04/29/11 – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently conducted a study titled Public Investment for Childhood and Adolescence in Mexico 2007-2010, in which officials looked into how Mexican funds were being distributed throughout the country to maintain the well-being and meet the various needs of children. Over the course of four years, Mexico has invested approximately 2,788,890,00 pesos, 6.24% of its GDP, towards causes for children and adolescents. However, the results of this study showed that these funds are not being used in a proper fashion to equally cover all the needs of children.
According to UNICEF’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, the rights and needs of children, which the organization actively strives to secure, are divided up into four main categories. The first category is a set of guiding principles that include non-discrimination, right to live, survival and development, and respect for the views of children. The second category, which is a more extensive version of survival and development, includes the right to life, access to resources to ensure survival, and a guarantee that the government will do anything in its power to protect the lives of minors. The third category, protection rights, protect children from child abuse and violence, laboral and sexual exploitation, and neglect from one’s own family. The last category- participation rights- ensures that children have the right to freely and openly express their opinions, and to actively participate in society through association and other means.
UNICEF representative Susana Sottoli stated it is the “last two categories that are underrepresented” in Mexico. Statistics from the study show that 99 out of 100 pesos are used towards health and education, while less than 1% are used towards programs dedicated towards protecting minors against violence, abuse, and laboral and sexual exploitation. According to newssource Milenio, this remaining 1% is divided up into 2 areas: “7,499,000 pesos are used towards protection against violence, abuse, and all forms of exploitation and discrimination while 106,000 pesos are used towards participation rights.” Sottoli recommended that Mexican funds need to be “redistributed in a more balanced manner” so that all chldren’s rights and needs are being attended to in an equal way.
Sources:
“Convention on the Rights of the Child.” UNICEF. February 26, 2008.
“Revisa Unicef inversión anual de México en atención a menores.” El Financiero. April 28, 2011.
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