Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and The Challenges of The New Century

New Paths to Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children: Working Paper Series #1
Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and the Challenges of the New Century

(Draft 1, subject to revision) By Felipe Sanchez Building Relations Project Leader January 2001
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Building Relations Project
The ideas contained in this document are the absolute responsibility of the author / s and they do not represent the official view of PLAN International
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Contents 1
Summary 1- Setting the Stage for the New Century: Some Global Trends That Have Implications for International Cooperation and Development
Key Assumptions Some Global Trends That Have Implications for International Cooperation and Development Increased number of Intra-state conflicts and more support for international humanitarian and relief interventions Less inter-state conflicts Intra-state conflicts on the rise More support for international humanitarian and relief interventions More emphases on selected trans-national issues rather than on traditional development concerns Population growth and urbanization Some key global public goods (water, food and energy) will be scarce Growing preoccupation with trans-national negative externalities (environment and health)
2- The Promise and Challenges of Globalization

The Promise of Globalization Globalizations Downside: Its Reach and Benefits Might Not Be Universal In industrialized countries In lower income countries The digital divide Globalization, Governance and International Cooperation States and Government The Business Sector The Non-profit Sector International Cooperation Towards an inclusive and equitable Globalization
This Working Paper Series is composed of essays focused on selected Building Relations and Capacity Building issues, including explorations on the international context and the probable world for children in the 21st Century, the Agenda for Children, building local and global communities for children, the role of technology, programming issues, management and staff issues, the renewal of PLANs Building Relations Mission, etc. As such, these papers are a work in progress intended to encourage discussions and debate within the institution and with partners, contributing to the enhancement of the concepts, policies and operational frameworks that facilitate the achievement of the Building Relations Mission. The ideas contained in these working documents are the absolute responsibility of the author / s and they do not represent the official view of PLAN International.
Felipe Sanchez / 01/ 2001 New Paths to Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children: Working Papers Series #1; Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and the Challenges of the New Century / Draft 1
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3- Globalization is a Work in Progress: Children in Jeopardy!

Progress so Far: 1990-2000 The ratification and incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) There has been some progress in the well being of deprived children Priority Actions Are Still Needed to Address the Remaining Challenges Deprived Children Face Furthermore, the Internationally - agreed Human Development Targets for the Year 2015 Wont Be Achieved by Many Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) If Current Trends Continue Globalization, Yes, But With an Inclusive, Equitable and Child-friendly Faceto Build a World Fit for Children!
4- Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children: Building a World Fit for Children!
Local and Global Communities for Children The Stakeholders for Children Deprived Childrens immediate community Low Income countries intra-regional and national levels (program country national and regional levels) International development and foreign aid levels (regional and international development policy levels Industrialized countries / New Emerging economies level (donor country level The Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children Continuum Pooling knowledge together and increasing awareness, education and learning Connecting children, people and organizations Pooling financial resources together Building capacity Establishing collaborative arrangements Implementing together a Rights-based Child-centered Development Agenda Building accountable institutions for children Building a World Fit for Children: Some Additional Reflections for Advancing the Agenda for Children at the Local and Global Levels
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Summary
The document starts by exploring some global trends that might have implications for international cooperation and development. It focuses its attention on the nature of conflict and trans-national issues such as population growth and urbanization, water, food, energy, environmental threats, and health. It is argued that these issues will be at the forefront of international cooperation and aid concerns for the first quarter of the new century. Chapter two moves on to explore globalization, focusing its attention not only on its promise but also on its potential downside and the implications for international cooperation and foreign aid. It is strongly argued that the potential reach and benefits of globalization might not be universal. After analyzing the backlash against globalization in the richer countries and the implications for their foreign cooperation and aid policies- it is strongly argued that the biggest risk of globalization is that more than half the worlds population is being left out of its potential benefits! A more inclusive and equitable integration of the world is needed and the challenges and governance tests for the states, the business sector, the non-profits and the international development actors are presented. If a pernicious, un-equitable and polarized globalization is allowed to happen, even those who benefit the most from it will, in the long run, be negatively affected by the alienation, hopelessness and despair of those left behind! In light of the expected trends for international development and cooperation and the challenges of globalization, Chapter three presents a more detailed look into what has been achieved so far in terms of the well being of deprived children and the remaining challenges for them in the new century. In spite of some progress (incorporation of the Convention on the rights of the Child, some advances in health, etc), priority actions are still needed that confront children, political leaders, states, private actors, and others (e.g. persistency of poverty and exclusion, trans-national problems, etc). Given these challenges and the lack of decisive and concerted action- there is a high probability that the agreed upon human development targets for the year 2015 wont be achieved, especially in the case of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). Children are in jeopardy! There is urgent need for transnational / cross sector actions to stem the rise of inequality and blunt the transmission of global economic shocks to poor households and to the more vulnerable women and children. Globalization may continue, yes, but with an inclusive, equitable and child-friendly faceto build a world fit for children! The final chapter looks into the need to establish collaborations on a global scale, linking children, individuals, public institutions, businesses and non-state organizations, geared towards achieving a more inclusive and equitable globalization that really helps to build a more enabling local and global environment for children and women. The stakeholders for this local and global community with children and for children are presented. Then, some ideas on the type of relationships and interactions they might engage are analyzed in detail. Issues of connectivity, pooling knowledge and resources together, collaboration, capacity enhancement, building accountable institutions for children, and the implementation of a rights-based child-centered development agenda are explored in more detail. The potential institutional role of Plan International in such a facilitation of a worldwide community with children and for children is explored. Finally, some additional ideas on how to make more progress in the advancement of a childcentered agenda are presented. Children, their families, local communities, governments, businesses and local and global organizations from both the private and public sectors must be very creative in setting up new institutional arrangements and collaborations that allow them to tap into each others capabilities and resources to solve common problems arising from globalization and to help realize its full potential for women and children.
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1 Setting the Stage for the New Century: Some Global Trends That Have Implications for International Cooperation and Development
Key Assumptions: It is assumed here that in the first quarter of the 21st Century: The world economy will continue to integrate and expand (though not without occasional setbacks or interruptions). This process will be largely market-and-technology-driven. Technological advances increasingly carry more weight as drivers of global development. The United States will remain the predominant military and economic power but there will be other countervailing economic and political blocks as more countries debate the impact of US hegemony on their domestic and foreign policies. If the integration of the global political institutions necessary to achieve a smooth globalization process is not in place, a highly competitive multi-polar scenario will characterize the foreign policy and aid environments2. The world will be more open and liberal politically, and more connected electronically, than at any other time in human history3. Non-state actors private corporations, local and international NGOs and international agencies- will play an increasingly influential political role4.
Some Global Trends That Have Implications for International Cooperation and Development 1. Increased number of intra-state conflicts and more support for international humanitarian and relief interventions 5 Less inter-state conflicts Fewer inter-state conflicts over land and resources, albeit potentially quite deadly, involving weapons of mass destruction. More professional armies and less use of child-soldiers for this type of conflicts. Conversely, terrorism on the rise.
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See National Intelligence Council / Central Intelligence Agency, 2000, Global Trends 2015: A Dialogue With Non-government Experts, Washington 3 See Carol Lancaster, 2000, Transforming Foreign Aid: United States Assistance in the 21st Century, Institute For International Economics, Washington, Institute for International Economics Homepage 4 See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited 5 This section based on Carol Lancaster, 2000, op cited
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Increased respect for international norms of behavior and for institutions such as the United Nations. Intensifying network of economic and other forms of relationship and cooperation.
Intra-state conflicts on the rise Violence by armed groups within states is on the rise rather than violence among states. These conflicts will tend to be rather prolonged and will become highly destructive of life and property. These domestic conflicts probably will be concentrated in those countries or regions where societies are poorly integrated (e.g. where ethnic, religious, or regional identities are stronger than national identities); where political leaders have exploited / will exploit such differences for political gain; where governments are too weak to prevent the formation / arming of insurgent domestic groups; where there are few effective regional security arrangements that can mediate emerging conflicts before they erupt into full-scale violence; and where there has been a history of recent armed violence, the political and social after-effects of which have not been overcome. They will generate even larger flows of refugees, and internally displaced people, usually without resources, drawing in the host countries and the international community, requiring large expenditures to provide refugees with shelter, food, medicine, and other needs. In an increasingly interconnected world -with media having a global reach- these conflicts and their corresponding refugee concerns- have larger audiences who might influence more the domestic and international foreign / aid policy agendas (both for the public and private sectors). More support for international humanitarian and relief interventions As a consequence of the decrease in inter-state conflicts and the increased number and virulence of intra-state armed violence -and the corresponding global media attention to these domestic-conflicts-with a-global-influence, there probably will be more and more international tolerance and support for external military and humanitarian interventions to stop serious human rights abuses (including rights of the child abuses within the context of domestic conflicts). These interventions change and expand the definition and nature of international peace missions and humanitarian relief, from limited peacekeeping to peacemaking and rescue missions, and from shortterm emergency relief to longer-term nation building. The United Nations and regional organizations will be called upon to manage local and regional conflicts because major states stressed by domestic concerns, perceived risk of failure, lack of political will, or tight resources- will minimize their direct involvement6. Finally, among the trans-national conflictive issues the international community faces, world integration also works for organized crime and
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See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited

