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SAIEVAC

Regional Consultation

on

The National Action and Coordinating Groups against Violence against Children

(NACG)

“Solidarity for the Children of SAARC”

Organized by the SAIEVAC Regional Secretariat with support from the SACG

Hosted by SAIEVAC National Mechanism (NCWC) Bhutan Thimphu Bhutan

26 - 28 November 2012

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Table of Content

1 Executive Summary

2 Welcome Remarks &Consultation Objectives, SAIEVAC Institutional Mechanism and the South

Asia CSO movement and the SAIEVAC Governing Board

3 Welcome Remarks by SACG Chair: Importance of partnership, cooperation and synergies

between regional and national efforts to end violence against children in South Asia

4 Role of the Civil Society in contributing towards delivering child protection targets/ending

violence against children

5 NACG ToR and the conceptual understanding of the composition and structure of the NACG and

CSO Coalitions

6 Country presentations on NACG experiences in collaborative efforts to end violence against

children and role of civil society coalitions in delivering child protection targets

7 Summary of emerging good practices and challenges in working together for child protection

8 Increasing clarity on synergies between different stakeholders and mechanisms under the

SAIEVAC framework at the national and regional level, including national SAIEVAC

governmental Chapters, NACGs and Children's platforms and SAIEVAC Secretariat and SACG

9 Defining criteria for the Selection Process for CSO Regional involvement in the Governing

Board (group work)

10 Selection of NACG representatives on the SAIEVAC Governing Board

11 Discussing 'Way Forward' for the NACGs at the national level-next steps in consolidating and

strengthening NACGs (country group work)

12 Interactive presentation of the 'Way Forward' for NACGs (gallery walk)

13 Summary and closing

14 Annex 1: Welcome remarks by SACG Chair: importance of partnership, cooperation and

synergies between regional and national efforts to end violence against children in South Asia

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List of ACRONYMS

SAIEVAC South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children

NACG National Action and Coordinating Group against Violence against Children

CSO Civil Society Organisation

MS Member State

SACG South Asia Coordinating Group on Action against Violence against Women and

Children

GB Governing Board

INGOs International Non Government Organization

SDF SAARC Development FUND

SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

MDG Millennium Development Goals

ToR Terms of Reference

UNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

VAC Violence against Children

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 1

st Governing Board noted that ‘the ultimate success in ending violence against children will be

SAIEVAC’s ability to cultivate a larger involvement of civil society organizations in the SAIEVAC

movement’. In order to ensure this, a National Action and Coordinating Group against Violence against

Children (NACG) is currently in the process of being established in every Member State. NACGs will

ultimately strive to become important strategic interventions to strengthen and contribute towards a more

effective realization of the vision and goals of SAIEVAC. The purpose is also to strengthen the inter-

agency work including with governments and children's groups to end violence against children in each

Member State.

A Regional NACG Consultation was held from 26th-28th November, 2012 in Thimphu, Bhutan bringing

together SAIEVAC National Coordinators and NACGs, including CSO representatives of the eight

member states (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). The

Consultation was organized and facilitated by the SAIEVAC Regional Secretariat with support from the

SACG.

The Regional Consultation on NACGs had the following overall goals and expected outcomes:

• To create a common understanding on the role of the NACGs

• To increase clarity regarding the steps to be taken towards the institutional processes that will

ensure involvement of all stakeholders under the SAIEVAC movement

The key objectives of the consultation included:

• To define the ground realities at the national level for setting the institutional framework to

contribute towards strengthening a larger regional movement to end violence against children

• To identify challenges and opportunities facing civil society at the national level

• To create an institutionalized process for selecting civil society representatives to the SAIEVAC

Governing Board

• To outline a „Way Forward Plan‟ for the NACGs to reinforce the regional movement effectively

on an ongoing basis through meaningful partnership with the SAIEVAC National mechanisms

Through presentations, discussions and question and answer sessions the Regional Consultation provided

more clarity on the role of NACGs. Participants also agreed in principle on the selection of the CSO

representatives to the SAIEVAC Governing Board. Based on that agreement, the SAIEVAC Regional

Secretariat with support from the SACG will present a definitive proposal and direction to the 4th

Governing Board Meeting, which will be held in the first quarter of 2013. The Regional NACG

Consultation held has assisted SAIEVAC in achieving this aim.

