Strategies & Approaches

Child-safeguarding policy

For terre des hommes, the enforcement of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is an integral part of one's own actions. terre des hommes therefore also undertakes to be vigilant in its own working context against all forms of child rights violations, in particular the mistreatment of children.

The project partner organisations commit themselves to their own child protection policy in the cooperation agreement's own actions.

Your contact person:
Dalila Daia
Child Safeguarding Focal Person-Southern Africa region
+258 82 392 38133
dalila.daia@tdh-southern-africa.org

TDH Global Child Safeguarding Policy
Annexes (Declaration of commitment and Allegation form)

Partner Dialogue & Platforms

In order to ensure that tdh programmes can flexibly react to arising needs and regional developments tdh staff aims to build solid relationships with the local partner organisations that go beyond funding. terre des hommes also encourages collaboration among those organisations and provides platforms for regular exchange with a view to sharing experiences and examples of good-practice. The information and observations from the ground also shape the direction of terre des hommes’ advocacy efforts in Europe and worldwide. Furthermore, every few years, elected project partners, volunteers and staff meet in Germany to decide upon the main points of focus for future terre des hommes programmes and campaigns. This so-called Delegates Conference is the governing body of tdh where the organisation ultimately exercises the co-decision model and partners’ dialogue, as corner stone of the organizational fabric. In this way, views and considerations of partner organisations add value to the international work.

Child Participation

Article 12 of the United Nations on the Convention on the Rights of Children (UNCRC) states that any child or young person has a right to express their views and have those views given due weight in decisions affecting them, in accordancewith their age and maturity. Engaging children and young people in formal meetings and decision making processes means that they are actively involved in issues that affect their lives and communities, thereby improving outcomes for children and young people themselves.

tdh and its partner organisations strongly encourage and enable the participation of children and adolescents at various levels, including involvement in project planning,  advocacy initiatives and campaigns.

Child Right based approach

This approach identifies and evaluates children’s needs by reference to their rights under international legal instruments including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). As a common framework it guides the implementation and evaluation of policies and processes that affect children. Key principles of a rights based approach include that children are not discriminated against, that the best interest of the child be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children, and that children participate in decisions that affect them.