Welcome to this online course on Child Rights Mainstreaming in Programme and Project Cycle Management!

The objective of this course is to introduce the learners to the information, tools and skills available to effectively promote child rights mainstreaming in Programme and Project Cycle Management.

Why is there a need to focus on children and their rights in development cooperation?

• If we want to reduce poverty, we need to focus on children. Children make up 50% of the population in poor countries, and 70% of the population in countries most affected by HIV/AIDS and conflict.
  


• Poverty has a long-term impact on children and it can seriously compromise their future as healthy, peaceful and productive adults. At the same time, children offer the potential to break intergenerational cycles of poverty and to transform social attitudes and behaviours with regard to equality, peace, democracy and the environment.
  


• The Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved if the rights of girls and boys - to survival and development, education, health, economic prosperity, equality and participation – remain unfulfilled.
  


• Aid cannot be effective if the rights of 50% of the population in poor countries are not being realised. It is no longer enough to assume that assistance aimed at adults will automatically benefit girls and boys, or that all adults consider the best interests of children under their care.