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The
following glossary contains terms that are found throughout
our website. The items within this glossary and their
definitions will be updated regularly. If you believe
we should include another term, or change the definition
of an existing term, we welcome your opinions and encourage
you to contact us.
Action For The Rights Of The Child (ACR)
A training and capacity building program for NGOs, governments,
and UNHCR staff. ACR was initiated by UNHCR, UNICEF,
and Save the Children to build regional teams equipped
to help children in specifically assigned countries
and/or regions.
Advocacy
Specific, short-term activities to reach a long-term
vision; actions designed to draw a community's attention
to an issue and to direct policy makers to a solution.
Agribusiness
Farming has become industrialized in many parts of the
world and is now under the control of a relatively small
number of multinational corporations. Agribusiness is
the term used to describe these companies and their
activities in the field of agriculture. The influence
of these multinational businesses extends to every aspect
of agriculture, including ownership of land and plantations,
agrochemical factories, shipping companies, marketing
organizations, research facilities, banking institutions
and even the outlets through which produce is sold to
the consumer.
Aid
The transfer of capital, usually in the form of loans
or grants, from governments, international agencies
and public institutions of the industrialised world
to governments of the Third World. The costs of other
forms of assistance, technology transfer or provision
of materials may also be included in the totals.
AIDS
A non-hereditary disease developing after birth from
contact with a disease-causing agent (HIV) in an infected
person’s blood. AIDS is characterized by a weakening
of the immune system, and exhibits a group of symptoms
collectively characterizing the disease, including the
development of infections and/or cancers, as well as
a decrease in the number of cells in a person’s
immune system.
AIDS
Orphan
A child whose parent or parents have died due to AIDS.
AIDS orphans are victims of the stigma associated with
the killer disease, which often denies them access to
schools.
Asylum
It is protection or relief of some class of destitute,
unfortunate, or afflicted persons.
Bonded
Child Laborer
A child working against debt taken by himself/herself
or his/her family members, or working against any social
obligation (e.g., caste factor, ethnic or religious
practices, etc.) with or without the child's consent,
under conditions that restrain his/her freedom and development,
making him/her vulnerable to physical and other forms
of abuse and that deprive him/her of his/her basic rights.
Bonded
Labor
The
most common form of slavery, bonded labor occurs when
a person must work to pay off a debt; often the amount
is unknown by the laborer, and will never be paid in
full.
Briefcase
Organizations
Non-profit
organizations (often a single person) that suddenly
emerge following new funding priorities of large donors.
They are known for setting-up, acting as a legitimate
local grassroots organization for a short time to receive
funds, and disappearing soon after.
Capital
Punishment
Death
by execution, or the death penalty.
Center
For Disease Control (CDC)
It
serves as the national focus for developing and applying
disease prevention and control, environmental health,
and health promotion and education activities designed
to improve the health of the people of the United States.
Chattel
Slavery
A system in which the enslaved person is born into a
condition of permanent slavery, and is not treated as
a human, but only as a commodity to be traded or sold
as the property of the owner, and as a result, as the
owner chooses.
Child
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
defines a child as a person under the age of 18 unless
national law recognizes the age of majority earlier.
Child
Labor
Child
labor is defined by Article 32 of the Convention on
the Rights of the Child as any economic exploitation
or work that is likely to be hazardous or interferes
with the child's education, or is harmful to the child's
health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social
development.
Child
Pornography
It
consists of material representation of children engaged
in sexual acts, real or simulated, intended for the
sexual gratification of the user.
Child
Prostitution
It
is the act of engaging or offering the services of a
child to perform sexual acts for money or other consideration
with that person or any other person as defined by United
Nations
Child
Soldier
Any child – boy or girl – under 18 years
of age, who is part of any kind of regular or irregular
armed force or armed group in any capacity, including,
but not limited to: cooks, porters, messengers, and
anyone accompanying such groups other than family members
Child
Space
Places reserved solely for children and their care.
They offer basic health care, supplemental feeding for
children, and other necessities as required. Educational
resources and counseling may also be available. They
are typically created in areas where children have experienced
severe trauma, such as war.
Children
and Adolescents Project
This
project aims to increase services and protection for
refugee adolescents, to promote their capacities and
participation in decision-making, and encourage action.
Children
In Conflict with Law
Juvenile
offenders held in jails, prisons and detention centers
and denied basic human and judicial rights. They are
often subjected to severe forms of detainment, incarceration,
and execution, in violation of the standards established
in the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Children
of the Street
Children
who have no home but the streets, and no family support.
