L/O/G/O Independent Monitoring of the Rights of Children and Ombudsman Offices: solidarity and participation. Patricia Crosby Crosby Lima, 23 September 2009

The Rights-Based Approach United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Paris Principles: minimum standards which provide guidance on the establishment, competence, powers, composition, operating modes and quasi-jurisdictional activities of independent national monitoring bodies (Ombudsmen), with guarantees for pluralism and independence. Recommendations of the United Nations General Assembly, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Inter-American System.

UN Committee and Inter-American System: support the work of Ombudsman Offices or their equivalent bodies, and procedures for the creation of specialized bureaus for children. Permanent coordination. Meetings of Ombudsmen for Children in the Region. Specialized Bureaus for Children in nearly all of the Region. Work on convening non-governmental organizations, including organizations of the children and adolescents themselves.

Independent Monitoring: part of the joint responsibility to comply with the respect and promotion of the basic rights of children. How can we make progress in undertaking such joint responsibility, in keeping with our times? Positive use of the technological revolution of the information era, for participatory surveillance and support with regard to the implementation of public policies with a rights-based approach.

In fact, Monitoring and Follow-Up, seen as surveillance and observation, is also understood to be the means for the exchange of information, support, dissemination and promotion of good practices, from regulatory to executive levels. Therefore, and with the inspiration provided by this Twentieth Congress, let us approach the issue with a participatory outlook, with several institutions but also with the target population itself: Children and Adolescents.

To this end, let us observe our present situation: the revolution caused by and resulting from ICTs. Then: Specialized Monitoring + participation => cultural, mental, spiritual revolution. No better opportunity to make the enforcement of the basic rights of all come true. Values of solidarity with individual and collective participation. Several forums, among them, a forum directly through technology. An opportunity for connection, even between communicative symbology and the rural population, which feels closer to direct expression and consensus than to formal and textual writing.

Participation => the construction of citizenship. Instruments for enquiry, communication. Strengthening of local levels, in order to expand towards national and international levels. The world is one and varied. Challenge: acknowledgement of otherness in order to respect the human rights of all, with priority for the children of the global society.

Independent Monitoring: the value of independence together with the value of solidarity and participation. We cannot be indifferent to responsibility. The State, a legal abstraction par excellence, is our administrative organization. The aim, therefore, is to strengthen follow-up in order to help us all to fulfil our task.

L/O/G/O Thank You! THANK YOU Patricia Crosby Crosby Lima, 23 September 2009