Colombia – Children’s rights

By Daniel Morris | 14. April 2021

IV. POLICY DEFINITION

  • Focus on children and adolescents: According to the document Technical Guidelines of the Model for the Care of Children and Adolescents [Lineamiento Técnico del Modelo para la Atención de los Niños, las Niñas y Adolescentes]: “The rights of children and adolescents are human rights and specifically include the right to special care and assistance. The recognition of children and adolescents as subjects of rights implies that society should modify its representations of them, that it should transform its social relations and practices and build conditions so that all contexts of socialisation of children and adolescents become protective, guaranteeing and safe environments that favour the effective enjoyment of their rights”.

VIII. FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS

i. Fundamental Pillar 1: The State’s obligation to protect human rights

Strand 2 [Eje nº 2]: Encourage the creation of regulations and strategies that promote respect for human rights in the development of business activities

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  • The Ministry of Labour will formulate departmental plans for the eradication of child labour and the protection of adolescent workers within the framework of the CIETI [Comité Interinstitucional para la Erradicación del Trabajo Infantil] .

ii. Fundamental Pillar 2: The duty of business to respect human rights

Strand 1 [Eje nº 1]: Provide companies with the tools to fulfil their responsibility to respect human rights

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  • The ICBF [Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar] will promote plans, programmes, strategies and projects coordinated with the State, to eradicate child labour in economic sectors identified as critical, in which children and adolescents participate in the production value chain.

Strand 3 [Eje nº 3]: Train public and private companies on the need to mitigate the consequences of possible human rights impacts due to their operations, products or services provided, with an emphasis on those located in the region

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  • The ICBF [Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar]  will provide technical assistance, advice, training and accompaniment to public-private agents in the integral respect of children’s rights, as well as in the implementation of the principles and actions set out in the Rights of the Child, as well as in the adoption and implementation of the Business and Childhood Strategy [Estrategia de Empresa y Niñez] within the framework of business activities in Colombia.