They move from place to place, living in shelters and
abandoned buildings.
Children
on the Street
Children
who visit their families regularly and might even return
every night to sleep at home, but spend most days and
some nights on the street because of poverty, overcrowding,
sexual or physical abuse at home.
Children's
Rights
The
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted in
1989 affirmed the rights of the world's children to
be protected against all forms of abuse, neglect and
exploitation. It specifies the standards to which all
governments must aspire to realize these rights for
all children
Civil
Society Organization (CSO)
Any
national or international institution, organization,
or entity made up of natural or juridical persons of
a nongovernmental nature.
Coalition
to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (CSC)
An organization that works to prevent the recruitment
and use of children as soldiers, to secure their demobilization
and to ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration
into society.
Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
Children, both male and female, engaging in prostitution,
pornography, and trafficking for sexual purposes and
for money, profit, or any other consideration due to
coercion or influence by a third party or parties.
Commission
of the European Union (CEU)
It embodies and upholds the general interest of the
European Union and is the driving force in the Union's
institutional system. Its four main roles are to propose
legislation to Parliament and the Council, to administer
and implement community policies, to enforce community
law (jointly with the Court of Justice) and to negotiate
international agreements, mainly those relating to trade
and cooperation
Complex
Humanitarian Emergency (CHE)
Complex Political Emergency (CPE)
An
emergency that is highly complex in character, with
multiple legal, political, economic, social, and logistical
dimensions, requiring the immediate relief and welfare
activities of NGOs and the UN system in order to save
lives.
Conference
of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO)
It
is an independent, international, not-for-profit membership
association of non-governmental organizations that facilitates
the participation of NGOs in United Nations debates
and decisions. CONGO is most active in the major UN
centers of New York, Geneva, and Vienna, but extends
its work to all regions of the world.
Convention
A
binding agreement between states; used synonymously
with "treaty" and "covenant." Conventions
are stronger than declarations in that they are legally
binding for signatory states and governments can be
held for violating them.
Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW)
Establishes, in legally binding form, internationally
accepted principles on the rights of women which are
applicable to all women. It seeks the prohibition of
all forms of discrimination against women. The Convention
was adopted in 1979; entered into force 1981. It was
the first legally binding international document prohibiting
discrimination against women and obligating governments
to take steps to advance the equality of women; draws
no distinction between public and private life; does
not accept culture as an excuse for discrimination.
Convention On The Prevention And Punishment
Of The Crime Of Genocide
It
defined genocide as a criminal act and provided a basis
for governments to prosecute criminals committing acts
of genocide.
Convention On The Rights Of The Child (CRC)
The
most widely ratified human rights treaty in history,
the CRC is a legally binding treaty defining and protecting
children's civil, cultural, economic, social, and political
rights.
Convention
Relating To The Status Of Refugees
It
established the accepted definition of refugees and
created standard guidelines on issues such as non-penalization,
detention, and protection.
Covenant
Binding
agreement between states; used synonymously with "convention"
and "treaty"; the major international human
rights covenants are the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights.
Covenant
Of The League Of Nations
The
basis for the establishment of the United Nations, the
covenant sets forth guidelines to promote international
co-operation and to achieve international peace and
security.
Death
Rate
The
number of deaths in a given year divided by the mid-year
population of the country in question gives the death
rate. It is used for comparative purposes and is usually
multiplied by 1,000 and expressed as the 'crude death
rate' (deaths per thousand population).
Debt
Bondage
The
act of working against debt taken on by a person or
his/her family members, or working against any social
obligation (e.g., caste factor, ethnic or religious
practices, etc.), with or without their own consent.
Declaration
A
document that represents agreed-upon standards, but
which is not legally binding; United Nations conferences
usually produce two sets of declarations: one by government
representatives and one by nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs)
Demobilization
The
act of changing from a war basis to a peace basis including
disbanding or discharging troops.
Developing
Countries
Term
used to identify poor Third World nations, using criteria
based almost exclusively on per capita income. Per capita
incomes are below $5,000 and often less than $1,500.
The 172 countries in this group include states which
are variously labeled as developing countries, generally
have low levels of technology, basic living standards
and little in the way of an industrial base. Their economies
are mainly agricultural and are characterized by cheap,
unskilled labor and a scarcity of investment capital.
