The purpose of assessments, mapping exercises, comparative analyses and country profiles is to share best practices in child protection employed by governments and civil society organisations. This research sheds light on advancements, innovative programmes and the challenges that remain at the regional and national levels. It forms the basis for dialogue among decision makers in the countries in question. Since the IBCR recommends pragmatic solutions to the problems that children face, research is a means to an end and not an end unto itself.
Types of research conducted by the IBCR:
Regional comparative analyses
The IBCR has solid expertise in producing analyses and mapping reports, which include action plans and recommendations to enable decision makers to implement actions aimed at changing behaviours in the child protection systems operating in their countries and communities. In the past six years, the IBCR has organised seven regional workshops for 40 official delegations. Following discussions with representatives from different countries within their region, these delegations reviewed their capacity building strategies. The workshops provided an opportunity to identify and compare several hundred indicators to determine which initiatives should be celebrated, encouraged or redirected to address gaps.
The results of these regional comparative analyses were then compiled into reports used for knowledge sharing purposes. More information on these analyses is available in our reports.
Mapping and assessment reports
In Angola, Djibouti, Morocco, Philippines, Chad, Iraq and many other countries, the IBCR has developed methodology for effectively mapping the child protection systems, including assessments of the juvenile justice systems. The Bureau’s approach ensures that all stakeholders are involved and that recommendations address issues in the child protection system, especially the roles, responsibilities, procedures and training needs of key actors, such as police officers, magistrates and social workers. Developing country profiles also facilitates comparative analyses and makes it possible to gain a big picture view of children’s rights in a given country or region.
Judicial trajectories of children
Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to express their views and concerns about their involvement in judicial proceedings. Inspired by this principle, the IBCR is dedicated to researching the experiences of child victims and witnesses of crimes, with a focus on their interactions with the criminal justice system in Quebec. The purpose of this research is to obtain data on the strengths and weaknesses of the criminal justice system, as perceived by the children who have experienced it first-hand as victims or witnesses of crimes. A portrait of their respective judicial trajectories will allow for a greater understanding of their position and treatment in the said system.