Child Friendly Local Governance

1. Child Friendly Local Governance by Somlal Subedi Joint Secretary Ministry of Local Development Nepal (Presented at the High Level Meeting on Cooperation for Child Rights in the Asia Pacific Region Beijing, China November 4-6, 2010)

2. Presentation Structure • What is Child Friendly Local Governance • Experiences and Achievements • Best Practices and lessons learned • Challenges still faced • Country views on • the potential benefits from, and opportunities for, greater South-South cooperation to advance child rights; and • how they are placed to contribute to this cooperation

3. 1. What is Child Friendly Local Governance A strategic frame that • “Provides overall guidance to the government in realizing and mainstreaming the rights of children (Survival, Development, Protection and Participation) into the local government system, structure, policies and process” • It facilitates and coordinates the realization of child rights at and between national and sub-national level

4. Expected outputs from Child Friendly Local Governance Building on south-south learning from Philippines, where the CFLG outputs are called “the gifts” for children: • Preparation, analysis and publication of “child profile” at local level • Local development plan for children • Local investment plan for children • Preparation and publication of “state of children” report • Defining minimum indicators on survival, development, protection and participation in coordination with all the line agencies and central government offices Meaningful participation of children in the entire process

5. 2. Experiences and Achievements a) Policy level b) Budgetary provision c) Local Level

6. a) Policy Level • Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) reflected in the GON’s Three Year Interim Plan • CFLG included the National Program on Decentralization, “Local Governance and Community Development Program” (LGCDP), a multi-stakeholder (“pre-SWAp”) governance programme between Government of Nepal and 13 Development Partners.

7. b) Budgetary Provision • Mandatory provision of 10% for women, 10% for children and 15% for CFLG initiative specified in the VDC and DDC block grant guidelines endorsed by the Cabinet • CFLG National framework includes a provision for 15% of the overall local body resources to be allocated for CFLG initiatives

8. c) Local Level CFLG implemented to date in 11 of Nepal’s 75 Districts Example: Biratnagar Municipality A partnership with the Biratnagar child club (which involves some 2,100 working children - 852 boys and 1,295 girls) ensured their voices were reflected in key local level policy documents and programme interventions Municipal authorities have committed NRs 233 million (US$ 3.1 million) for CFLG initiatives over the next five years

9. 3. Best Practices and lessons learned • South–South cooperation – originally with Philippines and recently with Brazil - has inspired relevant actors and built confidence that change is achievable • Important to ensure a clear policy environment - adopting the national framework within government planning and later tools such as minimum indicators, national guidelines • MLD role has been strategic as it has the mandate to develop policy guidelines for local bodies and facilitate implementation at the local level - partnership with local bodies who are responsible for the delivery of basic services and coordination at the lowest unit of governance has been strategically important to the success of CFLG • The special partnership with Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare has been essential

10. 3. Best Practices and Lessons learned • CFLG has facilitated enhanced coordination and collaboration among sectoral line agencies, local body associations, civil society organizations and development partners on child-rights issues • Individual commitment and ownership by decision makers within MLD, strategic support from UNICEF and engagement of child rights organizations • The value of participation of children and young people in the entire process has become appreciated by both local authorities and national level

11. 4. Ongoing Challenges • More systematic incorporation of CFLG and child rights as part of responsive, good governance; localizing services and financial resources • Ownership and mainstreaming of child rights issues within sectoral programs at national and local level • Linking the demand side of local needs for basic services for children and the supply side • The demand side needs strengthening in terms of parental awareness of child rights, especially in disadvantaged communities • Strengthening capacity of local bodies • Developing effective , participatory monitoring tools • Evolving context - role of local government under federalism

12. 5. Country views • Opportunities for greater South-South cooperation to advance child rights •   Other countries may wish to adopt CFLG approach; Nepal is looking to learning about participatory assessment and monitoring tools • How is the GON placed to contribute to this cooperation • Sharing experiences about how Nepal has influenced polices and budget allocations and mainstreamed child rights into local planning processes