Disarmament
The
act of reducing or depriving of arms.
Discrimination
Unfavorable
or unfair treatment of a person or class of persons
in comparison to others who are not members of the protected
class because of: ancestry; place of origin; ethnic
origin; citizenship; religion; race; sex; sexual orientation;
age; marital status; family status; and/or handicap.
Dowry
It
is money or property brought by a woman to her husband
or husband’s family in connection with her marriage.
Drug
Abuse
The
use of a drug with such frequency that it causes physical
or mental harm to the user or impairs social functioning.
Economic
And Social Council Of The United Nations (ECOSOC)
UN body that promotes higher standards of living, full
employment, and economic and social progress; identifies
solutions to international economic, social and health
problems; facilitates international cultural and educational
cooperation; and encourages universal respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms.
End
Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, And Trafficking
Of Children For Sexual Purposes (ECPAT)
A network of organizations and individuals working together
to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Entry
Into Force
The
point at which enough parties have signed on to an agreement
to make it effective.
Epidemic
A
widespread outbreak of an infectious disease where many
people are infected at the same time.
European
Union (EU)
An
economic association of European countries that seeks
to create a unified, barrier-free market for products
and services throughout the continent, as well as a
common currency with a unified authority over that currency.
Exploitation
The
act of victimizing or treating someone unfairly.
Famine
A
prolonged shortage of food which causes widespread and
persistent hunger, starvation, ill health and a substantial
increase in the death rate. Famines can occur when crops
and food supplies are destroyed by natural causes such
as droughts, floods, torrential rains, cold, hurricanes,
vermin, plant disease or insect infestations. Drought
is the most common cause of famine in arid and semi-arid
areas.
Female
Feticide
The
abortion of a fetus because it is female. Also referred
to as gender-selective abortion, sex-selective abortion,
or selective abortion.
Female
Genital Cutting (FGC)
It
refers to any practice that involves the removal or
the alteration of the female genitalia. Other terms
for FGC include female genital mutilation, female genital
circumcision, female genital operations, or clitoridectomies.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Also
known as female circumcision; cultural practice harmful
to women’s health. There are three types: (1)
clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris;
(2) excision: removal of the clitoris and vaginal lips;
(3) infibulation: removal of all external genitals and
the stitching together of the lips with a small opening
for menstrual blood and urine.
Female
Infanticide
The
abortion of a fetus because it is female or the killing
of an infant by a relative because it is female. Female
infanticide has been practiced as a brutal method of
family planning in societies where boy children are
still valued, economically and socially, above girls.
Forced
Labor
Forced
labor describes situations in which a laborer is physically
and/or psychologically pressured to work involuntarily.
General
Agreement on Tariffs And Trade (GATT)
UN
agency created by a multinational treaty to promote
trade by the reduction of tariffs and import quotas.
General
Assembly of the United Nations (GA)
The
main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is
composed of representatives of all member states, each
of which has one vote.
Genocide
Any
act committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or
in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group:
killing members of the groups; causing serious harm,
bodily or mental, to members of the group; deliberately
inflicting conditions calculated to bring about the
group's destruction; imposing measures to prevent births
within the group; and/or forcibly transferring children
of the group to another group
Global
Campaign for Education (GCE)
It
promotes education as a basic human right, and mobilizes
public pressure on governments and the international
community to fulfill their promises to provide free,
compulsory public basic education for all people; in
particular for children, women and all disadvantaged,
deprived sections of society.
Gross
Domestic Product (GDP)
The
total monetary value of goods and services produced
within a country over a year. It may be used to determine
the wealth of a country, but is less widely used than
the Gross National Product
Gross
National Product (GNP)
The
most commonly used measurement of the wealth of a country.
The GNP is the total value of goods and services produced
within a country together with income received from
other countries (notably interest and dividend payments,
minus similar payments made to other countries). For
comparative purposes GNP is frequently expressed as
a per capita figure, the total GNP divided by the number
of people in the population.
Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV
is a retrovirus which leads to Acquired Immuno-Deficiency
Disease Syndrome (AIDS) in humans. HIV destroys the
body's natural defences against disease by multiplying
in the cells that are sent by the immune system to destroy
it, making infected individuals susceptible to a wide
range of opportunistic infections. The virus is spread
through sexual contact, intravenous drug use and blood
transfusions as well as from an infected mother to her
infant in utero or during birth.
