Human rights of migrant children and the children of migrants

Includes bibliography

Organized crime as a serious form of violation of human rights: the Protocol to Prevent, Supress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children

Includes bibliography

Rights of children and adolescents with disabilities

Rights of children and adolescents with disabilities Until not long ago, children with disabilities were made fun of, hidden away and, all too often, the victims of violence. Fortunately, this state of affairs has improved thanks to changes in the way disability is viewed and to the ratification, by 23 countries in the region, of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Rights of urban children

Urban children in Latin AmericaThis issue of Challenges addresses a topic deserving of special attention: the high proportion of children and adolescents in the region's urban areas who live in precarious conditions. Their disparate living conditions are examined with a look at the moderate deprivation (housing deficiencies, monetary poverty or low level of education) and severe deprivation (a combination of two or more of the aforementioned deficits) affecting urban dwellers. It is estimated that about 29.0% of children and adolescents in these areas live in conditions of severe deprivation and 27.6% experience moderate deprivation for an average of eight countries.In severely deprived rural and urban areas a higher proportion of children are not immunized against measles, and a greater percentage of adolescents are neither studying nor economically active, and are already parents.These disparities call for differentiated policies with a strong local focus and the potential to improve living conditions, lower the risk of infant morbidity and mortality, and reduce rates of adolescent pregnancy and school dropout. Significant initiatives and policies designed to produce healthy and inclusive environments have already been put in place in some of the most vulnerable areaswith a view to improving the quality of life among these groups.In addition to the featured article, the issue includes information on relevant meetings and conferences held in the region over the year, children's and adolescents' testimonies, and expert opinion.

The Rights of Indigenous Children

While children in general are overrepresented among those living in poverty, a long history of discrimination and exclusion has ensured that indigenous children in Latin America and the Caribbean are in an even worse position. In the general population 63% of children aged under 18 years live in poverty, as measured by privation of the basic rights to well-being; however, that figure is as high as 88% among indigenous children in the same age group. This is a violation of these children's rights —including their rights to survival and development— and entails high costs for society in terms of productive capacity and social inclusion. That is the thrust of the argument in the central article of this issue of Challenges, which focuses on poverty among indigenous children. The data show a pattern of inequality that is highly detrimental to indigenous children: they make up a disproportionate number of those living in extreme poverty and are three times more likely to lack access to education, safe drinking water and housing than other children. It is a matter of particular concern that in the countries of the Andean Community 5 of every 10 indigenous children under the age of 5 years suffer from chronic malnutrition.This edition includes brief testimonies by indigenous children as to what their life is like; an interview with Marta Maurás, Vice-Chairperson of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, on the international mechanisms in place to safeguard the rights of indigenous children; and, lastly, an article on the Uantakua programme in Mexico, which uses information and communication technologies in bilingual schools with large indigenous populations.

Building equity from the beginning: the children and adolescents of Ibero-America

Includes bibliography

Trafficking in persons, especially women and children in the countries of the Americas. A regional report on the scope of the problem and the governmental and non-governmental response

Includes bibliography

Trafficking in children

Includes bibliography

Human rights and the child

Includes bibliography

Children and HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean

In Latin America, around 36,000 children under 15 have HIV, and in the Caribbean estimates are of 11,000 children living with the virus. Although some progress has been made in the region in the care and treatment of adults that is not the case with children. This issue number 7 of Challenges is devoted to the latest information on the vertical transmission (mother-to-child) of HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean, and how children are accessing life-saving treatment in the region.

The right of children and adolescents to a healthy environment. A diagnosis from Latin America and the Caribbean

Healthy environment: unresolved debts that affect childhood and adolescenceIn this new edition, we point out the right of children and adolescents to live in a healthy environment with emphasis on adequate access to drinking water and sanitation, including diagnosis as well as policy perspective. It is our contribution to the challenges set out by the Millennium Development Goals and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Children and international migration in Latin America and the Caribbean

Child migration in the region has many contradictory aspects, as reported in the feature article of this bulletin. On the positive side, there are better educational opportunities in countries of destination and, in countries of origin, greater well-being thanks to remittances; greater protection gained by migrating away from situations of violence and social risk; and new horizons for broadening life experiences. On the negative side, there are precariousness and heightened family environment risks when the parents migrate and the children are left behind in the care of others; exposure to abuse and violation of rights during migratory processes; and possibly lower citizen status in receiving countries.

Children’s rights in the digital age

The digital divide exacerbates inequalities in access to information and knowledge, making it more difficult to socialize with peers and limiting awareness of and the ability to use basic tools for life in society. Reducing this gap sets in motion virtuous synergies of social and cultural inclusion for children and adolescents, facilitating skills development and generating lifelong opportunities. Although the younger generations are connected digital natives, inequalities persist among socioeconomic groups, though these have been tempered by connectivity programmes in public schools in the region. The main article of this edition of Challenges uses current information to examine the progress made and the gaps that remain in this area. Providing children and adolescents with access is merely a first step. They then need to be protected from the risks associated with information and communications technologies (ICTs), which must be harnessed for purposes of meaningful learning, promoting uses that are more in line with the educational curriculum. Lastly, the article posits that connectivity policies must be linked to the fulfilment of children’s rights in the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As is customary, this issue also contains information on meetings and conferences held in the region during the year and recent publications in this field. Mention is also made of good practices from Peru in reducing gender gaps and a joint initiative between mobile operators and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to protect children in the digital age. Viewpoints includes expert opinion on the potential of ICTs as tools that can facilitate the exercise of the rights of children and adolescents, but also lead to violations of these rights.