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GENERAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
INTER-AMERICAN CHILDREN’S INSTITUTE AND
DEFENCE FOR CHILDREN – INTERNATIONAL  

The Inter-American Children’s Institute (hereinafter “the IIN”) legally domiciled in Avda. 8 de Octubre 2904, Montevideo, Uruguay and represented by its Director General, Piero Solari Zerpa and Defence for Children – International (hereinafter “DCI”) based in Costa Rica and represented by its Vice President for the Americas, Virginia Murillo Herrera, hereby sign this General Cooperation Agreement as per the following terms and conditions:  

CONSIDERING: 

That the IIN is a Specialized Organization of the Organization of American States (hereinafter the “OAS”) that was created through a resolution adopted by the Fourth Pan American Child Congress and formally established in 1927 for the purpose of promoting cooperation programs among the countries in the Americas aimed to improving, among other aspects, the situation of children and the family on development issues and social, cultural, and legal areas; 

That the IIN has assigned priority to the search for effective solutions to problems affecting children as well as to watching over the compliance with and enforcement of international instruments of Private International Law in both the inter-American and universal systems with the cooperation of the OAS member states and the society at large;

That since its inception the IIN has permanently provided training, technical and juridical cooperation, information and awareness on child-related issues in the Hemisphere, while developing joint activities with other organizations within the inter-American system, at worldwide level, and with public and private institutions;

That DCI in an international non-governmental organization recognized as an international movement that advocates children’s rights, based in Geneva, Switzerland and governed by an International Executive Council and Regional Vice Presidents; that it holds an advisory status to United Nations ECOSOC, the European Council, and UNICEF, and that it develops programs at the local, regional and international level in the area of children’s human rights focused on a right, gender, development and generation-based approach.

That both organizations recognize the importance of ensuring children’s integral protection against all forms of abuse, including injuries, violence, negligence, sexual abuse, commercial exploitation, trade and trafficking, and hard labor;  

That both organizations recognize as well the need for creating and consolidating national and regional information systems providing data on children’s situation in order to facilitate decision-making, policy definition and assessment and public information; 

That both the IIN and DCI have the capacity to sign agreements for the implementation of technical cooperation projects subject to the rules, resolutions, executive orders, regulations and operational procedures set forth in their Statutes and approved by their Directing Councils, 

THE PARTIES AGREE:

 ARTICLE I
OBJETIVES 

This Agreement sets the general grounds for the fulfillment of the following objectives:  

1. To carry out mutual cooperation and exchange actions concerning the development of policies, programs, projects and activities aimed to promoting, watching over, protecting, and advocating the rights of children and the family.

2. To establish the legal basis for the implementation of specific projects and actions, either arising from their common concerns or at the request of one Party.

3. In either case such actions will be specific and determined.

ARTICLE II
IMPLEMENTATION 

In order to comply with the objectives of this Agreement the Parties hereby engage to act along the following lines:   

1. The implementation of specific projects will be regulated through operational agreements identifying technical, financial, human resource, and other form of contributions by the Parties and/or other possible partners, the justification of such specific projects, and all elements ensuring the adequate application of terms agreed upon.

2. As far as necessary the Parties will establish working groups in order to review the nature, depth, and scope of programs and activities to be implemented within the framework of this Agreement and adequate projects.

ARTICLE III
FINAL PROVISIONS 

This Agreement will enter into force once signed by both PARTIES and will have an indefinite duration. Nevertheless, any Party may terminate the Agreement through a written and well-founded notice to the other Party. Termination will enter into force six months after receiving such notice and will not affect the development and completion of projects underway. 

The PARTIES may, by mutual consent, amend the provisions in this Agreement, as far as it is stated in writing. 

IN WITNESS THEREOF the duly authorized representatives of both PARTIES sign this Agreement in two equally valid copies in the city of San José on the twenty-sixth day of April, 2006.

On behalf of DCI                                         On behalf of the IIN                             

Virginia Murillo Herrera                                Piero Solari Zerpa 

The Director General of the IIN signs this Agreement ad referendum of the Directing Council of the IIN. 
The Vice President of DCI for the Americas signs this Agreement ad referendum of the International Executive Council of DCI.