Honor
Killing
The
practice of killing girls and women who are perceived
to have defiled a family’s honor by allegedly
engaging in sexual activity or other improprieties before
marriage or outside of marriage. “Improper”
behavior that justifies grounds for killing has expanded
to include transgressions that are not initiated by
the girl, including rape, incest, sexual abuse or sexual
rumor.
Human
Development Index (HDI)
An
annual assessment of the progress of nations in improving
living standards. The HDI includes factors like life
expectancy and access to education, in the belief that
human development requires both economic growth and
an equitable distribution of income and resources. The
HDI is a basic aggregate of 3 indicators: life expectancy
is used to determine longevity; adult literacy and years
of schooling to estimate knowledge; and GDP per person
as a means of gauging command over resources.
Human
Rights
The
rights people are entitled to simply for being human,
irrespective of their citizenship, nationalist, race,
ethnicity, language, sex, sexuality or abilities. Privileges
claimed or enjoyed by every human being by virtue of
being human. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
was adopted in 1948. It stated that people have the
right to life, liberty and education; to freedom of
movement, religion, association and information; to
a nationality and to equality before the law.
Human
Smuggling
The
act of aiding or abetting a person's illegal entry into
a country and/or his illegal residence for payment.
The person who is smuggled consents to being smuggled
and generally has no further obligations towards the
smuggler.
ILO
182
ILO
182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, adopted
in 1999, and concerning the prohibition and immediate
action for the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child
Labour.
Indigenous
People
These
are tribal people in independent countries whose social,
cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from
other sections of the national community, and whose
status is regulated wholly or partially by their own
customs or traditions or by special laws or regulations;
or peoples in independent countries who are regarded
as indigenous on account of their descent from the populations
which inhabited the country, or a geographical region
to which the country belongs, at the time of conquest
or colonization or the establishment of present State
boundaries and who, irrespective of their legal status,
retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural
and political institutions
Infant
Mortality Rate (IMR)
The
IMR is the number of deaths of children aged 0-12 months
per 1,000 live births in a given year. This includes
'neonatal mortality' (death occurring in the first four
weeks of life) from such causes as asphyxia and injuries
sustained during the birth process. Neonatal deaths
account for two-thirds of all infant mortality in developing
countries, mainly due to a lack of good medical facilities.
International
Non-Government Organizations (INGO)
These
are private organisations of a charitable, research
or educational nature that are concerned with a wide
range of social, economic and environmental issues.
They may act on an international, national or local
scale. Some raise money from the public and from governments
to help fund development projects in the Third World
or to assist in disaster relief. Others attempt to educate
the public and campaign on major global issues or to
lobby governments and international agencies to change
public policies.
Inter-Governmental Organization (IGO) A public or governmental
organization created by treaty or agreement between
states.
Internally-Displaced
Children (IDC)
Internally-Displaced
Person (IDP)
A person who flees his or her community due
to a threat to his or her freedoms or life, but who
does not cross state borders;displaced persons can be
used as a phrase to refer to people who may consider
themselves to be refugees but who do not qualify for
official refugee status under the Convention Relating
to the Status of Regugees.
International Bank For Reconstruction And Development
(IBRD); a.k.a. the World Bank
The
IBRD or World Bank was founded in 1944 following the
Bretton Woods agreements to facilitate economic and
infrastructure reconstruction following World War II.
It is commonly known as the World Bank, although it
is only a wing of the World Bank group. It is an independent
body, owned by more than 180 member countries whose
views and interests are represented by a Board of Governors
and a Washington-based Board of Directors. All members
make a capital subscription in accordance with a formula
related to their economic strength. The US is the largest
contributor with Japan rapidly approaching parity. The
Bank's resources are obtained by direct borrowing in
international capital markets and from governments.
International
Court Of Justice (ICJ)
The
principal judicial organ of the United Nations that
functions to settle in accordance with international
law the legal disputes submitted to it by states, and
to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred
to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies
International
Labour Organization (ILO)
United
Nations specialized agency that seeks the promotion
of social justice and internationally recognized human
and labor rights. The ILO formulates policies and programs
to improve working conditions and employment opportunities,
and sets labor standards used by countries around the
world
International Monetary Fund (IMF) An international organization
of member countries established to promote international
monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly
exchange arrangements; to foster economic growth and
high levels of employment; and to provide temporary
financial assistance to countries to help ease balance
of payments adjustment. The IMF is a specialised financial
agency of the United Nations, established under the
1944 Bretton Woods agreements.
International
Rescue Committee (IRC)
A
group of nonprofit, voluntary agencies providing assistance
to refugees, internally displaced persons and others
fleeing persecution and violent conflict
Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
The
main advocate for global action on AIDS and HIV. It
leads, strengthens and supports an expanded response
aimed at preventing transmission of HIV, providing care
and support, reducing the vulnerability of individuals
and communities to HIV/AIDS, and alleviating the impact
of the epidemic.
