RELAF participates in the 25th Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee for the Nin@Sur Initiative

RELAF participated in the organisation and conduction of seminars within the framework of the 25th Regular Meeting of the Niñ@Sur Standing Committee, with dissertations by Matilde Luna in the seminar "Alternative Care of children and adolescents in the region: progress, gaps and challenges", and in the seminar "Protection of children against violence in the new agenda of sustainable development: Promoting good treatment and the prohibition of all kinds of physical and humiliating harm against children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean".

On November 23rd, the seminar "Alternative Care of children and adolescents in the region: progress, gaps and challenges " took place within the framework of the 25th Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Niñ@Sur.

After the opening words, Matilde Luna opened the event with the presentation "Deinstitutionalisation processes within the framework of the comprehensive protection system: current situation, relevance of baselines, and monitoring”. 

On November 24, at the Crowne Plaza Asunción, the seminar "Protection of children against violence in the new agenda of sustainable development: promoting good treatment and the prohibition of all kinds of physical and humiliating harm against children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean" was held. This is one of the previous meetings taking place in the framework of the 27th Meeting of High Level Authorities in Human Rights of MERCOSUR (RAADH) of the Presidency Pro Tempore of Paraguay.

On November 25, Matilde Luna participated in the 25th Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee for the Niñ@SUR Initiative, a work meeting of a fundamental importance when it comes to the alternative care of children deprived of parental care as well as the care of the migrant children of MERCOSUR.

The meeting was held with the presence of delegations from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela as state parties, and delegations from Chile, Ecuador and Colombia as Associated States and civil society organisations, as well as with the presence of the Argentine Delegation. The Alternative Care of children and adolescents was one of the main topics of the official agenda.

In that context, the regulation for the Alternative Care of Children and Adolescents in foster care programmes and shelter entities was also presented. The progress made in preparing a draft law on the subject was shown. Moreover, experiences and progress on the issue at a regional level were shared.

The conclusions and recommendations of the Seminar on Alternative Care held on November 23 were also presented. Finally, a very important step was taken when it comes to the protection of the alternative care of children and adolescents in the MERCOSUR: the IPPDH (Institute of Public Policy on Human Rights Mercosur) was entrusted with the preparation of "Guidelines for the strengthening and guarantee of alternative care and of the right of children to family life”. 

Read the full report here: ACTA nº02-15 MERCOSUR RAADH