UNICEF Strengthened protection of girls and boys' human rights in Guatemala

The situation of children and adolescents in Guatemala continues to be precarious: 68% of children live in poor households; the Human Capital Index for Guatemala is reported at 0.46 (1 being the maximum score), only second to last after Haiti in the region; public spending for children in Guatemala is 3.5% of GNP when 7.7% is required in order for Guatemalan state to provide adequate access to health, education, drinking water, social protection, and other essential services, including protection from violence and attention to victims or violence (including sexual violence), to families and children living in poverty. During the fifth year of the programme, UNICEF implemented an exit strategy focused primarily on municipal and community interventions, reaching 50% coverage of all municipalities in Guatemala. Specific actions to create and strengthen sustainability of achieved results were carried out, linked to the electoral period of 2023 and municipal candidates' strategy plans. UNICEF reports achieved results in each of the four intervention levels: community, municipal, departmental and national levels related to special protection services for child and adolescent victims of violence (including victims of sexual violence) and attention to children on the move, and results at departmental and national level related to strengthening of the judicial system for improved access to justice for child victims of violence. One of the most important actions of the program was the creation of protocol for establishing Community Protection Committees (CCP). A methodology was established and lessons learnt were used to improve the protocol along the way during implementation. One of the lessons learnt was not to create new, parallel systems but instead link the Community Protection Committees with already existing community groups (Organized Community Spaces-ECO) and local leaderships, including organized groups related to access to water, education, religious groups, access to health services, among others, and incorporating Communication for Social and Behavior Change approach to the work. 227 Community Protection Committees were accredited during 2019-2023 with Municipal Child Protection Offices; all accredited CCPs developed work plans with violence prevention actions based on Social and Behavioral Change methodology and tools. 9,182 parents and caretakers, participants of the CCPs, received training based on UNICEF methodology. It is worth mentioning that working intensively at community level in community organizing is time consuming and expensive, limiting UNICEF possibilities to cover all 173 municipalities where UNICEF supported creation of Municipal Child Protection Offices (OMPNA). Special effort was carried out to involve the media as strategic partners for promoting social and behavior change to prevent and reduce violence against children. Sensitizing was carried out with directors, coordinators and announcers of media outlets; from 56 media partners the programme grew to 198 media partners in 2023 in 11 departments, constituting important allies for child protection in the interior of the republic. The 198 media partners and allies include digital media (representing 52.8%), radio (26.7%), television (18.8%) and newspapers (1.7%). In the objective related to Municipal protection systems, the program supported creation and strengthening of the Municipal Child and Adolescent Protection Offices (OMPNA) in 173 municipalities located in 14 departments. Six municipalities have elevated their offices to Municipal Directions, thereby securing funds for their operations as per Municipal Code which dictates that all municipal directions must be included in the annual municipal budget (not the case with Municipal Offices). All 173 have a coordinator or officer in charge, trained by UNICEF and its implementing partners to have adequate technical capacity to carry out situation analysis of different forms of violence present in the municipality, map relevant actors, register prevention activities, detect, register and refer detected cases of violence against children, promote coordination with other municipal offices and state institutions present in the municipality, among other actions. 3,790 cases of violence were detected in the 173 municipalities, the majority of them sexual, physical and psychological violence, neglect and under-registration of births. Through UNICEF advocacy, which sought to guarantee OMPNAs' funding and functioning during 2023, Q10,983,132 (estimated USD 1,500,000) of municipal funds were assigned in 106 OMPNAs and 6 Municipal Child Protection Directions, permitting preparation of their Annual Operative Plans. In the objective related to access to services for child victims of violence, the Presidential Secretariat for Social Wellbeing (SBS), responsible for child special protection, has attended 321 cases since 2021, with emphasis on child victims of sexual violence, applying the principle of non-institutionalization of victims. UNICEF has placed special attention to strengthening response and services to child victims of sexual violence (primary and secondary prevention, and recovery) in four prioritized department: Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Escuintla and Guatemala City. During 2023, 435 girls and 94 boys were attended with psychotherapy. Through secondary prevention a total of 10,154 children, youth and their families were reached with themes related to prevention of sexual violence. Additionally, 570 community leaders and authorities were trained. A 60% advance is reported towards formulation of an Action Plan of the Public Policy Against Sexual Violence, in coordination with the Secretariat Against Sexual Violence, Exploitation and Human Trafficking (SVET), the Interior Ministry and the Planning Secretariat (SEGEPLAN). Two digital courses on treatment of children victims of sexual violence were formulated, available at https://edu.svet.gob.gt, directed to professionals working in the child protection system. UNICEF works towards creating viable options against institutionalization of child victims of violence; Temporary Family Foster Care modality must be strengthened further. UNICEF has developed tool kits for the use of foster families, institutional multidisciplinary teams and NGO partners, to strengthen implementation of the foster family program. During 2023, SBS attended 83 children and youth in foster family care; in 2024 new SBS authorities launched the toolkit on SBS government web site. In response to the increasing number of migrant children and youth, UNICEF provided training to the State Attorney's institution (PGN) "Protection of Children and Youth in Movement" based on international standards and child rights. UNICEF also supported hiring of seven professionals at PGN to provide psychosocial attention to migrant children and youth in two shelters (Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango) and for deported children and youth arriving by air.

The proposed development intervention aims that by end of 2022, girls, boys and adolescents, particularly indigenous children and youth, have reduced their risk of suffering violence, enjoy protective environments and a system that protects their rights. The goal will be achieved through four specific objectives: 1) girls, boys, families and civil society in prioritized communities increase their capacities to prevent violence against children through change of social norms and practises; 2) girls, boys and adolescents of 50% of the municipalities in Guatemala have access to Municipal Child and Adolescent Protection Systems; 3) in four provinces, girls, boys and adolescent victims of violence have access to special protection services, specific for children, which apply international standards aimed to establish the superior interest of the child; and 4) in four provinces, girls, boys and adolescents have access to a system of specialized justice for the special protection of children and adolescents. By the end of the intervention, 20 prioritized municipalities will have Community Protection Committees; in 200 communities, parents and tutors of children will have learnt good parenting skills based on respect of child rights; girls and adolescent girls in 20 prioritized municipalities practise self-protection against abuse and exploitation while actively participating in spaces where decisions about the exercise of their rights are made; 50% of all municipal governments have installed capacity to implement Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Protection Systems according to international child protection standards to prevent violence against children; a model to promote special protection of children in vulnerable urban areas is validated; the Secretariat for Social Well-Being, which is the governing body for child special protection, provides services according to international standards; state ministries accountable for social protection have  validated a guide to apply international standards in the provision of special protection services for children; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and governing bodies for special protection and migration have tools to provide care and protection to migrant children according to international standards; the National Adoption Council has management mechanisms that favor family preservation; state of Guatemala has capacity to develop a National De-institutionalization Strategy; the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman enhances its capacity in ten provinces to observe compliance with international standards on special protection in public and private contexts; Congress of Guatemala has adapted relevant legislation to international standards; the National Police has capacity to carry out specialized criminal investigation for child victims of violence and adolescents in conflict with the law; the Office of the Public Prosecutor has developed specialized crime investigation and prosecution models in four provinces that favor protection of child victims; the Judicial Branch applies and monitors compliance of judicial decisions with international standards at child, family and criminal courts.