UNICEF Strengthened protection of girls and boys' human rights in Guatemala - UNICEF support to construction of new protection system UNICEF Stärkt skydd av utsatta flickor och pojkars rättigheter i Guatemala Reprogrammed funds to mitigate the impact of COVID-19
The purpose of the initiative is to reduce the number of children and adolescents exposed to violence, abuse or neglect through prevention, and to improve the ability of state institutions to protect and support children.

Unicef ??will implement the program in collaboration with civil society organizations that have solid experience in working with child rights issues, complementing UNICEF with important thematic expertise and geographical scope (Refugio de la Niñez, Fundación Sobrevivientes, Misioneros San Carlos de Scalabrinianis and Instituto de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible).The program will focus primarily on children from marginalized and vulnerable groups in rural areas in 13 of the 22 provinces (Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, Escuintla, Izabal, Jalapa, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, San Marcos, Solola, Totonicapan and Guatemala).
 
As a result, more than half of the country's 340 municipalities are expected to have effective on-site protection systems, where public and private actors work together to prevent violence against children, and detect and support vulnerable children. In addition, in 20 municipalities, the program will carry out a special effort to develop systems and capacity for the protection of vulnerable children in 200 local communities, in cooperation with local business, local leaders and civil society. In order to achieve these results, UNICEF and their partners will work directly with children and their guardians, and with state institutions.

In the direct work with children and their guardians, the program will promote good parenting, respect for children's rights, and children's participation in decisions concerning their lives. The program will take into account, in particular, children with disabilities, children of discriminated populations, children who grow up in prisons (children of detained mothers), migrant children, and HBTQIA+ adolescents.

Efforts to strengthen the institutional framework will be carried out in cooperation with Ministry of Education, Health, Social Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Human Rights Ombudsman, National Adoption Council, Secretariat for Social Welfare, the Congress, National Police, the Prosecutor's Office and the Judicial Branch. The program will provide technical support, develop procedures and methodologies, offer training and advisory services, as well as support law reforms, institutional capacity building and coordination between responsbile authorities.

The program's total estimated budget amounts to approximately SEK 90 million, of which UNICEF will contribute 10 million. Sida will support the program by SEK 80 million. This funding accounts for nearly 80 percent of UNICEF's total program for the protection of vulnerable children in Guatemala.

In its dialogue with UNICEF and in the follow-up in the program, Sida will pay particular attention to UNICEF's ability to adapt its activities to local cultural conditions (including maya language) and to integrate gender equality. Sida will also carefully monitor whether the program contributes to strengthening civil society organizations which, together with UNICEF, implement the program and how well UNICEF's cooperation forms are for this purpose. Omprogrammerade medel för att lindra konsekvenserna av covid-19
Syftet med insatsen är att genom förebyggande arbete minska antalet barn och ungdomar som utsätts för våld, övergrepp eller försummelse, och att förbättra statliga institutioners förmåga att skydda och stödja barn som far illa.

UNICEF kommer att genomföra programmet i samarbete med organisationer från det civila samhället som har gedigen erfarenhet av att arbeta med barnrättsfrågor och förändringsarbete, och som kompletterar FN-organets egna internationella expertis med lokal kunskap och geografisk räckvidd (Refugio de la Niñez, Fundación Sobrevivientes, Misioneros San Carlos de Scalabrinianis, och Instituto de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible).

Programmet kommer framförallt att inriktas på barn från marginaliserade och utsatta grupper i landsbygdsområden i 13 av landets 22 provinser (Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, Escuintla, Izabal, Jalapa, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, San Marcos, Solola, Totonicapan och Guatemala). Som ett resultat av insatsen förväntas drygt hälften av landets 340 kommuner att ha fungerande skyddssystem på plats, där offentliga och privata aktörer samverkar för att förebygga våld och för att tidigt fånga upp och stödja utsatta barn. I 20 av kommunerna kommer programmet dessutom att genomföra en särskild satsning för att utveckla system och kapacitet för skydd av utsatta barn i 200 lokalsamhällen, i samarbete med det lokala näringslivet, lokala ledare och civilsamhället. För att åstadkomma dessa resultat kommer UNICEF och deras partners att arbeta både direkt med barn och deras vårdnadshavare, och med statliga institutioner.

