GENERAL AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY
 AND
THE INTER-AMERICAN CHILDREN’S INSTITUTE


Español

The Government of the Republic of Paraguay and the Inter-American Children’s Institute (hereinafter called IIN), considering the friendly nature of the relations between both, hoping to consolidate and intensify these friendly relations by means of cooperation, and acknowledging the fact that the interest in keeping these relations is the base of this Agreement.

CONSIDER: 

  1. That the IIN is a Specialized  Organization forming part of the Organization of American States, created by resolution passed by the Fourth Child Pan-American Congress in 1924 and founded in 1927 in order to promote cooperation programs between countries in America, which are aimed at improving the condition of children, young people and family concerning sanitary, educational, social, cultural and legal aspects.

  2. That for the IIN it is a priority to search for effective solutions for the problems affecting children, and therefore to safeguard the fulfillment and validity of the Convention on Children’s Rights.

  3. That the IIN has, since its foundation, permanently carried out tasks concerning technical cooperation, information, diffusion and training on different subjects related to childhood in this hemisphere, as well as joint activities with other public and private institutions of the Inter-American system.

  4. That the IIN has actively participated in the most important regional political forums concerning infancy, adolescence, family and social policies.

  5. That the IIN has started the implementation of its Strategic Plan for the years 2000-2004, approved by the 75th Session of its Directing Council, assembled in Ottawa (Canada) in June 2000, which plans to strengthen cooperation between similar organizations acting in the region, as well as to increase the exchange of knowledge, information and experience, and to develop and promote mechanisms to facilitate feedback.

  6. That as part of the process leading to the creation of the Code on Childhood and Adolescence, there was created the National Secretariat on Childhood and Adolescence (SNA) by Law 1680/01

  7. That according to Law 1680, from the year 2001 (Code on Childhood and Adolescence of the Republic of Paraguay), the SNA has among its duties that of fulfilling the policies established by the National System for the Integral Protection and Promotion of Childhood and Adolescence; carrying out plans and programs for the protection and promotion of the rights of children and adolescents in the country; forming the National Council on Childhood and Adolescence and fostering the setting-up and functioning of the Departmental and Municipal Councils on Childhood and Adolescence across the territory of the Republic, facilitating the connection and coordination between the different Councils that form part of the system. It is also in charge of negotiating with national, international and foreign institutions for their technical and financial assistance, as well as authorizing, registering and overseeing sheltering institutions, and registering non-governmental organizations aimed at the protection of childhood and adolescence. SNA is a  body created to coordinate,  manage, foster, negotiate, oversee and organize useful information for the   Children's System.

On the basis of these formulations the mission of the SNA is to promote the generation and implementation of policies aimed at the complete protection of childhood and adolescence, fostering and coordinating the participation of the organizations forming part of that system. SNA is at the same time the Central Authority of the State of Paraguay concerning the International Return of Minors for the enforcement of the Inter-American Convention on International Return of Minors, signed in Montevideo on the 15th of July of the year 1989, and The Agreement on Civil Aspects of the International Theft of Minors, signed in The Hague on the 25th of October of 1980, both being international instruments ratified by this country.

  1. That both organizations acknowledge the importance of guaranteeing the complete protection of children and adolescents, as well as the importance of promoting and defending their rights. 

  1. That both organizations acknowledge the need for establishing and consolidating national and regional systems of information which provide data on the situation of childhood and adolescence, with the purpose of facilitating decision-making, as well as evaluating policies and informing society.  

  1. That both organizations acknowledge the need for carrying out permanent-training strategies which enable Child care workers, at their different levels, to use all instruments and knowledge to promote the inclusion of the Convention’s postulates in the whole decision-making process concerning childhood and adolescence.

       By virtue of the foregoing the PARTIES agree to the following: 

SECTION 1 – OBJECTIVES 

This Agreement provides the general basis for the fulfillment of the following objectives: 

  1. Ensuring the exchange and cooperation between the IIN and the SNA in terms of carrying out actions and policies aimed at childhood, adolescence and family in the Republic of Paraguay.

  2. Providing a legal base for future agreements between these two institutions in order to carry out specific projects and actions, which will be the result of shared interests and of the request for cooperation by one of the parties. 

SECTION 2 – FORM OF EXECUTION 

In order to attain the objectives stated in this agreement the parties commit themselves to the following: 

  1. That the execution of specific projects carried out through operative agreements in which technical and financial contributions, as well as those of human resources or of resources of any other kind, the justification for specific projects, and all any other elements that ensure that everything that has been agreed will adequately function, are properly detailed.

  2. That the parties will create, if necessary, work teams in order to study the nature, depth and extension of the programs and activities that will be carried out as part of this agreement, or as part of other adequate projects. 

SECTION 3 – FORMS OF COOPERATION 

The area of responsibility in terms of exchange and cooperation, will be determined through the IIN, and the SNA. It will work within the IIN’s Strategic Plan. The IIN and the SNA will have the possibility of establishing other areas of cooperation by common consent. 

SECTION 4- FINAL PROVISIONS 

This agreement will come into force after having been signed by the parties and its duration will be four years, including the possibility of being extended for the same period of time, as well as the possibility of being modified at any time by any of the parties’ common consent. 

It can be rescinded in writing 90 days beforehand, but this measure will not interrupt the fulfillment of the agreements that are being executed, which are regulated by their specific clauses. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the representatives of both PARTIES, having been duly authorized, have signed two copies of this agreement of the same content and validity on the 15th day of January of the year 2003. 

 

  The Government of the Republic of                  The Inter-American Children’s Institute
  Paraguay     

                                                    

   By                                                                       By       

         José Antonio Moreno  Ruffinelli                            Alejandro Bonasso                                                    

              

              The General Director of the IIN has signed `ad referendum’ of the IIN’s Directing Council