The Cabinet for Children and Adolescents (GANA), the National Council for Children and Adolescents (Conani) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) presented today the “Strategic Framework for Strengthening the National System for the Protection of Children and Adolescents against Violence”, a document that establishes the priorities in this area of the different agencies responsible for ensuring the welfare and full protection of children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic.
The day began with welcoming remarks by the executive president of Conani, Dr. Luisa Ovando, who pointed out that this “Strategic Strengthening Framework” has been formulated based on the recognition of the incidence of violence and its harmful effects on children and adolescents and taking into account that only from the protection systems approach can comprehensive solutions be formulated that demand the articulation of all actors and at all levels.
“The plan we are launching today is not the result of an effort of cabinet theoreticians, but combines the extensive experience of the most experienced actors working for the protection of children in the Dominican Republic,” said Ovando.
For her part, First Lady Raquel Arbaje said: “as president of the Cabinet of Children and Adolescents, I celebrate this step taken by Conani in the fulfillment of its institutional, social and political responsibilities and I am grateful for the collaboration of UNICEF and Plan International to make this product possible. I value in a very special way the participative and consultative nature of the process and the involvement of all the actors of the Protection System; all of them are key pieces so that the proposed objectives reach a safe harbor”.
The Unicef representative in the country, Carlos Carrera, said that Unicef in Latin America has defined dealing with violence as a regional priority, since it is the geographical area considered the most violent in the world, and stressed that, according to available data, being a Latin American child or adolescent is very dangerous.
“We prioritize efforts to end violence in all of our work, including supporting government efforts to improve services for children affected by violence, and working together to develop policies and laws that protect children through the provision of assistance to communities, The most recent evidence allows us to calculate the ‘infamous’ impunity rate, which points out that its figures are over 86%, and that only 14% of the victims of sexual abuse during childhood usually bring it to the attention of the authorities,” said Carrera.
The executive director of CONANI, Alexandra Santelises, was in charge of the presentation of the document, when she detailed the master guidelines to address the phenomenon of violence that has such a negative impact on children and adolescents. These strategic guidelines or guidelines were formulated based on the identification of the main gaps or weaknesses that undermine the capacities of the sectors to fully assume their institutional functions and roles, within the framework of their general obligation to guarantee the well-being and full protection of all children and adolescents.
“Conani, as the governing body of the National Protection System, will coordinate and supervise the implementation of the Plan and, with the political support of Gana, will seek to guarantee effective inter-institutional coordination processes,” Santelises noted.
During the ceremony, the “Strategic Framework for the Strengthening of the National System for the Protection of Children and Adolescents against Violence” was handed over to some of the highest authorities called to implement it: the Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera; the Minister of Women, Mayra Jiménez; the executive director of the National Institute for Early Childhood (Inaipi), Besaida Manola Santana de Báez; and the president of the National Council for Disability (Conadis), Carlos Yunén.
This official document, prepared after a joint technical process between Gana, Conani, Plan International and Unicef, establishes priorities and specific objectives for the institutions that make up the Protection System. The CPSS (Child Protection System Strengthening) methodology, proposed by Unicef, is used for this purpose, where seven intermediate results are defined, addressing a robust legal framework, child participation and a solid monitoring system.
Conani’s executive president, Luisa Ovando, general coordinator for implementation, will lead the monitoring of the process and prepare periodic reports. This plan seeks not only to identify progress, but also to generate continuous learning and adjustments.
The “Strategic Strengthening Framework” is based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the complexity of child violence in its various manifestations. It also emphasizes the participation of the community and of children and adolescents themselves in the design, implementation and evaluation of the System.
It is expected that this effort will not only have immediate impacts, but that, through sustainable processes, it will strengthen the protection of children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic until it reaches a stage of maturity. The presentation of this strategic framework is a significant step towards the vision of a country where children and adolescents live in safety, free from violence.
Source: Presidencia.gob.do