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terrorist syndicates that span the globe. Open systems and borders, improved communications, transportation, and information management technologies also help these groups to act beyond their borders and coordinate with one another. Their actions may, impinge on intra-state conflicts affecting large numbers of population, fostering more pressing and urgent refugee crisis. 2. More emphasis on selected trans-national issues rather than on traditional development concerns Population growth and urbanization World population in 2015 will be 7.2 billion, up from 6.1 billion in the year 2000, and in most countries, people will live longer. Ninety five percent of the increase will be in lower income countries, nearly all in rapidly expanding urban areas7. Population growth is indeed decreasing in much of the world, due to the spreading demographic transition / ageing of the population, the increase in family planning services and education levels and the impact of HIV / AIDS. However, the momentum of past population growth will continue to produce significant population increases well into the next century (each year roughly 60 million people are added to the total world population, which is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050)8. This increase in population is set to happen in some of the worlds poorest countries and most fragile environments (Africa and some parts of Asia), with the resulting pressures on world resources and the continuing challenges to those countries. Along with the increases in word population there will be a rapid acceleration in urbanization, creating growth in the demand for housing, sanitation, social services, education, and employment in cities. From 50% of the population now living in cities to roughly two thirds, or over 5 billion people, by 20159, with the most rapid rate of urbanization continuing to occur in Africa. There will be reductions in the relative size of the working population in the advanced economies and in most emerging market countries as well. This reduction will strain the social contract, increase health care and pension costs, and leave a significant shortfall in the size and capacity of the work force. More importantly, this will create a demand for un-skilled workers from lower income countries, fueling legal an illegal trans-national labor force migrations, draining the resources of those countries, and bringing in the corresponding domestic and international attention and potential for conflict10.
See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited United Nations, 1998, World Population Prospects: The 1998 Revision, NY, http://www.unfpa.org/publications/swp.htm 9 United Nations, 1997, Critical Trends: Global Change and Sustainable Development, NY, Economic and Social Council, E/CN.17/1997/3 Global change and sustainable development: critical trends 10 See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited
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In some lower income countries, these same trends will combine to expand the size of the working population and reducing the youth bulge increasing the potential for economic growth and political stability.
Some key global public goods (water, food and energy) will be scarce Demand for water higher than supplies In the next 30 years it is likely that water shortages will increase dramatically. Water demand is rising fast, outrunning supplies. Only the Americas seem to be where this scarcity is less likely to happen. Water scarcities and allocation will pose significant challenges to countries in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Northern China (regional tensions over water will be heightened by 2015)11. This demand stems from agriculture (70% of water usage), industry, and human consumption. Increased population and urbanization and rising per capita incomes will require larger supplies for food production and growing industrial activities. The stress caused by lack of water supplies might have important international consequences: less water for irrigation reducing food production, and less water for domestic consumption with the corresponding health problems. Further, conflicts might emerge, a factor that makes this issue an important trans-national one12. Unfortunately there is no adequate international regime to deal with water scarcity problems, unlike other sectors. The challenge is to set up an adequate framework to deal with this trans-national issue before it is too late. Food distribution problems Much of the increased future demand for food will come from developing countries, whereas a significant portion of the projected increase in world food supplies will come from farmers in industrial countries. In emerging economies, higher quality agricultural products demanded by the growing middle classes through sophisticated supermarket chains will threaten the continuation of subsistence and more traditional farmers. There will be enough food supplies but most of it will be produced outside the developing countries. The main issue, then, will be one of food distribution. Poor infrastructure and distribution, political instability and chronic poverty will lead to malnourishment in several lower income countries13. Not all segments of the world population will have enough income to purchase nutritionally adequate quantities of food or be able to produce these locally. Sub-Sahara Africa is projected to require large quantities of food imports in the coming years, perhaps even
11 12
See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited See Carol Lancaster, 2000, op cited 13 See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited
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needing food aid for some time (if production levels remain similar to recent performance)14. The potential for famine will still exist where the combination of repressive government or internal conflict and persistent natural disaster prevents or limits relief efforts. Donors will become more reluctant to provide relief when the effort might become embroiled in military conflict. The international regime for dealing with food issues is in place. The challenge is to continue funding of specific activities, in particular research and increasing the efficiency of subsistence level production, and in creating an adequate framework for food distribution.
Not enough energy from renewable sources to reach the poor Despite a 50% increase in global energy demand, energy resources will be sufficient to meet overall demand; the latest estimates suggest that 80% of the worlds available oil and 95% of its gas remain underground15. Most of the expansion in the demand for energy will come from developing countries, in particular in Asia and Latin America. The supply of energy is projected to expand as well. Apart from oil scarcity issues in the early years of the century (issues of exploration and marketing strategies), it is foreseen that new energy sources will satisfy this increased demand, mostly coming from new, renewable energy sources (solar, fuel cells, wind, hydro power, biomass, etc.). Rural areas in the developing world risk being left out of this energy revolution. The challenge for the international community is to ensure that the poor also have access to these new, more easily located, energy sources once they are available at a reasonable cost (specially solar and fuel cell energy sources). Growing preoccupation with trans-national negative externalities (environment and health) 16 Trans-national environmental concerns With increased prosperity, population, and urbanization, some of todays environmental problems will tend to worsen, such as the reduction on the ozone layer and the increase in greenhouse gases, both contributing to global warming, the loss of forests, biodiversity, pollution of water and air, the depletion of world fisheries, and degradation of soil contributing to desertification. Although much has been done to address these issues (the Global Environmental Facility, the Rio Protocol, the reduction in aerosol / spray gases, etc.), much remains to be done before
See Carol Lancaster, 2000, op cited Ibid 16 It refers to the adverse consequences (or negative externalities) of actions or conditions in one country for populations beyond their borders.
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effective regimes are in place. Important trans-national environmental problems are still emerging.
Trans-national health problems
Thirty new infectious diseases have emerged in the past two decades, including HIV / AIDS17. Several diseases that are debilitating and sometimes deadly have also began to regain ground after being controlled or eradicated from various regions (dengue, malaria, etc.). And there is a growing resistance of certain pathogens such as malaria and tuberculosis- to preventive or curative drugs. AIDS will be a major problem not only in Africa but also on India, Southeast Asia, several countries of the former Soviet Union, and possibly China18. AIDS will reduce economic growth by up to 1 percent GDP and will consume more than 50 percent of health budgets in the hardest hit countries. It will have a destructive impact on families and society, in some countries reducing average life spans by as much as 30 to 40 years, generating more than 40 million orphans and contributing to poverty, crime and instability19. Large movements of people (which can carry sickness far away), increased urbanization and population densities (which can lead to the outbreak and spread of infection), and environmental disturbances induced by climatic change and the expansion into new areas (which cause previously unknown diseases to spread to human population), are trends that will keep international health issues high on the world agenda In spite of an elaborate international health regime, the capacity of the international community to respond to large, localized, disease outbreaks and less so for global pandemics- is very limited. At the same time, developing countries health authorities will need more support to establish effective health systems.
World Resources Institute, 1999, World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment, 19981999, Washington 18 See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited 19 Ibid
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2 The Promise and Challenges of Globalization