League
Of Nations
A
precursor to the United Nations, established after the
First World War. The Covenant of the League of Nations,
upon which the League’s structure was based, served
as a model for the formation of the United Nations.
Life Expectancy
It
is the number of years a new-born child will live, given
the range of mortality risks in their country of birth.
Modern medicine, science and technology all act to prolong
lives. Consequently life expectancies for most people
in the world have been steadily increasing.
Living
Wage
Wages
set by local ordinances that cover a specific set of
workers, usually government workers or workers hired
by businesses that have received a government contract
or subsidy. It is a also term often used by advocates
to point out that the federal minimum wage is not high
enough to support a family.
Low-Income
Countries
Another
term to describe countries with a below-average per
capita income and part of a system used to rank countries
based on national economic performance. The World Bank
originally defined any country having an annual per
capita GNP of less than $400 as a Low Income Country.
Also see: Developing Countries, and Third World
Madam
Pays
for a child sex slave and forces the child into prostitution
to turn a profit.
Minimum Wage The federal minimum wage is the minimum
amount that a worker can be paid an hour, and applies
to almost all workers. States may also set a minimum
wage that is higher than the federal minimum.
Multi-National
Corporation (MNC)
A
large company that has subsidiary offices, and does
substantial business, in a number of different countries.
Non-Governmental
Organization (NGO)
An organization formed by and of people outside of government;
nonprofit, human rights, humanitarian aid, and grassroots
organizations can all be NGOs.
Non-Profit
Organization (NPO)
An
organization which is based on the common interests
of its members, individuals or institutions, has no
governmental status or function and has no financial
shareholders or profit motive.
Non-Refoulement
An
internationally recognized obligation, established by
the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees,
whereby a country shall not return a refugee to the
country from which they flee until their safety can
be assured.
Optional
Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed
Conflict
It
is a landmark treaty that strengthens the protection
of children affected by armed conflict. It requires
states to prohibit the conscription of anyone under
the age of 18 into the armed forces; raise the age of
voluntary recruitment from 15 and to deposit a binding
declaration of the minimum age for recruitment into
its armed forces; and prohibits the recruitment or use
in hostilities of children under the age of 18 by rebel
or other non-governmental armed groups, and requires
states to criminalize such practices.
Organisation
For Economic Co-Operation And Development (OECD)
It
is an international organisation helping governments
tackle the economic, social and governance challenges
of a globalised economy. Best known for its publications
and its statistics, its work covers economic and social
issues from macroeconomics, to trade, education, development
and science and innovation.
Patriarchy
A
form of social organization in which a male is the family
head and title is traced through the male line
Pedophilia
Reoccurring
sexual arousal and desires or fantasies involving sexual
impulses toward a pre-adolescent child or children by
someone over the age of 16.
Pimp
Someone
who procures sexual partners for others.
Pornography
Material
representation of persons engaged in sexual acts, real
or simulated, intended for the sexual gratification
of the user.
Post-Conflict
Development Initiative (PCDI)
Created
by the International Rescue Committee in 2002, the initiative
supports communities in conflict and countries in transition.
Some of the program areas focus on good governance,
civil society and community reconstruction
Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A
psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience
or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military
combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious
accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape. People
who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through
nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping,
and feel detached or estranged.
Poverty
Lack
of money or material possessions such that a person
is unable to meet the basic needs necessary for survival.
The definition of poverty varies depending on the social
context and what is held to be an 'acceptable' standard
of living.
Private
Voluntary Organizations (PVD)
A
not-for-profit voluntary membership organization that
represents individuals with a common background in a
subject or a profession such as law, medicine, and accounting.
Also referred to as an Individual Membership Organization
(IMO).
Prostitution
The
act of engaging in or offering sexual acts to other(s)
for money.
Psychoactive
Substances
Chemical
compounds that are ingested in order to alter mood or
behavior, including medicines, alcohol, cigarettes,
heroin, cannabis, and readily available industrial products
such as shoe glue.
