General Secretariat

ISS General Secretariat submitted two important documents to three treaty bodies that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties.

The first submission is a contribution to the General Comment on the rights of the child in the context of migration, currently drafted jointly by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the UN Committee on Migrant Workers. The document focuses on three profiles of children who are affected by the phenomenon of labour migration, namely children who migrate unaccompanied and separated from their parents, children who have been left behind by their parents or children who are potentially being returned or repatriated in their country of origin. For each children’s profile, it stresses the importance of existing international standards and safeguards, as provided by the Alternative Care Guidelines and the 1996 Hague Convention, and gives practical examples and promising practices that have been elaborate throughout the ISS network. 

The second one is a contribution to the Day of General Discussion (DGD) on article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to be held on 19th April 2016. The DGD will devote its fifteenth session on the right of persons with disabilities to live independently. Referring to the experience acquired through “A better future is possible” ISS project for children with disabilities in residential care, the ISS submission highlights four recommendations. The main aim is to overcome inequalities of services and promote access to a family environment as well as the right to live independently and to be included in the community.

ISS UNCRC and UNCMW contribution

ISS CRPD contribution

For more than 10 years now ISS has been at the forefront advocating for international guidelines on alternative care working with an international consortium of agencies, which culminated in their acceptance at the UNGA in December 2009.

ISS continued to spearhead inter-agency initiatives with the implementation of the Guidelines, with the publication of Moving Forward (www.alternativecareguidelines.org) in 2013 translated into 8 languages and ongoing treaty body mainstreaming efforts.

We are proud today to be partnering with the same international inter-agencies to be "building on the momentum" to organise an alternative care conference in Geneva, bringing together experts and practitioners from across the world to discuss how to move forward in the framework of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.

ISS will have the opportunity to showcase its expertise in the plenary sessions by way of two interventions. Likewise a space will be available for ISS members to consider submitting contributions to poster sessions highlighting of of what we do in cross border casework, unaccompanied and separated children, kinship care to name but a few.

We look forward to having as many of you with us at this international event, another milestone for the ISS network.

On February 25th ISS participated at UN USG / DG of the United Nations Office at Geneva Bi-Annual Civil Society Briefing.
Mr Moller strongly encouraged all NGOs to defend and promote the SDGs at a local, national, regional and international level during his intervention. He finished by stating that "Civil society actors are essential partners for the work of the United Nations. NGOs are best at bringing voices and practices from local and national level to Geneva to contribute to intergovernmental discussions. You bring knowledge, expertise and new ideas and solutions". At the ISS upcoming International Council in Melbourne next April, ISS partners will have the opportunity to discuss ISS work as it links to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) through a preliminary study undertaken by the General Secretariat

While attending the Zero Project conference on disabilities in Vienna on February 11th and 12th, ISS Secretary General dedicated time to meet with ISS Austria. It was an occasion for Jean Ayoub and Stefan Bauer to go through several subjects of mutual interest to include the present structure and history of ISS Austria as well as the challenges it faces to develop fully its activities. To this purpose it was agreed to jointly plan a one day conference, this year in Vienna and invite all stake holders and different authorities interesting to ISS work and interested in collaboration with ISS to exchange ideas and look at possibilities for future collaboration. It was agreed as well that Stefan Bauer's participation in the upcoming ISS European meeting on UASM will be of a great added value giving ISS Austria and Stefan's direct involvement with unaccompanied minors.

ISS/IRC was invited by the Istituto degli Innocenti Servizio Formazione to provide a presentation on Intercountry adoption: Worldwide developments & perspectives to around 50 professionals (e.g.: Italian Central Adoption Authority and its accredited bodies etc). ISS discussed possible explanations for the decrease in intercountry adoptions, including inter alia, countries of origin strengthening their systems, more meticuolous assessment of children in need of adoption etc as well identified remaining areas for improvement in various States. ISS made it a point to identify promising practices for ensuring that intercountry adoption remains a truly child protection measure (e.g.: full and informed consent, regulation of financial aspects etc). ISS was very pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with Italian authorities, seeking to help them in their efforts to adapt their system to the changing intercountry adoption landscape.

On the 8^th and 9^th of December 2015, the Hague Permanent Bureau organized a two-day training in Jordan. Experts from Bahrein, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia as well as Germany, Canada and the UK, including members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH discussed the relevance of a number of Hague conventions to the MENA states. ISS Germany was invited and successfully presented ISS cases of transnational cooperation. One of the highlights was the Moroccan Central Authority’s experience in the implementations of 1980 and 1996 Hague Conventions.

Shortly after, the Albanian Ministry of Justice co-organized with ISS Germany a training for family judges on family conflict focused on cross border situations. The training concept was developed by the German Branch.

A short presentation was given by the current ISS Albania Director, followed byanother presentation by the former ISS Albania Director, in her new role as Deputy Director of the Social Services in Albania.

Both trainings were supported by the IRZ Foundation. For more information contact ISS Germany.

ISS with support from UNICEF Viet Nam and MOLISA undertook research child abandonment and relinquishment in 2011 and 2012, as part of its follow up technical support to Viet Nam's in overhauling its adoption system. Field assessments were carried out in five provinces and qualitative information was collected during interviews with 146 respondents with strong connections to issues of child abandonment and relinquishment. Importantly, information was collected in carefully organised face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 35 mothers/fathers or family members who had relinquished a child. While the research findings may have been anticipated, particularly given the international experience, they are, nevertheless, deeply alarming.
ISS remains committed to working with stakeholders to ensure that preventative measures are implemented as well as adequate support is provided to parents in their caregiving role, convinced that "as far as possible, every child has the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents" (article 7(1) CRC).
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To access the report: click here

A conference organized by ISS Branch in Switzerland

A conference organized by the Swiss Foundation of the International Social Service took place on November 20th in Geneva and attracted 130 professionals interested in the topic

The conference focused on the joint parental authority with regards to the right of the child in Switzerland and, in particular, on further developments as stipulated by the Swiss Civil Code reform on this matter (Réforme du Code Civil Suisse en matière d'APC) of 1st July 2014.
The reform, inspired by article 3 of the CRC, has the purpose to better promote harmonious development of the child, presence of both parents in the life of the child, their equality, and importance of the child's right to be heard during a legal process, according to different International Treaties, besides the UNCRC, such as the 1996 Hague Convention on parental responsibility matters, the European Convention on human rights and the Washington Declaration on International Family Relocation.

Message from Jean Ayoub, ISS Secretary General

Dear all

As we mark today the 26th anniversary on the 1989 Convention on the right of the Child, we thought opportune that we remember together couple of salient articles from this convention that guide, alongside all other articles evidently, ISS work every day and worldwide. We wish to mention those specific articles produced below as It does seem unfortunately that in today's battered world there is a general amnesia at all levels of society be it public or private, civil or military to what the convention – that has achieved since a quasi-full list of signatories among states worldwide – stands for and or trying to achieve!

We can be proud that at ISS level and fortunately among many other NGOs, IOs and other form of organizations, CRC is alive in our activities, actions and advocacy plans. Today more than ever, with our daily work, in our plans for the future, in our exchanges with partners, in our representation activities and in our thoughts, we need to double our efforts to uphold CRC objectives, intended effects and outreach.

Keep up the good work!