The Promise of Globalization Globalization, its proponents say, brings with it the promise of a world economy that is more economically integrated and interdependent and more liberal and democratic than before. This integrated world economy, would be characterized by an expanding world trade, more openness of national economies, dramatic increases in capital flows, enormous improvement in communications and transportation, internationalization of both corporate ownership and production (including the location of various elements in corporate production processes in different countries responding to wage and other advantages- and the sourcing of international inputs), and the instantaneous availability of vast amounts of information for those having access to the Internet being this technology one of the key drivers of global integration. Some of the potential benefits of such world would be: a better division of labor between countries, a broader choice of products, lower inflation, better cross-pollination of ideas, etc. The networked global economy will be driven by rapid and largely unrestricted flows of information, ideas, cultural values, capital, goods and services, and people. Further, economic integration also requires freedom. In this sense, globalization is more than just an economic process that can be more or less mashed into the mold of classical liberal political theory; it marks a significant articulation of it20. Thus, globalization, according to its proponents, also contains the promise of widening the concept of what the maximum degree of individual freedom could be. It is not coincidental that globalization has picked up with the spread of democratic rights in the world. Globalization, by its nature, helps bring down economic and political barriers to individual choice (re the identity people can assume independent of their ancestors, where people can go, what they can buy, where they can invest, and what they can read, hear or see)21. The growing global middle class now 2 billion strong- is creating a cycle of rising aspirations, with increased information flows and the spread of democracy, giving political clout to formerly disenfranchised citizens22.
See John Micklethwait and Adrian Woolridge, 2000, A Future Perfect: The Challenge and Hidden Promise of Globalisation, Crown Publishers, USA 21 Ibid 22 See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited
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In such an integrated and more democratic world, it is expected that a relatively rapid expansion of the global economy will ensue, including raising prosperity levels for developing countries (at least for those willing to seize the opportunities and effect necessary changes)23. Inflation rates have dramatically decreased across a wide range of economies, there are rising trade and investment levels, spurring rapid increases in GDP, and the private sector is increasingly more dynamic, expanding in many countries. Globalizations Downside: Its Reach and Benefits Might not be Universal This globalized economy could be a net contributor to growth and increased political stability in the coming years, although its reach and benefits might not be universal. In Industrialized Countries There are groups in the northern countries whose interests are hurt or at least perceive that globalization brings costs to them (e.g. the loss of their jobs, retirement benefits, etc.), and those who believe globalization has a negative effect on things they value (the environment, or the preservation of local culture against the McDonaldisation of the world, etc.). Many in the industrialized countries believe that globalization is a race to the bottom, where trade liberalization, tax-incentive competitions to attract investors to a given area or country, and the greater mobility of capital and labor will put a worldwide downward pressure on wages, benefits, and on labor and environmental standards, therefore decreasing their quality of life. These perceptions are eroding the support for globalization and perhaps for international cooperation- in many of the richer countries (the backlash): Multinationals are attacked by some on two fronts: in industrialized countries they are denounced by environmentalists and labor groups who claim that they are avoiding progressive work rules by setting up shop abroad. In lower income countries they are attacked for exploiting cheap labor and resources without narrowing the gap between rich countries and poor24. In addition, pressure is mounting for private corporations, who have much of the power to effect change, to take a more public-minded view of their role, helping to improve the communities where they do business (the work of the Gates Foundation is an example of this)25. Conversely, support to international cooperation and internationalism in some quarters might be affected by this perception that globalization is a race to the bottom, perhaps affecting foreign and international aid policies (public and private funding for international cooperation might be reduced if
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See John Micklethwait and Adrian Woolridge, 2000 op cited See Newsweek, Issues 2001, December-February 2001 25 Ibid
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globalization continues to be perceived by some in the north as having a negative impact on their quality of life). Further, in the richer countries two different ways for global capitalism seem to be emerging: on the one hand the more flexible, low taxes, open immigration and hyper-competitive economy of the USA, touted as more efficient and freer. On the other hand, the European way, where countries are more willing to trade some growth for social equity and where globalization is seen as a process that cannot be driven by business exclusively. Some would say that this way is less efficient and more interfering with personal liberties26the debate is on! What is important for this analysis is that the nature, emphases and priorities of foreign / aid policies and donor contributions of the northern countries for international development will be underpinned by: The perceptions on globalizations benefits and its potential backlash The tension and the corresponding debate between the two paths to achieve the promise contained in globalization: the laissez faire way and the socially responsible road The corresponding political processes in these countries, where governments, non-governmental organizations and people on general have a growing say in defining the type of globalization that will emerge. In Lower Income Countries Concerning lower income countries, one potential cost of market-driven integration is the potential volatility of foreign direct investment and other forms of capital in countries with weak institutions and regulatory systems. This is particularly true of short-term externals capital flows that might flee a country -at Internet speeds- when investors perceive potential trouble. The end result might be a worsening of the initial problems, probably leaving that country with currency devaluations, credit crunches, debt servicing problems, and economic recession. More importantly, more than half the world population risks being left out of the benefits of a globalizing world. This is the paradox of the years to come: Continuing poverty in spite of growing prosperity! Key elements of the foundations for development physical infrastructure, education, and health services- have greatly expanded in most parts of the world over the past half-century. This expansion emerged from a combination of foreign aid in the early parts of the process, with increased local capabilities to manage its own development at later stages, and as of lately, funding investment and long-term growth through rising levels of FDI -Foreign Direct Investment, accompanied by policy reforms including privatization of state-owned enterprises, and improved transportation and communication services27.
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See Newsweek, Issues 2001, December-February 2001 op cited Ibid
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These advances have supported some progress in raising per capita incomes in much of the developing world28. Low-income countries at the beginning of the 21st Century are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Only a few countries in Latin America, South East Asia, and parts of Central Asia and the Caucasus remain low-income countries29. Thus, the long-term prospects for continuing economic progress in much of the world seems positive (taking into account that his scenario will also add to the pressures on resources and on the global environment). However, the most pressing moral, political and economic issue of our time remains third-world poverty. In spite of all this progress and increased prosperity of the last years, nearly half of the world population is still extremely poor (subsisting on less than $2 a day, with more than 1.2 billion people one in five human beings- living on $1 or less a day!)30. These high levels of poverty are compounded by the recalcitrant persistence of in-country income disparities in many countries. These extremely poor are largely concentrated in China, India, and SubSaharan Africa31: The first two are better positioned to access international capital and have more capacity to manage their own growth and perhaps emerge from poverty in the coming years. It is the problem of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in SubSahara Africa that will continue to challenge the world community in the 21st Century! To offer these populations some hope for the future, Sub-Sahara Africa and the international community must overcome the problems from the past32. The Digital Divide Further, the income gap between the northern and southern countries might increase even more as the latter countries are left behind, in a technological desert, if certain conditions are not met. The 2 billion people living in low income countries have only 35 telephone lines and five personal computers for every 1,000 people, compared with 650 phone lines and 540 computers in America. One in two Americans is online, compared with only one in 250 Africans.33 The Internet can help southern countries catch up with developed ones (leapfrogging some steps / investments, having instant access to a wealth of
World Bank, 1999, World Development Report 1999/2000: Entering the 21st Century, Washington 29 Ibid 30 Ibid 31 Ibid 32 Underdevelopment in that region aroused, on the one hand, from self-inflicted wounds such as poor policies, weak institutions, corruption and abysmal leadership; on the other hand, these problems were exacerbated by foreign donors often imprudent provision of aid -characterized by lack of coordination and dispersion of efforts, low participation, low accountability, tolerance of mismanagement and human rights abuses due to cold-war priorities, etc. 33 See The Economist, Untangling e-conomics, September 23rd 29th, 2000
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knowledge, etc.), so lack of access will clearly prejudice their growth prospects. However, it is not automatic that this lack of access will inevitably lead to slower growth or that the digital divide will increase34. Key decisions need to be made in order to benefit from the new technologies, rather than just deciding to concentrate on (and getting distracted by) getting wired. It is more important to invest on improving education, on having adequate transitional assistance for dislocated workers35, and on creating the conditions for citizen security and for having real competition, rather than just concentrating on only investing on the hardware of the new technologies. Globalization, Governance and International Cooperation As the integration of the worlds markets for trade finance, and knowledge continues to accelerate, there is a need to recognize that this globalizing process is a work in progress where all international and local public and non-state actors will confront fundamental tests of effective governance to ensure that the promise and benefits of globalization reach not only the betteroff but the poorer and more disadvantaged. The following sections analyze these conditions affecting all major players. States and Governments The elements of globalization greater and freer flow of information, capital, goods, services, people, and the diffusion of power to nonstate actors of all kinds- will challenge the authority of virtually all the governments. All states will confront popular demands for greater participation in politics and to pay more attention to human / civil rights to guide the development process as well. These pressures, hopefully, will encourage greater democratization, participation and transparency. Politics rather than economics- is back as one of the key drivers for social policy36. Globalization is drawing the worlds states into a global community with more responsibilities than ever before. At the same time, the demands of local communities for power and voice, while challenging existing governance structures, create new opportunities for addressing development challenges within the framework of new global and local institutional arrangements. Successful states will interact effectively with non-state actors to manage authority and share responsibilities To prosper in the global economy, governments will have to invest more in public education, technology, and in broader participation in government to include increasingly influential non-state actors37.