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Welcome Remarks& Consultation Objectives, SAIEVAC Institutional Mechanism and the South Asia

CSO movement and the SAIEVAC Governing Board

Dr. Rinchen Chophel, Director General SAIEVAC

The aims and objectives of SAIEVAC,

the 5-year Workplan and the core

thematic areas of SAIEVAC were

introduced to the participants. SAIEVAC

is led by a Governing Board and has a

regional secretariat that relates to the

national SAIEVAC governmental

chapters and to the NACG consisting of

national CSO‟s, INGO‟s and UN-

agencies. The SAIEVAC Governing

Board consists of government

representatives from the eight SAARC

countries and representatives from

children, CSOs and SACG. An update on

the implementation of the SDF projects

was also provided, followed by

SAIEVAC‟s way forward with the planned activities.

The objectives of the consultation were presented:

1. To define the ground realities at the national level for setting the institutional framework to

contribute towards strengthening a larger regional movement to end violence against children

2. To identify challenges and opportunities facing civil society at the national level

3. To create an institutionalized process for selecting civil society representatives to the SAIEVAC

Governing Board

4. To outline a “way forward” for the NACGs to reinforce the regional movement effectively on an

ongoing basis through meaningful partnership with SAIEVAC national mechanisms

Welcome remarks by SACG Chair: Importance of partnership, cooperation and synergies between

regional and national efforts to end violence against children in South Asia- Ron Powels, SACG Chair

SAIEVAC exists because of partnerships and

the vision of SAIEVAC cannot be addressed by

one entity alone. SAIEVAC and its member

states recognize that there is a common vision to

end violence against children. Child support is

all about partnership, cooperation and building

synergies both at national as well as at a regional

level. Some principles of partnership were also

mentioned such as transparency, timely

communication, keeping in mind a common

vision and to be more interested in advancing

the common vision than your own specific

agenda points. It is critical that concerted effort

is adequately coordinated to avoid duplication

and waste of limited resources. It must be

recognized that all partners bring different

backgrounds and expertise to the table, with a

common vision of ending violence against

children.

Role of the Civil Society in contributing towards delivering child protection targets/ending violence

against children- Turid Heiberg, SACG Representative

The Committee on the Rights of the Child underlines the primary responsibility of the state to fulfill

children‟s rights but also the collective responsibility by children, parents, families and non-state services

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and organizations to contribute to this end. The Committee urges governments to give non-directive

support and to establish formal and informal relationships with civil society partners. The Convention on

the Rights of the Child created common goals and led to the increase of partnership and cooperation

between governments and CSOs. Civil

society is a strong global force in mobilizing

the public, encouraging child participation,

and enriching the efforts of governments in

the area of child protection. In the discussion

that followed, the challenge of sustainability

of CSO programs was raised. Integration of

these programs into a larger strategy and long

term planning was mentioned as one

solution, while it was also suggested that

linking up with SAIEVAC and SDF funding

could assist. The present MDG does not

contain a child protection goal and it was

discussed to put this forward in negotiations

about post 2015 goals and targets. SAIEVAC

will look into the SAARC Development Goals, other SAARC recommendations and the UN process.

Efforts will be taken to present a proposal to the 4th SAIEVAC Governing Board meeting.

