75^th MEETING OF THE DIRECTING COUNCIL OF THE
INTER-AMERICAN CHILDREN'S INSTITUTE

June, 7-9,  2000
Ottawa, Canada

VIRTUAL FORUM

Considering that:

1.      In its mission statement, the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IACI) presents itself as a space
          for inter-American dialogue on children’s issues;

2.      In order for this dialogue to be possible, it is essential that the Delegates of the Member States,
         congregated around the Institute, maintain permanent, effective communication;

3.      In the Plan of Action 2000-2004, the Director General proposes the strengthening of the
         Inter-American Information Network and considers the development of mechanisms that
         expedite and enhance the work of the Directing Council and its Executive Committee through
         the use of the Internet as a basic work tool;

4.      The Inter-American Children’s Institute has a Web page with updated information on children’s
         issues and the Institute's own different programmatic areas, as well as the technical infrastructure
         necessary to promote fluid exchange between Delegates;

5.      The Director General has advanced this exchange with the creation of the Executive Letter,
         which has become an instrument with which the Delegates may be kept up-to-date on the work
         being done in favor of children in the Region;

The Directing Council resolves:

1.      To propose that the Director General of the Inter-American Children's Institute create a Virtual
         Forum which would not only act as a space for communication between the members of the
         Directing Council and the Executive Committee, but which would also become a suitable
         instrument for monitoring and evaluating the Strategic Plan 2000-2004.

2.      That this Virtual Forum should also act as an environment for discussion of the issues affecting
         the children of the Americas and a medium for the promotion of child policies, transcending the
         borders of the hemisphere.

3.      That putting this Virtual Forum into operation will involve at least two stages:

      -         In the first stage, the Forum would be limited to the Members of the Directing Council and the
                Executive Committee.

      -         In the second stage, this Forum would be opened up to the various State and Civil Society
                organizations, once it had the right resources and infrastructure for its implementation.