The Economist, Untangling e-conomics, op cited See Institute for International Economics, The Tokyo Foundation and The Nippon Foundation, Strategies for the New Century: A Report to the Leaders of the G-8 Member Countries, G-8 Okinawa Summit, 2000 36 See Newsweek, Issues 2001, December-February 2001 op cited 37 See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited
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As the foundation of a real international community is gradually put in place, states and other actors, including the private and civil society sectors, are also more bound by a set of international agreements and standards on Human and Civil rights and standards of action including the Convention on the Rights of the Child38, which will guide and help them to implement social policy and to interact and relate among themselves. Finally, states will also be challenged to monitor and regulate business firms and other actors through measures consistent with local standards of social welfare that also conform to internationally legitimized and binding agreements on human, civil and environmental rights and standards39.
The Business Sector Business firms will largely benefit from a more integrated, technology driven global economy. Rapid expansion of the private sector in many emerging countries is foreseen along with deregulation and privatization More global firms and a rapid convergence in market-based financial and business practices may ensue.40 Business firms will spearhead many legal and judicial reforms and challenge governments to become more transparent and predictable. At the same time, businesses are required to conform to the emerging web of international human, civil, and environmental rights and standards. Firms increasingly are pressured to have a more socially responsible reach. In doing so, firms will link with many non-profits, contributing to or partnering resources for several social and environmental causes. Medium sized firms and micro enterprises will also multiply in many countries, driven by the shift away from Communism and the broadening of financial services and banking systems. As medium size and small businesses become more numerous, they will also encourage, and then link into, various global networks41.
The Non-profit Sector In the globalizing world the non-profit sector will continue to provide critical public goods and services to individuals and private groups, especially on health, education and social services. It is expected that in the next 15 years: Non-profits will have more resources to expand their activities and will become more confident of their power, some becoming more challenging of existing international aid / cooperation arrangements.
For a more detailed discussion of this issue see Sanchez, Felipe, 2001, Towards a Rights-based Child-centered Development Programming Approach, Working Paper # 2 in this series 39 Ibid 40 See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited 41 Ibid
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Some non-profits will move beyond delivering services to the design and implementation of policies, whether as partners or competitors with corporations and governments42. The increasing clout of non-profits raises the question of their legitimacy, accountability and representation when interacting in the global and local arenas and when advancing social policy and propoor causes. This is especially true when taking into account that more and more governments are democratically elected and many companies / corporations are law-abiding; these institutions increasingly question why they are designing and implementing social policy and reforms with civil groups that often are un-elected, un-accountable and un-representative43. Non-membership organizations -often having a closed and exclusive governance and lacking real representation and participation by their primary constituencies- are increasingly questioned and challenged by their very own primary constituents, donors and supporters, the general public, media, the states and other public international organizations, their partners, and other actors. If they dont solve this issue rapidly, they risk becoming institutionally irrelevant in this global search for a more equitable globalization as they are challenged for their legitimacy. In addition, international non profits based in the northern countries and working for development in lower income countries and that lack southern representation are being increasingly challenged to justify their stance in the media and by other stakeholders. This type of organizations will have to accommodate the diversity of their local and global stakeholders and establish more representative and effective governance structures and mechanisms. Further, in the case of the more stable lower income / emerging economies countries, that are gradually making empowerment and good governance a reality, the role of international nongovernmental development organizations (INGDOs) is increasingly questioned. These countries will insist more on INGDOs to establish effective linkages and partnerships with capable and recognized indigenous non-governmental development organizations rather than allowing the northern INGDOs to directly carry out their development activities in - country. Those INGDOs capable of establishing effective local and global networks, with the corresponding local grass roots focus and global reach, will have the edge as facilitators of equitable development processes and will have more legitimacy in front of their primary stakeholders, donors, supporters and partners44. All non-profit organizations will be expected to meet stringent codes of conduct that would include a certification by a regulator; they will be held to strict and publicly scrutinized standards of transparency
See The Economist, The Case for Globalization, September 23rd 29th, 2000 Ibid 44 See Edwards, Michael, 1999, Future Positive: International Cooperation in the 21st Century, Earthscan Publications, London
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and accountability45, not only in relationship to the general public and the state but concerning their own primary constituencies, donors, partners and other stakeholders both in the northern and southern countries. International Cooperation Finally, globalization and technological change are raising widespread expectations that increased international cooperation will help provide a more equitable face to the globalizing process and to help manage many transnational issues that states can no longer manage on their own: There is a trend to strengthen a web of international institutions and treaties based on the UN System and Human Rights and Environmental Frameworks to guide international development and social policy. There are a growing number of agreements on standards and practices and a large number of closely linked trans-national networks and private groups to implement diverse areas of responsibility. Most high-income countries will participate in multiple international institutions and seek cooperation on a wide range of issues to protect their interests and to promote their influence. Strongly nationalistic and / or autocratic states will play a more selective role in intergovernmental organizations and collaborative arrangements: working within them to protect and project their interests, while working against initiatives they view as threatening to their power structures and interests. Lower income countries will participate actively in international organizations and arrangements to assert their sovereignty, garner resources for social and economic development, and gain support for the incumbent government. The most unstable of these states will participate in international organizations and collaborative arrangements primarily to maintain recognition for the regime. Towards an Inclusive and Equitable Globalization Similar to the basic development challenge of the previous century, those countries not able or not willing to put in place an educated workforce, an efficient physical and virtual infrastructure, and a policy and institutional environment supportive of both private investment and equitable growth will not be able to exploit the potential benefits of a market-technology-driven integration of the world; and education will be one of the key determinants of success in 2015 at both the individual and country level. Investor / lender friendly governance measures as promulgated by the Bretton Woods institutions- are perhaps a-necessary-but-not-enough condition to produce an effective poverty reduction in a given country.
45
See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited and The Economist, op cited
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Investor / lender-friendly measures have to go hand in hand with poverty reduction and poor-friendly governance measures if the promise of globalization for lower income countries is to be realized46. To have an inclusive and equitable globalization process that enables the majority of the worlds people including the poor and more vulnerable- to benefit from its promise of increased wealth and participation it is essential that a virtuous circle develops among technology, economic growth, demographic factors and social investment. These actions should be focused on putting in place the fundamentals of development, effective and inclusive governance and international collaboration: Technological developments and diffusion need to be utilized to grapple effectively with some problems of the lower income countries. Economic growth has to be spurred by a strong policy consensus and has to diffuse wealth widely while mitigating many of the demographic and resource problems. The fundamentals of development must be in place: o A Strong Human capital (a healthy and educated workforce) o Social capital accumulation (trust, relationships, participation, organizations, good governance, strong institutions, the rule of law, social norms and ways, etc., that really balance individual choices with group / community needs) o Social integration, including the more vulnerable and excluded in social, economic, and political processes, with attention to common axes of social differentiation and exclusion defined by gender, race, age, and income o Access to efficient justice and quality of policing and an adequate degree of citizen security that is fair and encompassing o Adequate infrastructure (physical and virtual) o Sustainable use of the natural base for livelihood security and economic growth o Use of new technologies that promise bigger improvements in economic efficiencies and bigger gains flowing from a denser network of connections and relations between the higher income and lower income worlds o More states fiscal dependence on critical resources from its own citizens rather than on external or easily-monopolized resources or classical foreign aid47 o Access to increased export opportunities -and on equal terms- derived from a more liberal and really competitive world trade system
Countries with governance institutions that are only attractive to international investors and lenders tend to perform badly at converting material resources (per capita GNP) into human development (as expressed in the Human Development Index longevity, education and literacy). For facts supporting this claim, see Mick Moore, Jennifer Leavy et al, 1999, Polity Qualities: How Governance Affects Poverty, Institute of Development Studies, Poverty Research Programme, Working Paper #99, UK 47 Ibid
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Effective and inclusive governance at both the national and international levels, based on internationally legitimized rights and standards, with an intensification of global cooperation characterized by growing numbers of local and global networks and public private partnerships focused on assorted development issues.
The alternative to not achieving this inclusive and equitable globalizing process will be an un-equitable globalization, a pernicious regional competition and a polarized world! If this is allowed to happen, those regions, countries and population groups feeling left behind will face deepening economic stagnation, political instability, and cultural alienation. They will foster more political, ethnic, ideological, and religious extremism, along with the violence that often accompanies it. The poor and more vulnerable will be negatively affected by the perpetuation of their desperate situation. All these factors will force the international community to split and to remain focused on old world challenges while concentrating on the implications of the new world technologies at the same time!
If a pernicious, un-equitable and polarized globalization is allowed to happen, even those who benefit the most from the globalizing process will, in the long run, be negatively affected by the alienation, hopelessness and despair of those left behind!
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3 Globalization is a Work in Progress: Children in Jeopardy!