NACG ToR and the conceptual understanding of the composition and structure of the NACG and CSO

Coalitions - Rasa Sekulovic, SACG Co-chair

The session ran through the content of the ToR –

its vision, its mission, objectives, strategies,

guidance on membership and observer status

and on chair and co-chair as well as some

general guidelines for members. The ToR

presented was a template developed at regional

level based on the SACG ToR and not a

document set in stone. Adapting to the different

contexts is required. However, these ToRs do

present some minimum standards and principles

of good practice. The discussion that followed

addressed the potential for re-election of chair

and co-chair. It was agreed that bringing in new

perspectives to the positions is wise, while the

option of re-election would be open. The

composition of the NACG, total number of

members, the possibility of establishing State /

provincial level NACGs, and funding for

NACGs were also discussed.

Country presentations on NACG experiences in collaborative efforts to end violence against children

and role of the civil society coalitions in delivering child protection targets

The eight country presentations

provided an interesting picture of

progress made since September 2011

when a meeting was convened in

Kathmandu to discuss NACGs with

CSOs present at the SAIEVAC

Technical Consultation. Some of the

key points on emerging good

practices and challenges that were

extracted from the presentations are

noted below:

Ensuring continuity of efforts

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Clear linkages made with SAIEVAC and its five-year Work Plan

Operational and functional aspects

- Distinctive focus on prevention is inherent to all the NACGs in the making, followed by

emphasis on awareness raising, contributing to response via service delivery, engaging in

advocacy related to policy and legislative frameworks

- Financial support dimensions are being given due attention in order to specify

implications of both maintaining the NACG operational levels and investing in actions

identified

- Media involvement is also envisaged, so to ensure consistent promotion of partnerships

and collaborative efforts

- NACG consolidation processes are inclusive and aiming to involve a broad range of

stakeholders, from children to governments

- Planning efforts are forward looking, dwelling on mapping policies and legislation;

sharing experiences; creating minimum standards for service provision; following up on

UNCRC Committee recommendations and creating national data collection system

- The process is increased learning and growth, providing the ground for more effective

response to VAC

Structural dimensions are

addressing the issue of

establishing Permanent

Secretariats, their

representativeness and

effectiveness and how they

address challenges of

geographical spread and

coverage

Challenges identified include

issues around coordination,

duplication of efforts,

sustainability, security,

follow-up actions and

monitoring. It remains to be

explored how these challenges

can be addressed while

building on experiences and

learning acquired, while recognizing innovative and effective practices

Summary of emerging good practice and challenges in working together for child protection

I. Ensuring continuity of efforts: all the countries reported on efforts building on previous actions against

violence against children. NACGs are being established by linking to coalitions or working platforms

focusing on child protection, while bringing the existing collaborative efforts to a new level. In that

process, country specific adjustments and arrangements are made to ensure relevance of the actions for

contextualized operational environments.

II. Clear linkages are made with SAIEVAC and its five-year Work Plan, to secure contribution to the

objectives and target of this strategic document.

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III. Operational and functional aspects are following the situation analysis identifying gaps in actions and

legislation, informing shaping of the strategic objectives.

Distinctive focus on prevention is inherent to all the NACGs in the making, followed by

emphasis on awareness raising, contributing to response via service delivery, engaging in

advocacy related to policy and legislative frameworks.

While challenges are being recognised, emerging good practices are being equally

acknowledged.

Financial support dimensions are being given due attention in order to specify implications of

both maintaining the NACG operational levels and investing in actions identified.

Media involvement is also envisaged, so to ensure consistent promotion of partnerships and

collaborative efforts.

NACG consolidation processes are inclusive and aiming to involve a broad range of

stakeholders, from children to governments.

Planning efforts are forward looking, dwelling on mapping policies and legislation; sharing

experiences; creating minimum standards for service provision; following up on UNCRC

Committee recommendations and creating national data collection system.

The process is increased learning and growth, providing the ground for more effective response

to VAC.

IV. Structural dimensions are addressing the issue of establishing Permanent Secretariats, their

representativeness and effectiveness and how they address challenges of geographical spread and

coverage.

