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Protecting Children and Uniting Families Across Borders for 90 years
Hague Conference recognition of the Guide to International Family Mediation, April 2015
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The General Secretariat is proud to announce that the Hague Conference Secretary General, has issued a letter in open support and appreciation of ISS's publication "Resolving Family Conflicts – A Guide to International Family Mediation" as an essential tool to promote the use of mediation in international child abduction cases.
This is a well-deserved global recognition of ISS as a global actor in international family mediation and cross-border family disputes settlement for the well-being and protection of children.
Burkina-Faso and Vietnam: Project for Children with disabilities in institutional care, February-March, 2015
| ISS recently went to Burkina Faso and Vietnam as part of the follow-up and monitoring of the project ‘A better future is possible’ in these countries. The goal of the mission was to accompany and strengthen the pool of national trainers to disseminate good practices in the care, evaluation and case management of children with disabilities living in institutions.
Presidential recognition for the Executive Director of ISS Bulgaria, November 2014
| Dr Sabina Sabeva, ISS Bulgaria Executive Director, was awarded the Honorary Sign of the Bulgarian Republic President as an activist in the area of children's rights; this came on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Child Rights Convention!
Our warmest and wholehearted congratulations to you Sabina and To ISS Bulgaria team for this well deserved honor.
ISS network is proud of you!
Award Ceremony of the "Fondation pour Genève", 8 September 2014
| The General Secretariat participated and represented ISS to the award ceremony of the Prix de la Fondation pour Genève that took place at the Palais des Nations. This prize given to Mr. Didier Burkhalter, the President of the Swiss Confederation honours outstanding individuals for their support for International Geneva, capital for international cooperation since 150 years.
ISS continues to work with Partners at the UN to protect children, September 2014
| During the CRC Committee's Day of General Discussion on Digital Media and Children's Rights, ISS advocated particularly for the rights of children in adoption matters and searching for their origins as outlined in their written submission. ISS recommended that the CRC Committee and its partners identify promising practices that: 1. Equip children to use social media to better implement their rights and be protected from the associated risks (e.g.: development of guidelines, fact sheets and awareness raising), 2. Promote training on maintaining a professional social media presence and 3. Identify effective sanctions for breaches of children's rights associated to digital media use.
International Family Mediation, Saint Petersburg, 18-21 June 2014
| Jean Ayoub, Secretary General of the ISS has been invited by the Russian Ministry of Justice and the Scientific Center for mediation and law to the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, the largest legal event in Russia, Eastern Europe and CIS region. This exceptional platform for the highest level discussion involved around 1'500 participants including politicians, lawyers, businessmen and scholars around the globe.
First World NGO Day - Helsinki, 27-28 February 2014
| The GS of ISS has been invited to participate to the first World NGO Day held on 27th-28th February. As ISS General Secretary and World NGO Day Goodwill Ambassador, Mr Jean Ayoub was a speaker at the panel discussion on "Children & Youth Empowerment", Jean Ayoub seized the opportunity to inform more than 100 NGOs representatives as well as UN agencies and government high ranking officials, about ISS' global work and reach in support of children and families.
Universal Children's Day and Adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 2013
| Today the International Social Service network celebrates the Universal Children's Day and the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which was adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989.
To date, the CRC has been signed by 192 nations, of which only 2 have not yet ratified it.
Training mission in Burkina-Faso, 4-9 November 2013
| SSI went to Burkina Faso in early November 2013 as part of a training of trainers dedicated to supporting families seeking domestic adoption.
Public Hearing Advisory Opinion by the states of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay on migrant children, October 2013
| On the 9 and 10 of October the public hearing of Advisory opinion for Migrant Children was held in Mexico City. The advisory opinion was asked for the states of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. In the public hearing many observations were presented by some of the Member States of the Organization of American (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, together with civil society organizations.
Ghana: ISS working with Government, UNICEF and other stakeholders to improve adoption and foster care procedures, 23 - 27 September 2013
| ISS has been mandated by UNICEF Ghana to provide technical assistance to the Ghanaian Government in its efforts to finalise its adoption and foster care regulations that have been drafted by technical working groups in the country.
