International Training Programmes

We devise and deliver training for a range of state bodies and non-governmental organisation in order to raise their awareness of laws, children’s rights and standards of good practice and strengthen their capacity to work effectively with children. We facilitate study tours for governmental delegations in the UK, in order to improve their understanding of children’s issues and children’s rights and lay the ground work for collaboration for reform.

If you would like to speak to the team about training, please email clclondon@essex.ac.uk

Training case studies:

Eastern Caribbean

Project: Reporting to the CRC and CEDAW Conventions: training toolkit
Partner: UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area and UN Women Caribbean Sub Regional Office
Timeframe: 2012-13

Professor Carolyn Hamilton (Professional Director, CCLC) is developing a comprehensive CRC and CEDAW Training Toolkit. It aims to improve the capacity of the government counterparts, civil society organisations, parliamentarians and media professionals in understanding the CRC and CEDAW Treaty Bodies, the State periodic reporting process and NGO alternative reporting to the Committees, in order to promote compliance with reporting obligations. The training is based on a participatory and experiential learning methodology, employing a range of approaches included group work, role plays, games, presentations and other stimulating techniques.

Ghana

Project: Training Manual: Child Rights and Child Protection in Armed Conflict
Partner: Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, Ghana (funded by Save the Children Sweden)
Timeframe: 2012

The Centre developed a two-week training course on child rights and child protection in armed conflict for KAIPTC, an international research and training centre that conducts professional training courses on conflict prevention, management and resolution. Participants in the courses include military personnel, International Peace Support Operations, police officers, African Union personnel and others. CCLC’s modules are grounded in international human rights law, humanitarian law and other international standards. They are highly participatory and draw heavily on participants’ experiences. They cover important underlying topics, such as, international human rights law, child protection, justice for children and the use of children as participants in conflict, and also advice on specific conflict related challenges, including; disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, trafficking and sexual exploitation and abuse.

Tanzania

Project: Child Justice Reform
Partner: UNICEF Tanzania
Timeframe: 2011-12

The Centre was contracted to provide technical support for the development and implementation of juvenile justice and access to justice reform programmes; these included the following:

- Strengthened the capacity of police to handle children’s cases (i.e. reviewed police training modules and materials; developed a child friendly module in consultation with the Police Academy; conducted TOT workshop; provided technical support for the development of the Guidelines on the Establishment and Operation of Gender and Children’s Desks, input into a roll-out plan and development/delivery of training; provided input into the development of Child Abuse Investigation Guidelines);

- Provided technical, expert support for the establishment of a legal aid model for children in conflict with the law (included capacity building of legal aid providers delivering the model);

- Provided technical, expert support for the establishment of a community diversion and rehabilitation program (included a detailed analysis of Tanzanian law, institutional capacity and community practices to ensure that the program was relevant, feasible and sustainable within a Tanzanian context, and to identify the agency most suitable for delivering the model; and supported the implementation of the diversion model including the development of referral bodies and procedures);

- Provided support the protection of children in detention (included supporting the development of child protection policies and procedures for prisons, the Approved School and the Retention home; development of complaints procedures in line with existing rules; strengthening capacity of detention centre personnel);

- Strengthened capacity at the Approved School to improve rehabilitation and reintegration support for children (through consultation developed a model and step by step guide of the provision of rehabilitation and reintegration services; identified partnerships; developed training course on rehabilitation and reintegration of children and appropriate case management);

- Provided technical support for the implementation of the Children’s Act in Zanzibar with regard to juvenile justice (included the development of a vision and plan of action for reform; and the development of a model for legal assistance for children in conflict with the law).

Turkmenistan

Project: Juvenile Justice Reform
Analysing and preparing a conceptual framework as well as plan of action for Juvenile Justice in Turkmenistan.
Partner: UNICEF Turkmenistan
Time frame: 2008-2012

In 2008, the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF Turkmenistan asked CCLC to assist in juvenile justice reform in the country. CCLC carried out a comprehensive review of the juvenile justice system in Turkmenistan and, from this, created a vision for juvenile justice reform in the country and assisted in finalising the National Plan of Action for children.

As part of this project, in November 2008, CCLC arranged and hosted a study visit of seven delegates from Turkmenistan in order to demonstrate the UK practice as regards juvenile justice and child welfare, and to stimulate the debate regarding system reform in Turkmenistan.

In 2009, CCLC was asked by the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF to assist the Institute of Democracy and Human Rights in amending the Criminal Procedure Code and Penitentiary Code. In order to fulfill these objectives, CLC is participating in government roundtables, providing recommendations and training to stakeholders.

In 2012, the Centre provided technical support to the Government of Turkmenistan for the implementation of activities to protect the rights of children in conflict with the law; as well as supporting the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights to finalise the Five Year Strategy for Juvenile Justice Reform. Amongst other things, this included providing technical input for the development of regulations for the Colonies (juvenile detention centres for children in conflict with the law); it also included delivering a series of Training Of Trainers for police, prosecutors, judges, social workers and detention centre staff on protecting the rights of children in conflict with the law and at risk of offending.

Read more about our work in Turkmenistan

Further information: Law Reform; System Reform; Training Juvenile Justice; Child Protection

Vietnam

Project: Training on Child Rights Monitoring
Partner: UNICEF Vietnam
Timeframe: 2011

The Centre delivered training on child rights monitoring/ acting as an ombudsman to an NGO it had previously identified as being a potential pseudo-ombudsman. The CCLC developed and delivered a three day training covering key content of the UNCRC, participation and monitoring responsibilities.

Liberia

Project: Child Justice Curriculum and Training Manual
Review of existing juvenile justice documents and assessment of training needs
Partner: UNICEF Liberia
Timeframe: 2010

For this project, the CCLC is reviewed the Government of Liberia's policy direction in the filed of child justice, the existing legal documents related to juvenile justice and conducted a training needs assessment. It developed training materials for magistrates, judges and prosecutors. Also, together with the A.A. James Pierre Training Institute, it developed a training programme and directions for facilitators.

East Asia and Pacific

Project: Capacity Building for East Asia and Pacific Regional Office Child Protection Officers
Partner: UNICEF EAPRO
Timeframe: 2009-2010

The Centre, in partnership with the NGO Child Frontiers, piloted a pioneer capacity building programme for UNICEF Child Protection Officers in the East Asia and Pacific Region (EAPRO). The programme focussed on a systems building approach to child protection programming. It built participants’ knowledge of the various systems that impact on child protection – the Legal and Regulatory System, the Social Welfare System and the Social Behavioural Change System and provided tools for participants to use this approach in their daily work. The programme was delivered over the course of two workshops in September 2009 and January 2010 and through an e-learning course.

Kosovo

Juvenile Justice Training and Guidelines
Developing a juvenile justice system in line with international standards regarding children's rights.
Partner: UNICEF Kosovo

Following on from its 2007 assessment into the extent to which the 2004 Juvenile Justice Code had been implemented, we were invited by UNICEF Kosovo to provide training for police cadet trainers on juvenile justice and dealing with child victims and witnesses.

We then drafted guidelines to ensure the implementation of obligations set out in the Juvenile Justice Code. In order to consolidate the effect of these guidelines, CCLC provided training to social workers and local officials on working with children within the justice system (victims, witnesses and offenders).