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Public Investment in Children
Save the Children defines Public investment in children as public spending on specific areas that directly benefit children as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and its Optional Protocols, particularly on social protection, health, education, child protection, emergencies and the requisite child rights infrastructure and systems.
Public investment in children ensures children are prioritized in mobilizing, allocating and spending of society’s resources.
In order to sufficiently and sustainably invest in children, governments have to take concrete measures to mobilize public and private, domestic and international resources.
We know that the issue is not just about more money for children, but also efficient and effective use of available resources within open, inclusive and accountable frameworks. A focus on deprivation and inequity demands that we work to improve where the money goes and whom it benefits.
Save the Children helped to get the first ever UN Human Rights Council Resolution on investment in child rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child agreement to produce a General Comment no 19 on Public spending on child rights.
Photo: Poulomi Basu/Save the Children
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RecommendedChild Rights Governance Impact Story: Save the Children's advocacy for investment in children at the UN Human Rights Council
One of the biggest barriers to the realization of children’s rights is the lack of sufficient, equitable and efficient public spending to realize these rights. Almost all countries in the world have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (U
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RecommendedUN Human Rights Council Resolution: "Toward better investment in the rights of the child"
This child-friendly document explains the purpose and meaning of the United Nations Human Rights Council and the decision that led to a resolution for child rights in 2015. On March 27, 2015, the UN Human Rights Council consensually adopted the resolution
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RecommendedUsing Taxation to Improve Investment in Children- Policy Brief
At a time when most countries are facing fiscal crises and shrinking aid budgets, governments should fully exploit domestic resource mobilization opportunities to improve investment in children. Taxation, in all its various forms, is one sustain- able sou
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RecommendedInvestment in Children- Investment in Everyone
This publication, which contains seven subject-based cases from different parts of the world, provides a concise overview of the aims, approaches and results of Save the Children’s Investment in Children efforts. The work involving Investment in Children
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RecommendedChild Rights Governance: Missed Taxation Opportunities to Improve Investment in Children in Africa: Case analysis of Kenya, Sierra Leone and Zambia
Many governments cite a lack of sufficient resources as the reason for their inability to implement children’s rights according to their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Yet, findings from this study indica
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RecommendedOvercoming the debt trap and promoting responsible borrowing to improve investment on children- Policy Brief
Borrowing is one way of financing public investments in children. It is thus not necessarily a bad thing to do. However, if not done prudently, it can result in an unsustainable debt burden that negatively affects children. Sub-Saharan Africa for example
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RecommendedTurning Children's Rights into Children's Realities: Why open, inclusive and accountable budgets are important for children
Children constitute over 30% of the world’s population. Effective public policy and service delivery are essential to realize their rights. Budget systems that are transparent, open to public engagement and scrutiny, and that have robust oversight institu
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Fair Shares? Fiscal equity for children in Kenya
This briefing presents the results of new analysis of the impacts that public spending and taxation are having on child poverty and inequality in Kenya. Public spending is critical for putting essential foundations in place for economies to develop and so
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El Costo Beneficio de la Prevención de las Violencias contra Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes en Guatemala desde una Perspectiva Integradora
¿Cómo se aborda en Guatemala la prevención de la violencia contra la niñez y adolescencia? ¿Qué acciones debe considerar el estado guatemalteco para reducir el índice de estos casos, en contra de las niñas, niños y adolescentes? El Estudio de Costo Benef
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Building Back Better from COVID-19: Dismantling the debt trap and unlocking critical finance for children
The last decade’s rapid build-up of sovereign debt has put many countries at a financially vulnerable starting point to respond to COVID-19, and debt servicing continues to take up a sizeable portion of developing country governments’ revenue. The current
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Cumplirle a las niñas, niños y adolescentes
"Cumplirle a las niñas, niños y adolescentes, una propuesta de inversión pública en niñez y adolescencia (2020-2023), para avanzar en la agenda ODS" es un libro que contiene un análisis sobre la inversión pública en NNA, para alcanzar los Objetivos de Des
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Scoping and Sector Review of Social Protection in Somaliland
This Scoping Study and Sector Review, produced under the guidance of the Ministry of Employment, Social Affairs and Family (MESAF) of Somaliland and Save the Children, is a strategic analysis of the existing policy landscape in Somaliland in order to info