged governance/civil unrest & previously strong national

systems suffer a challenges Particularly challenging in regards to promoting child rights

Resilience in different contexts

Multiple overlapping contexts One agency may therefore be required to take several different

approaches to working in the same country Institutional silos

Differing timelines for response, priorities, resource allocation, staffing expertise and institutional mandates

Duty bearers as violators In armed conflict, often intentionally perpetrate gross violations

of child rights as a part of deliberate plan Diminished national capacity

Crises can result in destruction of assets and create demands that cannot be met with existing capacities

Challenges

Anticipate crises by assessing risks Which significant hazards and threats pose the biggest risk to

children and women? Where will these hazards happen? Who are the most vulnerable and therefore the most affected?

Build national capacities for preparedness and response Whose and what capacities need to be built?

Invest in early warning systems The process of providing timely information through

systematic information gathering and risks analysis about potential emergencies

Key strategies

1. Support national capacities for disaster risk reduction (DRR)

Checklist on integration of child rights concerns into DRR programming

2. Support participation of children in local planning, risk assessments, and monitoring

Supporting their positive engagement is an important aspect in fostering more inclusive societies

There are many concrete ways in which they can contribute

Concrete actions

3. Ensure integrated program approaches and strategies

Work differently and more effectively together More flexible policies and funding mechanisms More effective coordination and sequencing between

humanitarian and development work4. Engage in joint needs assessments

2011 EU methodology for JHDF for transition situations

Concrete actions (cont.)

Group Activity