At this stage, it is appropriate to have a more detailed look into what has been achieved so far in terms of the well being of deprived children and into the remaining challenges for them in light of the probable world of the 21st Century and considering the required concerted work to achieve an inclusive and equitable globalization. Progress so Far: 1990-2000 The Ratification and Incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) In general terms, it is increasingly accepted that a universal set of principles to guide social policy and international development processes is needed, based on the emerging and internationally legitimized UN Human and Civil Rights Framework48. This UN Human Rights Framework, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, sets out peoples agreed rights to claim resources, which meet both their practical and strategic needs. This Framework bounds not only the states but also civil society and private sector actors49. After the near universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (and the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) and their associated reporting and monitoring procedures, it is increasingly recognized that the achievement of the rights and development of children is fundamental for sustained human and economic progress there is also much recognition that women rights and well being are central, in turn, to both the development of human capabilities and the realization of childrens rights. There Has Been Some Progress in the Well Being of Deprived Children50: Reduction in infant and child mortality: these rates falling by more than half between 1960-1990, and at a lesser pace over the last decade (due to more internal conflicts, AIDS, etc.) Expanded coverage in childhood immunization: Important advances in preventing two thirds of the deaths associated with neo-natal tetanus and 85% of measles deaths. Deaths from six major diseases (measles, tetanus, whooping cough, tuberculosis, polio and diphtheria) have been
See Fergusson, Clare, 1999, Global Social Policy Principles: Human Rights and Social Justice, Social Development Division, DFID, London 49 Ibid; see also Sanchez, Felipe, 2001 (b),op cited, for a more detailed discussion of this issue 50 This section and all the statistics provided in it- is based on, UNICEF, 2000, A New Global Agenda For Children, non-published draft paper, New York
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slashed by three million a year and at least 750,000 fewer children are left blind, paralyzed or mentally disabled Near eradication of polio: Eradication of polio is within sight in the next five years Control of Vitamin A deficiency: Distribution of Vitamin A supplements has grown enormously, thereby contributing to the reduction of childhood blindness and the risks of dying of other diseases such as diarrhea, measles and acute respiratory infections Control of Iodine deficiency disorders: More than 70% of the world population is now protected from iodine deficiency, thereby preventing mental retardation in 12 million infants a year Primary school enrolment on the rise: The absolute numbers of children enrolled in primary schools, and the net enrollment rate, have increased in the last decade, although there are marked regional variations in the rate and extent of progress. The gender gap in primary and secondary enrolment is gradually decreasing A spotlight on the violence against women and girls: More awareness on the suffering endured by women and girls as victims of violence, in the home and outside. There is now more attention to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) becoming a focus of global concern and advocacy Making children and women visible in the policy agenda: Children and women issues are more visible in the national policies and public debates due to the widespread adoption of the CRC and the CEDAW The Optional Protocol on Children on Armed Conflict, preventing children to be involved in armed conflicts was formally adopted by the UN in the year 2000: The Ottawa Treaty on Landmines, forbidding the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines has been widely signed and adopted in the year 2000
Priority Actions Are Still Needed to Address the Remaining Challenges Deprived Children Face Issues of concern for deprived children confront political leaders, policy makers, organizations, families and children themselves in virtually all the countries51: Social and economic pressures are undermining the crucial role of parents and families in ensuring the rights of the children to grow in a more stable, safe and nurturing environment Persistent poverty and exclusion: Of the 1.2 billion persons that struggle to survive on less than US$1 per day half of them are children! The overwhelming effects of external debt and the inadequate investment in social services is increasing the risks of children: Poor infrastructure, low coverage and low quality social services mean that over half a million women a year are killed by complications in pregnancy and childbirth. More than a billion persons cannot have access to safe drinking water and over 2.4 billion dont have adequate sanitation, and at least 40 million
Most of the issues and the supporting statistics in this section are based on UNICEF, 2000, op cited
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children a year go unregistered at birth. Over 11 million children annually die from mostly preventable causes and malnutrition. Over 200 million children are still malnourished Growing effects of trans-national health issues such as HIV / AIDS: The HIV / AIDs pandemics is reversing decades worth of gains for children, specially in Sub-Saharan Africa A number of global environmental trends pose major challenges to the future well being of children: Among these trends are the unsustainable use of water and other natural resources, inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene, unsafe drinking water, air pollution, hazardous wastes and crowded housing 113 million children still out of school, mostly girls: A third of all children fail to complete five years of schooling. Over 110 million of primary school age children the majority of them girls- are not enrolled at school Growing gap in technology / access to Internet-based economy: In a world of rapid technological change, children without basic education including the many millions trapped in child labor- are consigned to a growing digital divide that is a form of disability and exclusion One out of every 10 children lives with moderate to severe disability: Children with disabilities, particularly girls, often lack access to the most basic services, being discriminated against and, in many societies, shunned from social life The vulnerability of children leaves them exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation: 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are economically active, while over 100 million children are engaged in intolerable forms of labor. Many are bonded labor, subjected to trafficking or forced into prostitution or pornography More than 2 million children died as a result of armed conflict; more than three times this number were permanently disabled or seriously injured. Few children living in war-affected zones can aspire to even the most basic standards of care, education or health Substance abuse, accidents, violence and suicide among adolescents: Accidents, violence and suicide are the leading causes of death among adolescents, often related to alcohol or drug consumption, which itself is another form of alienation and exclusion Discrimination against children and women: Continued gender and age discrimination is often compounded by ethnic and religious discrimination as well as by poverty and social exclusion. Finally, childrens participation in the affairs that directly affect them and their societies has to go beyond mere tokenism: Boys and girls have a capacity to make unique contributions to their own development and to their community development, helping to construct a more inclusive and equitable environment.
Furthermore, the Internationally agreed Human Development Targets for the Year 2015 Wont Be Achieved by Many Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) If Current Trends Continue!
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The indicators for the 41 HIPCs are improving at an abysmally slow rate, leaving these countries well off track for achieving the 2015 human development goals agreed by all nations52: Of the 44 countries ranked in the low human development category in the UN Development Program, 30 are in the HIPC group. About half the citizens in the HIPCs are living below the international poverty line of $ 1 a day. Average life expectancy is 53, 10 years lower than the average for all developing countries. In several HIPCs, over 5% of the children are not expected to reach the age of five; the average under-five mortality rate is 154 deaths per 1,000 live births. 40 percent of children of primary school age in the HIPCs (or 40 million children) are not attending primary school. Many millions more drop out of school before gaining basic literacy; the quality of education is typically abysmal and fewer girls than boys enroll in school (being this gender gap around 10%). Womens literacy rates are below 25 percent in most HIPCs). New health threats have emerged: The HIPCs account for most of the 5,500 deaths that occur each day as a result of HIV/AIDS. Health systems are being stretched to breaking point by the increase in the incidence of secondary infections to which the HIV-positive fell prey. Microbial evolution and resistance to antibiotics are posing further challenges, also placing huge stresses on both households and national health systems.
The outlook for the future is bleak if no decisive actions are taken. In many countries human development indicators are in fact deteriorating. According to the Center for International Development at Harvard University53, nearly half of all HIPCs have recently started to register declines in per capita protein consumption; life expectancy is declining in 13 countries, partially as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to UNICEF and OXFAM, at this rate, many HIPCs wont be able to meet the internationally agreed targets for the year 2015, including the key goals of reducing child mortality, achieving universal primary education and halving the numbers in extreme poverty 54 Globalization, Yes, But With an Inclusive, Equitable and Child-friendly Faceto Build a World Fit for Children! The impetus for globalization has come mainly from the spread of markets and a knowledge-based economy, while the impacts, as we have seen in
Statistics based on UNICEF (1999), Children in Jeopardy: The Challenge of Freeing Poor Nations From the Shackles of Debt, Division of Evaluation, Policy and Planning, New York 53 Sachs, Jeffrey. (1999), Implementing Debt Relief for the HIPCs, mimeo, Center for International Development, Harvard University, Boston, cited in UNICEF, 1999, op cited 54 See UNICEF (1999), op cited