I det direkta arbetet med barn och vårdnadshavare kommer programmet att främja gott föräldraskap, respekt för barns rättigheter och barns deltagande i beslut som rör deras liv. Programmet kommer särskilt att ta i beaktande barn med funktionsvariation, barn till diskriminerade befolkningsgrupper, barn som växer upp i fängelse (barn till fängslade mödrar), barn i migration, och HBTQIA+ ungdomar.

Arbetet med att stärka det institutionella ramverket kommer framförallt att genomföras i samarbete med Utbildnings-, Hälso-, Social- och Utrikesministerierna, Ombudspersonen för Mänskliga Rättigheter, Nationella Adoptionsrådet, Sekretariatet för Social Välfärd, Kongressen, Polismyndigheten, Åklagarmyndigheten och Domstolsväsendet. Programmet kommer att erbjuda tekniskt stöd, metodutveckling, utbildning och rådgivning samt viss infrastruktur för att förbättra lagar, institutionell kapacitet och samordning mellan myndigheter.

Programmets totala beräknade budget uppgår till ungefär 90 miljoner kronor, varav UNICEF kommer bidra med 10 miljoner. Sida kommer att stödja programmet med 80 miljoner kronor. Denna finansiering utgör närmare 80 procent av UNICEF:s totala programlinje för skydd av utsatta barn i Guatemala.

Sida kommer i sin dialog med UNICEF och i uppföljningen i programmet att lägga särskild vikt vid UNICEF:s förmåga att anpassa verksamheten till lokala kulturella förhållanden (inklusive mayaspråk) och att integrera jämställdhetsperspektivet. Sida kommer också att noga följa upp huruvida programmet bidrar till att stärka de civilsamhällsorganisationer som tillsammans med UNICEF genomför programmet och hur väl anpassade UNICEF:s samarbetsformer är för detta syfte. The proposed development intervention aims that by end of 2022, girls, boys and adolescents, particularly indigenous children and youth, have reduced their risk of suffering violence, enjoy protective environments and a system that protects their rights.
The goal will be achieved through four specific objectives: 1) girls, boys, families and civil society in prioritized communities increase their capacities to prevent violence against children through change of social norms and practises; 2) girls, boys and adolescents of 50% of the municipalities in Guatemala have access to Municipal Child and Adolescent Protection Systems; 3) in four provinces, girls, boys and adolescent victims of violence have access to special protection services, specific for children, which apply international standards aimed to establish the superior interest of the child; and 4) in four provinces, girls, boys and adolescents have access to a system of specialized justice for the special protection of children and adolescents.
By the end of the intervention, 20 prioritized municipalities will have Community Protection Committees; in 200 communities, parents and tutors of children will have learnt good parenting skills based on respect of child rights; girls and adolescent girls in 20 prioritized municipalities practise self-protection against abuse and exploitation while actively participating in spaces where decisions about the exercise of their rights are made; 50% of all municipal governments have installed capacity to implement Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Protection Systems according to international child protection standards to prevent violence against children; a model to promote special protection of children in vulnerable urban areas is validated; the Secretariat for Social Well-Being, which is the governing body for child special protection, provides services according to international standards; state ministries accountable for social protection have  validated a guide to apply international standards in the provision of special protection services for children; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and governing bodies for special protection and migration have tools to provide care and protection to migrant children according to international standards; the National Adoption Council has management mechanisms that favor family preservation; state of Guatemala has capacity to develop a National De-institutionalization Strategy; the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman enhances its capacity in ten provinces to observe compliance with international standards on special protection in public and private contexts; Congress of Guatemala has adapted relevant legislation to international standards; the National Police has capacity to carry out specialized criminal investigation for child victims of violence and adolescents in conflict with the law; the Office of the Public Prosecutor has developed specialized crime investigation and prosecution models in four provinces that favor protection of child victims; the Judicial Branch applies and monitors compliance of judicial decisions with international standards at child, family and criminal courts.