Synergies with governments are ensured, both following on previous history of mutual

involvement and a necessity to share information, build trust and reaffirm importance of

transparency and mutual support and involvement. Government are not a part of NACGs strictly

speaking, but are engaged, cooperate and invited, building national consensus around common

platform to end violence against children;

V. Challenges identified include issues around coordination, duplication of efforts, sustainability,

security, follow-up actions and monitoring. It remains to be explored how these challenges can be

addressed while building on experiences and learning acquired, while recognizing innovative and

effective practices.

Bhutan and India are in the process of establishing NACGs, with full recognition of their importance and

building from the national level efforts towards more specific aspects of networking and collaboration.

Increasing clarity on synergies between different stakeholders and mechanisms under the SAIEVAC

framework at the national and regional level, including national SAIEVAC governmental Chapters,

NACGs and children’s platforms and SAEIVAC Secretariat and SACG.

The key aspects of this discussion revolved

around the SDF funds, and the relationship

between SAIEVAC, NACG and Governments.

An overview of the allocation of funds to

member states was explained. SDF funds are

negotiated between the SDF Secretariat and the

SAIEVAC Secretariat. Funds are activity based

rather than quarterly release. In its

implementation alongside the country plan, rules

and procedures prevalent in that country are to

be followed.

The relationship between SAIEVAC, NACG

with governments has been described as

“healthy but evolving.” However, a proper

mechanism of how the NACG will link

operationally with the government is yet to be

formulated.

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During the discussion that followed, India along

with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bhutan raised their

concern about the formation of national

delegations without the approval of their

governments. SAIEVAC offered clarification

that in cases where technical consultations are

required; the standard practice involves

bestowing invitations to the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs with a copy to the governing board

member. The other option is to send invitations

directly to the concerned agencies, which will

then be forwarded to the government for

approval. A crucial need to explore ways to

award recognition for NACGs was felt. The

Director General of SAIEVAC concluded with a

caution to all national coordinators to

communicate and collaborate with the

SAIEVAC pertaining to any SAIEVAC funded

activity.

'

Defining criteria for the Selection Process for CSO Regional Involvement in the SAIEVAC Governing

Board (group work)

The discussion focused on defining

the criteria for the selection process

for CSO involvement in the

SAIEVAC Governing Board. Since

the beginning of SAIEVAC, it was

agreed that two CSO representatives

would be members of the

SAIEVAC Governing Board.

However, there is no proper CSO

selection procedure as of now. With

NACGs now established in almost

all SAARC member states, there is a

good foundation for CSO

representation in the SAIEVAC GB

meeting. CSOs will be (s)elected

from the national CSO members of

the NACGs and can only be (s)elected by other national CSOs. UN and INGO members of the NACG

will not be part of (s)election of these national CSOs; they would be represented through the SACG chair

in the GB.

Positive solution appreciated by Govt representatives and

NACG representatives

NACGs are to communicate the selection of chair and co chair to the

national SAIEVAC coordinator in order for him/her to inform their

respective ministries including the ministry of foreign affairs.

In this way the ministry can work through the NACG chair and co

chair when selecting Civil Society and NACG representatives to

SAIEVAC under technical consultations.

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Selection of NACG representatives on the SAIEVAC Governing Board

The group agreed that CSO representation in the

Governing Board (GB) will be on alphabetical

rotation basis. Therefore, Afghanistan and

Bangladesh CSOs will be members of the 4th

Governing Board while Bhutan and India will be

observers. In case, Bhutan and India have not

established their NACGs by the next GB

meeting, CSOs from Maldives and Nepal will be

observers. In principle, there was an agreement

that the NACG Chair or co-Chair will be the

member / observer at the GB meeting. The

NACG Chair and co-Chair present at the

meeting will need to validate this with the other

NACG members in their respective countries.

The SAIEVAC Secretariat will send out a letter

to the NACG chairs with a copy to the

SAIEVAC National Coordinator communicating

these recommendations (in addition to the report

that will be shared). NACG chairs will share this

letter with the NACG members. Thereafter,

NACG chairs will communicate back to the

SAIEVAC Secretariat on their deliberations and

decisions taken so that this can be presented to

the 4th GB meeting.