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previous sections, have much broader implications social, cultural, political, as well as economic- in both the industrialized and lower income countries. A key conclusion at this stage is that, in a rapidly globalizing world, waiting for market / technology-led integration and for investor / lender friendly policies to produce the desired effects in poverty reduction and in eliminating the factors that exclude large numbers of the population -and that put women and children at risk- is not enough. Economic growth is indeed a pre-requisite for development and certainly there has to be in place the necessary conditions to foster market forces and more efficient distribution mechanisms to help lift large numbers of people from poverty. But these growth-friendly policies have to ensure there are no undue cornering of the market by a given player to the detriment of the poorest and most vulnerable- and have to be complemented with decisive actions through public policy to make social investments a priority and spend proportionally more in basic social services: Thus, it is increasingly urgent to ensure the realization of the positive aspects of the globalizing world (its promise) and to deal with its potential negative impacts in a concerted manner: Globalization is a work in progress in need of urgent transnational / cross sector actions to stem the rise of inequality and to blunt the transmission of global economic shocks to poor households and to the more vulnerable. More specifically, there is urgent need to ensure that these globalizing processes bring benefits to the more disadvantaged women and childrenGlobalization, yes, but with an inclusive, equitable and child-friendly faceto build a world fit for children! To address the remaining issues and the emerging challenges concerning the well being of poor children, some key lessons from the development thinking and practice of recent years need to be recognized and applied in the New Century: There is a growing recognition that the starting point of international development strategies that emphasize equitable human development is the rights and well being of children. It is children whose individual development and social contribution will shape the worlds future and it is through children that inter -generational cycles of poverty, exclusion and discrimination can be broken It has also become increasingly clear that womens rights and well being are central both to human development and to the realization of childrens rights Sustainable development requires the participation of children, women and men in the decisions that affect them within the family,
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community, and at local and national levels (going beyond tokenism in childrens participation). Childrens participation is a pre-requisite to making all other claims contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Their Participation in the affairs that directly affect them and their societies has to go beyond tokenism and has to happen according to their own evolving capacities. To break the intergenerational cycles of poverty, there is a need to recognize and use to the fullest extent possible the spillover effects and inter-linkages in the provision of basic social programs and services. Finally, the world must tackle development in general, and poverty reduction and social inclusion in particular including women and children, in a concerted manner and at all levels.
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4
Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children: Building a World Fit for Children!
The integration of the worlds markets for trade finance, and knowledge continues to accelerate drawing the worlds states into a global community with more responsibilities than ever before. At the same time, the demands of local communities for power and voice are challenging existing governance structures both global and local, while creating new opportunities for addressing equitable development and bringing about a world fit for children. To address these issues, the world must tackle development in general, and poverty reduction and social inclusion in particular including women and children, in a concerted manner and at all levels. A global development architecture has to be in place to create conditions that support, on the one hand, economic growth in lower income countries and their integration into the world economy, and on the other, the realization of effective actions ensuring the respect to all internationally legitimized human rights including the Rights of the Child- and putting in place the fundamentals of development at the local and global levels. Lower income countries investment in their own peoples education and health as a foundation for sustained development, putting in place solid institutions, effective citizen participation and the rule of law based on internationally-recognized human rights, protecting these allocations throughout time, and paying attention to the poorest and most vulnerable are critical actions if equitable development and the realization of the rights of women and children are to be achieved in the New Century. Local and Global Communities for Children Collaboration on a global scale, linking public, non-state organizations and individuals at the local and global levels and geared towards achieving a more inclusive and equitable globalization that builds an enabling environment for women and children is a priority55. Thus: In the Globalizing world of the early years of the 21st Century, the challenge is to establish and enhance a worldwide community of supporters of children and their families, and organizations, sharing a common understanding of the rights of the child and having an interest
Examples of such global networks already exist, some of them relatively successful (re the Global Environmental Facility GEF, GAVI the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, etc.).
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in advancing them through a common child-centered development agenda, which includes a combination of grass roots focus and global actions for children and with children. The Stakeholders for Children This worldwide community of supporters of children, their families and organizations have a common stake in facilitating local and global enabling environments that increase the ability of disadvantaged women and children to claim internationally legitimized social, political and economic entitlements to meet their practical needs and strategic needs56. The primary stakeholders for this local and global action are the children themselves, in particular deprived children in lower income countries and their immediate families, with emphases on women. They have a stake in increasing their ability to claim their internationally legitimized entitlements to meet their practical and strategic needs. In the case of children, their practical needs concern their survival and development; their strategic needs refer to their protection and participation. In the case of disadvantaged and excluded women, their practical needs refer to their survival (food, shelter and warmth) and well -being (health literacy and security); their strategic needs refer to their empowerment and Participation (self-esteem and status; more participation and exerting influence over decisions and resources that affect their lives). In this approach, the survival, well-being and empowerment of women are essential for the survival, development, protection and participation of children. Other concerned individuals, groups, parties, actors and organizations, or secondary stakeholders, have a stake or interest in keeping with their objective / mission of establishing relations and building enabling environments that increase childrens ability to claim these internationally recognized resources and entitlements to meet their practical and strategic needs. The Primary and Secondary Stakeholders For Children -and the levels where one can find them- might be described as follows: Deprived Childrens Immediate Community Level (community level): o Primary Stakeholders: Deprived children in selected locations in low income countries, 0 to 18 years of age, themselves participating and working -according to their age and capacity- for their own development and for that of their own family and community (child-centered community-based development approach).
56
See Sanchez, Felipe, 2001 (b), op cited.
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Deprived childrens immediate family with particular emphasis on women, lifting themselves up from poverty and exclusion, also sharing the agenda for children and committed to create an enabling environment for their childrens survival, protection, development and participation. o Secondary Stakeholders Civil Society actors in the immediate community, grassroots organizations (GROs), community-based organizations (CBOs) Local State Social Service Institutions, INGDOs (International Non-governmental Development Organizations) Local level Program Units and Teams (PLAN International PUs will be included here), Low Income Countries Intra-regional and National levels (program country national and regional levels): o Secondary Stakeholders: Civil Society Actors and Rights of the Child coalitions at incountry and national levels, local Development Nongovernmental Organizations (NGDOs), etc. Regionalized State institutions, with the task of providing effective and efficient social services closer to the poor and more vulnerable Regional and national level private sector and media organizations, National level social service Ministries and institutions and the State in general, Public bilateral and multilateral missions an international aid agencies located in the country, International Non-government Development Organizations (INDGOs) working in the country (including PLAN International Country Office and support teams) International Development and Foreign Aid Level (regional and international development policy levels): o Secondary Stakeholders: International Civil Society Actors and Coalitions for Children Rights International private sector and media organizations, International public development multilateral institutions INGDOs regional and international teams (including PLANs Regional Offices and International Headquarters management and support teams) Industrialized Countries / New Emerging Economies Level (donor country level): o Secondary Stakeholders: Sponsors and supporters for children, individuals and organizations in industrialized countries -and in some new
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emerging economies- who are informed about rights of the child and about children / development issues, sharing a common child-centered development agenda, contributing some of the means for its achievement (financial, information and other resources) and being engaged in all or part of the local and global actions necessary to obtain the shared objectives and results. Civil society actors and coalitions for the rights of the child in industrialized countries / new emerging economies Private sector and media organizations in industrialized countries / new emerging economies, Bilateral aid / donor organizations and the State in industrialized countries / new emerging economies Donor Country INGDOs National Office management and support teams (including PLAN Internationals)
The Building Relationships and Enabling Environments for Children Continuum The Stakeholders in this network of local and global communities for children may engage in a series of interactions to share their understanding on rights of the child and on other development issues and to be involved in a series of relations and interventions geared towards the implementation of a local and global development agenda for children. Table 1 at the end of this document shows the full extent of potential relationships among all the stakeholders and levels (children to children, children to local state, state to state, INGDO to children, sponsor / supporter to children, etc)57. These communities or networks of individuals and organizations working together to improve the conditions of deprived children relate to each other, share a common child-centered agenda, play different roles but aim to achieve the same objectives, have different degrees of collaboration among themselves, contribute means according to their capacity, and work together for disadvantaged children of selected locations in the lower income countries, for their families and for their immediate communities. When interacting among themselves, the members of this networks or Stakeholders establish a series of relationships and actions that might lead to changes in the conditions of deprived children. This set of relationships spans from, on the one side, providing information to sponsors, supporters and deprived children, helping them to become aware of rights of the child, children issues etc., to, on the other side, directly involving
