Policy for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children Approved by the Institute's Board of Directors

An important document which stems from the commitment of the Istituto degli Innocenti to guarantee the right of all children to live in safety, without fear of abuse, exploitation and any other form of violence.

The Policy for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Children, approved by resolution of the Institute's Board of Directors, has a central objective for the institution's activities: disseminating, in the individual and professional practices of its staff, standards of conduct suitable for implementing the principles established by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, paying particular attention to issues concerning the prevention of all forms of social exclusion and the risk of violence and abuse against children and young people.

In essence, the document aims at creating a safe environment for the under-18s, preventing harmful situations from occurring for children and adolescents during their involvement in the different areas of activities, projects or programmes carried out by the Institute on its own or in collaboration with other organisations and institutions.

With the new Child Policy, the Institute undertakes to ensure: a) vigilance in identifying even potentially risky situations for the youngest children, and their prompt reporting to the people in charge by writing to childpolicy@istitutodeglinnocenti.it; b) reporting any suspicious or actual potential abuse or mistreatment of a child, as established by the document; c) developing and disseminating a culture of openness that allows staff, volunteers, children and carers to easily raise and discuss all kinds of issues and concerns; d) enhancing and developing children's skills and abilities, helping them to understand their rights, acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and what to do if a problem arises; and e) developing children's participation in all actions aimed at supporting the development of self-protection skills.

Training activities for staff and volunteers and risk assessment and mitigation actions are some of the measures and procedures included in the document.

The Child Policy is divided into five parts: the first two describe the aims and general principles and the mission of the Institute respectively; the third, entitled Preventing Every Form of Violence, Maltreatment and Abuse, focuses on principles, people, responsibilities, measures and procedures; the fourth focuses on the commitments to implement the policy in the Institute's different areas of intervention (management of reception services, research activities involving children, cultural activities and communication); and the fifth is dedicated to monitoring and reporting. The text is completed by two annexes with the definitions and the reporting form respectively.

The document is available in Italian and English in the European and International Projects section of this website.