The Commonwealth Children Interest Group (ComCIG), launched in February 2022, aims to prioritise child safeguarding in the Commonwealth. Post pandemic, it is more relevant than ever to utilise the Commonwealth network of accredited organisations to work for the better protection of children.
Recognising that access to education and the role of the education sector are vital in ensuring child welfare and protection, the Commonwealth Consortium for Education is one of the supporting members. Consortium-members CEC (Council for Education in the Commonwealth), CASTME (Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering), and the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN) are also members.
ComCIG is one of the thematic cluster groups for accredited organisations and is linked to the Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations (IFCO).
Rationale
At the time of ComCIG’s formation there was no unifying policy statement or declaration to consider the rights, protection, care, and needs of children even though a substantial proportion of the Commonwealth population is aged under-18. Nor was there a focal point for child matters within the Commonwealth Secretariat, except around education.
The intention of ComCIG is to bring forward children’s rights and protections more overtly onto the Commonwealth stage. All Commonwealth countries are signatories to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). A Commonwealth Children Interest Group that includes diverse interests from across the Commonwealth can enable better exploration of issues of rights and protections. It can also generate proposed solutions, drawn from the work of Commonwealth organisations.
Aims and Objectives
ComCIG aims to use the Commonwealth’s networks of friendship, professional dialogue, and the tradition of co-operation and common action to drive forward the prioritisation of children.
It will focus on research-driven policy advice on specific subjects to improve the protection, welfare and lives of children. Utilising the Commonwealth’s political platforms such as CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) and Ministerial meetings it will advocate for policy change.
The group expects to build on the expertise of Commonwealth accredited organisations. This will include using research and mapping work that already exists. This includes policy areas such as modern slavery, early child and forced marriage, child labour, child sexual exploitation and abuse, and child road and water safety.
The group will also act as a forum for partnership between organisations within the informal and formal Commonwealth and with external partners.
CHOGM and the Committee of the Whole
A final communique statement is issued at the end of each Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Commonwealth accredited organisations involved with ComCIG worked together to influence the final statement for the Kigali CHOGM, held in June 2022.
They used the access they had to the formal process of creating the zero-draft text. The collective statement submitted by accredited organisations to the Committee of the Whole included chapters on Education, Youth and Human Rights & Good Governance. These highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic not only on school closures and learning losses but also increased violence against children. This was the result of not having the protection afforded by school and the education system.
At the in-person Committee of the Whole meeting held in May 2022 the safety and protection of children and young people was highlighted as a high priority matter.
ComCIG at CHOGM 2022
As a first collaborative initiative the group convened a roundtable session on child safety and protection. This was held as a side event at the Commonwealth People’s Forum in Kigali at the invitation of the Commonwealth Foundation.
Kigali Declaration on Child Care and Protection Reform
ComCIG has welcomed the Kigali Declaration on Child Care and Protection Reform, issued by Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kigali. This is the first major Commonwealth statement on children and provides a framework for future collaborative work and advocacy.
In their declaration Heads state their ambition of “positioning the Commonwealth as a leading advocate on child care and protection reform”.
The Declaration is broad and covers many issues around the core theme of child care and protection reform. In terms of education this includes referencing the Nadi Declaration (20CCEM – Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers, Fiji 2018) and the importance of early child care and education, the impact of the global learning crisis and the widening education gap, and the ambition of providing 12 Years of Quality Education.
Activation of the Kigali Declaration – Roundtable discussion
The breadth of subject matter creates challenges in respect of how to move forward with implementation of the Declaration.
In February 2023, ComCIG held discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat on how to activate the Kigali Declaration. As a result of partnership between Social Policy Development/ComSec, ComCIG, Hope and Homes and CommonProtect/It’s a Penalty, a virtual roundtable activation meeting involving key stakeholders, including governments, was held in late February 2023. The Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland KC provided an address and a representative from UNICEF New York gave the keynote. The Consortium was represented by Peter Williams (Hon President). During the meeting participants had the opportunity to break into discussion groups to consider how to take forward some issue areas.
Following the roundtable discussion, the Consortium intends to explore holding a consultation with its education members. This will explore the implications of the Kigali Declaration from the perspective of education and how best to support its activation.
Members of ComCIG
ComCIG is open to any Commonwealth accredited organisation concerned for the well-being of children. The current conveners/steering group comprises representatives from the International Social Service Network/UK-CFAB (which acts as secretariat), the Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work (COSW), and the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN). The chair is Dr David Jones from COSW.
Other Commonwealth accredited organisations involved with the ComCIG initiative include: The Commonwealth Association for Health and Disability (COMHAD), Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering Educators (CASTME), Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation (CNMF), Commonwealth Consortium for Education (CCfE), Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance (CHPPA), Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), Commonwealth Trade Union Group (CTUG), Commonwealth Women’s Network (CWN), Council for Education in the Commonwealth (CEC), Rotary International, Royal Life Saving Society – Commonwealth (RLSS), Towards Zero Foundation (TZF), and The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN). The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is also supportive and will assist with links to parliamentarians as appropriate.
The Consortium is represented by Peter Williams and Helen Jones.
April 2023