This issue of the type of relationships among the stakeholders for children will be explored in more detail in Working Paper #3 in this series, currently under preparation. Also, the Quito Building Relations Workshop explores this issue in more details.
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them in joint actions towards the achievement of a child-centered development agenda with both a grass root focus and a global reach. We will call this set of relationships The Building Relationships and Enabling Environments for Children Continuum, which may include the following typology of interactions among the different stakeholders involved in the local and global networks. Stakeholders for Children may be involved by: Pooling knowledge together and increasing awareness, education and learning Connecting children, people and organizations Pooling financial resources together Building capacity Establishing collaborative arrangements Implementing together a Rights-based Child-centered Development Agenda Building accountable institutions for children The following paragraphs describe in more details the elements of this continuum: Pooling Knowledge Together and Increasing Awareness, Education and Learning: This interaction includes researching, informing, and providing interactive learning opportunities on development and rights of the child issues and on the implementation of a child-centered development agenda, with a grass root focus and a global reach: Increasing access to knowledge, having better possibilities to disseminate it effectively to those who need it the most Bringing light and different perspectives to any particular issue Promoting cross cultural appreciation and learning among the different stakeholders Disseminating promising practices and lessons learned, thus contributing to better performance in the implementation of the childcentered agenda Connecting Children, People and Organizations: Bringing people together including women and children- and organizations that have a common understanding of rights of the child and share a common agenda for child-centered development: Tapping information and expertise from a variety of backgrounds, including the indigenous knowledge of diverse cultures Giving voice to previously unheard of groups, specially to the most vulnerable, women and children; giving them a global reach Fostering linkages and mutual understanding on the rights of the child and on the implementation of a child-centered development agenda Building bridges between children and local communities, and between children / their families and communities of sponsors, supporters and organizations who want to help and also have a stake in the rights of the child and in the implementation of the child-centered agenda Volunteering to support the cause of deprived children
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Lobbying, reconciliation and mediation to ensure social policy and development processes at the local and global levels are equitable, inclusive and conducive to the implementation of the child-centered agenda
Pooling Financial Resources Together: Leveraging financial resources that can be applied to the solution of a relevant problem and / or to the implementation of the child-centered development program. Pooling of resources coming from Individual / Group / Corporate Sponsorship funding / Funding from official multilateral-bilateral aid/ Funding from Southern / Eastern governments / Funding from private corporate sources / the Gift economy Complementing / leveraging / multiplying local community resources for the implementation of the child-centered development agenda Building Capacity: Building indeed, embodying- social capital accumulation and human capital formation to establish enabling environments that lead to the realization of childrens potential: Achieving greater trust among participants and network members Creating global and local forum and more adequate global and local architectures for an equitable and sustainable development for women and children in the midst of a market and knowledge driven integration of the world Fostering norms, values, attitudes and behaviors at the family and local / global levels primed to build a positive environment for children and central for their ability to chart their future Actions to increase Stakeholders capacity (including childrens) to effectively and efficiently carry out their role in the implementation of an agreed upon agenda for children with local and global actions. It includes increasing their capacity / skills to carry out a program of action centered on childrens practical and strategic needs: assessing, planning, managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and learning. Also to enhance stakeholders capacity to negotiate, rally support, obtain resources and collaborate among themselves Establishing Collaborative Arrangements: In spite of some difficulties and constraints58, collaborative arrangements and networks have many advantages over other alternatives of institutional action: Stakeholder / inter-organizational collaborative arrangements are the pillar of an emerging development paradigm that seeks to mobilize the values and voluntary energy of citizen groups and sponsors / supporters, the know how and capital of businesses, and the legitimacy of the State59
Among such constraints are: slow processes, the possibility of diluting decisions for the sake of consensus or the interests of key players, the tendency to reflect stakeholder perspectives and not necessarily practical or feasible objectives, and the danger of dominance of the network by a powerful player. 59 See Covey, Jane, (2000), Inter-organizational Cooperation and the Art of Partnership, PLAN International Program Conference, University of Sussex, UK
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Promoting broad ownership for a given course of action / providing a platform for decision making that is more acceptable to a range of participants spanning the global and local settings Creating synergies by reaching out to key stakeholders, including them in the definition of objectives, priorities, strategies, and in the execution of network tasks and the child-centered agenda. This includes the establishment of effective linkages among local communities and with social service providers Promoting unity through positive and effective co-operation, building strong local and global communities around the practical and strategic needs of children Addressing governance problems caused by inadequate legitimacy of any of the three sectors public, private and civil- when addressing global and even local- issues Networking, contracting, partnering, establishing alliances, coalitions and consortia for the advancement of the child-centered development agenda, at both the local and global levels
Implementing Together a Rights-based Child-centered Development Agenda60: Drawing on the internationally recognized Convention on the Rights of the Child a program of action for and with children, implemented, with both a grass root focus and a global reach: Strengthening the ability of children to claim social, political and economic resources to meet their practical needs of survival and development and their strategic needs of protection and participation Children are seen, heard and act to meet their practical and strategic needs. Participation of children becomes a pre-requisite. Childrens empowerment will enable them to participate and influence the decision making process, in the household as well as in the public arenas that shape their lives Concerned with the minimum subsistence of children, which takes precedence over the other rights / needs, which can be progressively realized. A core program of social services provision that responds to childrens survival and their families everyday needs (quality education, health, potable water and basic shelter services), focused on the poorest of the poorest, and implemented with a focus at local level while fostering policies at the national and international levels that will facilitate the realization of this core social programs Also concerned with childrens livelihood security, referring to the material resources, assets and services required for subsistence and wealth generation. Increasing household prosperity through income, affordable credit and the sustainable use of the natural base so that it can be applied to improve childrens well being Concerned with the accumulation of social and human capitals that will help establish a more enabling environment for children and central to their ability to chart their own future within their communities (the web
For a more detailed discussion of this issue of the agenda for children, see Sanchez, Felipe, 2001 (b), op cited
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of group ties, memberships, local and global relations, networks, collaborations, organizations, trust, values, norms, attitudes, etc.) Concerned with the integration of children and the more vulnerable in social, political and economic development processes. Requiring attention to common axes of social differentiation and exclusion of children and their families defined by gender, race, age and income
Building Accountable Institutions for Children: By implementing an Agenda for Children at both the local and global levels, there are corresponding issues of obligation, conduct, transparency and result for all the stakeholders for children: The CRC contemplates obligations that are not only binding to states but also to civil society and private sectors (the UN framework has a legitimacy that reaches beyond the boundaries of purely legal or stateonly requirements)61 In order to ensure the costs of globalization are not disproportionately borne by the poor and most vulnerable women and children includedinter and intra national development processes have to be based upon adherence to clear principles and standards accorded in the CRC and other UN Human, Civil and Environmental rights agreements Accountability requires that responsibilities are identified, actions are targeted, agreed and monitored and there are means of claiming redress if obligations are not met. Accountability requires systems for monitoring implementation of targets and standards and access to information about stakeholder for childrens performance. These standards for implementation of the Agenda for Children must be nested within international and national frameworks Primary accountability in terms of conduct and results is towards children and women. Accountability to other stakeholders will be based on legal responsibilities, moral or legal obligations to supporters / sponsors, and the public interest Economic, social and cultural differences require that the CRC-and other human rights principles- should be flexibly applied. However, particular standards of government, INGDO / NGDO and private sector action for children, and the targets that are used to measure their implementation, need to be democratically negotiated in different contexts and levels. Local communities and children must be involved whenever a particular entitlement is negotiated or implemented. International agreements can be used as a point of leverage for intra national process so that the CRC standards and obligations are not diluted in the negotiations.
The children, individuals, groups and organizations from the state, for profit and nonfor profit sectors and belonging to the different levels, interact in this continuum of Relationships and Building Enabling Environments, have a longterm and sustained commitment to support child-centered development and to