The alternative to the alphabetical rotation

option may be challenging as this would require

communication between NACG members and a

(s)election process that has to choose between

the proposed candidates which also needs to be

decided who will be eligible to vote/(s)elect.

Representation on an alphabetical rotation basis

would be in line with the current processes in the

GB: the chair rotates alphabetically and so does

the children‟s representation. It would also

avoid the complexity of who will be nominated.

Choice of the NACG chairs / co-chairs ensures

continuity and involvement of committed

members who are fully aware and informed of

SAIEVAC‟s work.

Discussing ‘Way Forward’ for the NACGs at the national level – next steps in consolidating and

strengthening NACGs (country group work)

Country group discussions and

presentations on the member states

status, challenges and way forward

in child protection illustrated a very

positive and collective commitment

in the efforts to reduce violence

against children and improve child

protection. The points raised by all

countries included:

Enhancing capacity of

NACG members

Placing more effort on

expanding NACG /

identifying new members

Learning from other

countries on how they work

with coalitions at State/provincial level

Strengthening the existing network rather than setting up something new

Involvement of media

Working together as CSOs and Governments

Engaging parents and children and exploring children‟s participation in NACG

Funding for NACG could come from others than SAIEVAC

Commitment of all partners

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Interactive Presentation of the Way Forward for NACGs (gallery walk)

The interactive presentation that

followed the country group discussions

raised the importance of linking up with

the SAIEVAC work plan also when

developing NACG action plans.

Coordination was discussed whereby

the importance of coordination within

NACG as with government and other

stakeholders outside NACG was felt.

On the issue of capacity building, it was

agreed that it should entail advocacy,

child protection issues, including

violence against children, how to

effectively run a secretariat of the

NACG and better understanding of the

roles and responsibilities of the NACG. Capacity building/strengthening should be both for NACG

members as well as by NACG members for others. With regard to sustainability of training, the need to

plan actions at the end of the training to follow up after the training was mentioned as an emerging good

practice and linking up with government training institutions to influence their curriculum was also

raised. The Director General informed the participants that SAIEVAC will be conducting a Human

Resource development workshop in 2013 and is exploring the establishment of a SAIEVAC academy.

The discussion ended with the question of communication between NACGs in different countries. The

following suggestions were made:

Include information on NACGs on the SAIEVAC website. SAIEVAC websites currently

being revamped; NACG will have a page on the SAIEVAC website

Establish a list serve

Share emails of all participants

Establish a Community of Practices – this of course requires adequate attention and support

as it will not run on its own

The Director General of SAIEVAC also spelled out SAIEVAC‟s way forward:

SAIEVAC will finalize and share the report of the meeting

SAIEVAC will send a letter to NACG chairs with a copy to SAIEVAC national Coordinators

with the agreements in principle on the selection procedures of CSO Board members

SAIEVAC and SACG will continue to provide technical backstopping for NACGs (and their

establishment, where they have not been set up yet)

NACGs, if not already done so, should identify their chair and co-chair and formally

communicate this to the SAIEVAC National Coordinator and the SAIEVAC Regional

Secretariat

There are several SAIEVAC events coming up for which it requires support from NACGs

and Governments:

- Meeting on child participation, Dhaka, 3-4 December

- Meeting on the girl child, Kathmandu, 17-18 December

- Advocacy and communication workshop, 16-21 January 2013

- HR development workshop, date and venue TBC

Development of National Action/Work Plans based on the SAIEVAC Workplan (the strategy

meetings planned in each country following transfer of SDF funds will provide a useful

opportunity to do that)

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Summary and closing - Dr.RinchenChophel

The Director General of SAIEVAC thanked all

participants for contributing to the support

mechanism for the children of SAARC. He

commended the participants for coming up with

a concrete outcome of the meeting. He informed

the meeting that commitment and steps have

been agreed upon and will be followed up

meticulously. This has been an opportunity to

acknowledge the collective and individual level

of commitment for child protection in South

Asia.