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See Fergusson, Clare, 1999, op cited; also Sanchez, Felipe, 20001 (b) op cited
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having fulfilling relationships among themselves (children, sponsors / supporters and others with shared interests on the agenda for children). These stakeholders contribute means and work, according to their capacity, to the implementation of a collaborative program aiming to improve the conditions for deprived children, their families and immediate communities to manage their own development and reduce their poverty and exclusion. While being independent entities which possess varied capacities and resources and that are responsible for their own actions and development, these Stakeholders for Children are the object and subject of PLANs Building Relations and Capacity Building facilitation services, the institutional raison detre for PLAN they constitute its main customer and constituency base. (This issue concerning PLANs role and its facilitation and capacity building services for a long term process building relations and enabling environments for children will be explored in more details in a further working paper currently under preparation by the BR Task Force). Building a World Fit for Children: Some Additional Reflections for Advancing the Agenda for Children at the Local and Global Levels . At the global and local levels, there is a need to work to remove constraints that countries cannot deal with alone supporting the provision of global public goods, ensuring that rights to claim resources, which meet both the practical and strategic needs of the poor and more vulnerable women and children included, are honored and developing global public policy. To perform this role, the State, the for profit sector, individuals, groups and non-governmental development organizations must position themselves as effective forces for positive change within the international aid system and within society at large (in both industrialized and lower income countries). The interaction among the different Stakeholders for Children, their understanding of general development and rights of the child issues, their degree of commitment, the resources and capacities they contribute, and the agreements and sorts of relations they develop for realizing collaborative actions will help create the conditions for a more positive development of children and opportunities for them to chart their own future as responsible citizens within their own communities and in the global arena. The Stakeholders for children form part of and link with global networks, which at the same time link up with local networks at national and community level in the lower income countries. External partners can begin to build on local community initiative to help people and children to manage their own development process. These
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external partners can help strengthen the social and human capitals of a given locality or even a country62. But global action for equitable and inclusive development is half the story. Increasingly, the poor themselves are taking advantage of their relationships with one another and with external parties to manage risks, share resources and act collectively. These local networks help people to acquire a broad range of assets, information, get the ear of decision-makers, and gain access to markets and new technologies. This kind of social glue, which is increasingly described as Social Capital, is central to peoples and childrens ability to chart their own future within their communities. The job of public development agencies and of international and local Non-governmental Development Organizations (NGDOs) is to foster cooperation with community groups without stifling local efforts: In situations of social exclusion or risk, Social Capital is a crucial asset for the poor and vulnerable, who has few other assets. It is their social relationships and networks that enable poor people and the vulnerable to work together, share risks and resources, and act collectively63. It is through these relationships and networks that they can gain access not only to resources and assets but also to decision-making processes that affect their lives and to markets. More important, Social Capital accumulation might open the door for a set of norms, behaviors, group structures, and relationships that set the conditions for empowerment, market and social entrepreneurship, and the realization of women and childrens potential. Thus, having Global and Local communities / networks of Stakeholders working for and with children can help to: Strengthen mutual support and risk-sharing mechanisms based on informal relationships within communities, and others based on more formal arrangements at community level and above (regional, national, global). Build on community mechanisms by primarily involving other government, market, and civil society actors to help the poor and the more vulnerable (women and children) to pool risks more effectively, to enhance their assets, and to improve their well -being.
More specifically, collaborative networks for children at the community level and linked to global networks and external partners can help increase asset accumulation and household consumption, enhance access to credit and resources, improve childrens access to education and healthy environments, provide security against economic shocks and physical security in some
Based on: The World Bank, 2000, New Paths to Social Development, a contribution to the World Summit for Social Development and Beyond: Achieving Social Development for All in a Globalizing World, Geneva, June 2000; and, London Business School, 1996, Networking, Business Briefs, UK. 63 Social Capital, of course, is crucial for the powerful and privileged as well, as it helps maintain their favourable situation in a given society. Further, Social Capital can also be used for negative aims such as crime, etc.
62
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cases as well, ensure access to decision-making, leverage of resources, and obtain influence over policy that affects the poor and the vulnerable. It is only until recently that multilateral development and financial institutions have started to pay attention to Social Capital. Many nongovernmental development organizations have long recognized the value of social relationships in reducing poverty and helping include the vulnerable in the development process. Development experience in the past few years has taught us that a focus on both economic growth and social and human capital is critical to success in the fight against poverty and to facilitate the inclusion of the more vulnerable sectors of the population women and children- in the in the enjoyment of globalizations potential benefits. Further, a constant threat to the success of community and global networks is the capture of benefits markets, public programs or the networks themselves- by more powerful groups or individuals. This has happened before and globalization can make it a more acute problem. To avoid this, Participation, Transparency and Accountability are critical factors in enabling poor people and the more vulnerable to determine how development works in practice. Finally, to make more progress, there is a need to continue the concerted effort to: Mainstream the rights of the child at the different levels (industrialized countries the USA? The International Development Levels, Lower Income Countries National level, and at the local community level) Build accountable institutions for children and standard setting based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, at all levels and applying to all (state, for-profit and non-for profit sectors). This includes strengthening Rights of the Child Coalitions, monitoring networks and information systems. Mobilize more resources for deprived children through a reformed Debt Relief Initiative within the Framework of Global Poverty Reduction Actions Ensure the Bretton Woods Institutions negotiate with governments social policy measures that are more conducive to equitable development and to the inclusion of women and children in the benefits of the globalizing process Establish rights of the child programming as the preferred approach to increase childrens ability to claim internationally legitimized resources to meet their practical needs (survival and development) and their strategic needs (protection and participation) Emphases must be given to ensure the following outcomes in the implementation of a Child-rights Child-centered Agenda for Children: o A good start to life, nurture, care and a safe environment that enables children to survive and to be physically healthy,
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mentally alert, emotionally secure, socially competent and able to learn; o The opportunity to have access to and complete a good quality education (with equal opportunities for both girls and boys) o The opportunity, for adolescents, to develop fully their individual capacities in a safe and enabling environment that empowers them to participate in and contribute to their societies Create real and effective opportunities and space for Children and Young People to articulate and advance their agenda from children in the margins to children at the center! The poor and the more vulnerable (women and children) must get more voice in the global networks that have a big role to play in poverty reduction and in helping include them in the enjoyment of globalizations potential benefits Better define who best represents their interests in these forums? Define which organizations are best placed to help facilitate the establishment and enhancement of these local and global networks? International Non-Governmental Development Organizations must play a more dynamic role helping build bridges between children, communities and global networks and towards the implementation of Child-centered development programs
Children, their families, local communities, governments, and global organizations from both the public and private sectors (including International Development NGOs), must be very creative in setting up new institutional arrangements and collaborations that allow them to tap into each others capabilities to solve common problems arising from globalization and to help realize its full potential for women and children.
Juan Felipe Sanchez Building Relations Project Leader Quito, January 2001 email: office: felipe.sanchez@plan-international.org personal: jfsanch@msn.com

Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and The Challenges of The New Century

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Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and The Challenges of The New Century

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New Paths to Building Relations and Enabling Environments for Children: Working Paper Series #1

Globalization, Children in Jeopardy and the Challenges of the New Century

Building Relations Project

2- The Promise and Challenges of Globalization

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3- Globalization is a Work in Progress: Children in Jeopardy!

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See National Intelligence Council / CIA, 2000, op cited

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Trans-national health problems

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2 The Promise and Challenges of Globalization

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See Newsweek, Issues 2001, December-February 2001 op cited Ibid

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3 Globalization is a Work in Progress: Children in Jeopardy!

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See Sanchez, Felipe, 2001 (b), op cited.

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