For power point presentations (country presentations) click:

NACG Bhutan 26-28 Nov 2012

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Annex 1

Welcome remarks by SACG Chair: Importance of partnership, cooperation and synergies1

between regional and national efforts to end violence against children in South Asia

Ron Pouwels, SACG Chair

26 November, 1045 – 1100

Welcome everyone to this crucial meeting of almost all partners of this unique movement to end

violence against children in South Asia. Apart from children, all other partners – Government,

CSOs, INGOs and UN agencies – are present. As has been recognised from the start of

SAIEVAC, partnerships are critical to deliver results for children and to realize their rights.

Child rights/protection is all about multi-agency, multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary

cooperation.

It is obvious that the very nature of SAIEVAC, SACG and NACG is all about partnership, about

working together, cooperate and build synergies both at national level but also at regional level

and between the regional and national level. The composition of these entities exemplifies that:

- SAIEVAC consists of governments, children, national civil society organizations as well as

international agencies through SACG;

- SACG are consisting of INGOs, UN agencies as well as other actors engaged in child rights

and child protection at a regional level; and

- NACGs consist of CSOs, including children‟s and young people‟s groups, (I)NGOs, UN

agencies and other multi-lateral and bi-lateral agencies.

Partnerships are also reflected in the mission statements of SACG and NACGs which start with

„to work together with …‟ [SAIEVAC, SACG/NACG, children and other stakeholders] and in

the objectives, strategies and suggested activities.

Why is working together so important. Let me name a few reasons:

- The magnitude of the violence against children in the region cannot be addressed by any

entity alone and requires a concerted effort by all relevant actors. Different actors bring their

complementary mandates, skills, resources and perspectives which lead to improved

outcomes and enhanced ownership of the parties involved. This was also recognised by the

1st SAIEVAC GB meeting which stated that „the ultimate success in ending violence against

children will be SAIEVAC‟s ability to cultivate a larger involvement of civil society

organizations in the SAIEVAC movement‟.

It critical that that concerted effort is adequately coordinated to avoid duplication and waste

of our already limited resources. Coordination is a government responsibility which should

also allow for quality assurance, oversight, standard setting etc.

- It can lead to stronger advocacy for children‟s rights and child protection and mobilises

actors to catalyse policy change. Speaking with one voice to address violence against

children will help to raise awareness of the issue with a much stronger impact

- Partnerships often contribute to the introduction of innovative approaches to programming

1the extra energy, power, success, etc. that is achieved by two or more people or companies working together, instead of on their own

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- Partnerships contribute to better knowledge sharing and expertise and to creating a stronger

knowledge base

- Partnerships can leverage resources. Donors and developing countries have committed

themselves to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action to

enhance the effectiveness of their cooperation. More and more donors are also requesting us

to work together. Therefore partnerships also play an important role in attracting financial

and other resources for children

When we talk about partnerships we also need to take into account some principles:

- Equality. To treat each other as equal partners and treat each other with respect

- Inclusiveness. To ensure that all relevant stakeholders are included (or at least invited to

be part of this work)

- Transparency and mutual consultation, which also requires regular and timely

communication and consultation

- Complementarily rather than duplication

- Keeping in mind a common vision and best interests of the child

- Give credit where credit is due and be more interested in advancing the field than your

own specific agenda points

- Be clear about the different roles and responsibilities. All partners come with their

different backgrounds and expertise, but we can all contribute in our own ways – as long

as we contribute and are committed to the common goal

These 2 days will be important in our continued work to strengthen the partnership and the

movement to end violence against children in the region. It will strengthen one more building

block of the work we are all doing: that of the role of NACGs at national level which will

contribute both to results at national as well as regional level. I trust that we will all have more

clarity at the end of this meeting so that we can to advance our vision and mission – together.