Quasi-Autonomous
Non-Governmental Organization (QUANGO)
An
organizational body which has a role in the processes
of national government, but is not a government department
or part of one.
Ratification
Process
by which a legislature confirms a government's action
in signing a treaty; formal procedure by which a state
becomes bound to a TREATY.
Refugee
A
person who has fled from the country of origin to escape
persecution or fear of persecution based on race, religion,
nationality, membership of a particular social group
or political opinion.
Rehabilitation
Educational
or counseling programs that try to redirect juvenile
offenders to return to society safely and rehabilitated.
Reintegration
Reintegration
occurs when a youth returns to society after having
been adjudicated delinquent and placed on probation
or institutionalized.
Religious
Slavery
Generally
involves the dedication and enslavement of children
to temple gods or priests. a form of slavery that is
a part of traditional religious practices, and generally
involves the dedication and enslavement of children
to temple gods or priests.
Reservations,
Understandings, Declarations (RUDs)
Modifications
made to a treaty by a ratifying country. A reservation
indicates that a particular portion of the treaty will
not be observed by the ratifying country. Understandings
and declarations clarify how the language of the treaty
will be interpreted by the ratifying country.
Resolution
on the Plight of Street Children
Issued
by the United Nations, this resolution expressed concern
over the emergence and marginalization of street children
and the acts of violence against them. The resolution
also calls for international cooperation to address
the needs of homeless children and for the enforcement
of international child rights laws.
Retrovirus
A
class of RNA viruses that is capable of converting their
RNA into DNA, and integrating into the host genome.
By incorporating themselves into the host genome, the
viruses share the property of latency, whereby they
can transcribe another copy of themselves at any time
and become active within the cell cytoplasm again.
Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court
UN
treaty that adopted a permanent international criminal
court to try persons charged with genocide or other
crimes of similar gravity.
Secretariat
of the United Nations
It
carries out substantive and administrative work of the
United Nations as directed by the General Assembly,
the Security Council and the other organs. At its head
is the Secretary-General, who provides overall administrative
guidance
Secretary-General
of the United Nations (SG)
The
head of the United Nations Secretariat, who is appointed
by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the
Security Council for a five- year, renewable term.
Security Council of the United Nations (UNSC)
An
arm of the United Nations with primary responsibility
for the maintenance of international peace and security.
The Security Council is made up of 15 members, five
of which are permanent members.
Selective
Abortion
The
abortion of a fetus because it is female. Also referred
to as gender-selective abortion, sex-selective abortion,
or female feticide.
Sex
Trafficking
A
pernicious form of slavery; it is the purchase of a
body for sexual gratification and/or financial gain.
Children who are victims of sex trafficking are transported
across borders or within countries, across state lines,
from city to city, or from rural to urban centers.
Sexual
Mixing
The
act of girls providing sexual favors for older men in
exchange for gifts or money.
Sexually
Transmitted Disease (STD)
A
communicable disease transmitted by sexual intercourse
or genital contact.
Slave
A
person who is held in bondage to another; one who is
wholly subject to the will of another; one who is held
as a chattel; one who has no freedom of action, but
whose person and services are wholly under the control
of another.
Soldier
A
person who serves in an army.
State
Often
synonymous with country; a group of people permanently
occupying a fixed territory, having common laws and
government and capable of conducting international affairs.
Stateless
Child
A
child who is not considered as a national by any state
under the operation of its law. Examples of groups who
fall under this definition include: Roma, Beduins, Kurds,
Palestinians, Tibetans, and millions of individuals
without an official birth certificate or formal papers
declaring nationality.
Status
Offense
An
act committed by a child that would not be an infraction
of the law if done by an adult. For example, skipping
school, or running away from home may be regarded as
status offense.
Street
Child
Any
girl or boy who has not reached adulthood, and for whom
the street in the widest sense of the word – including
unoccupied dwellings wasteland, etc – has become
his or her habitual abode and/or source of livelihood,
and who is inadequately protected, directed and supervised
by responsible adults.
Street
Family
A
family that lives on the street. Children live on sidewalks
or city squares with the rest of their families. They
may be displaced due to poverty, wars, or natural disasters.
The families often live a nomadic life, carrying their
possessions with them.
Third
World
A
term applied collectively to the nations of Africa,
Asia, Latin America (including the Caribbean) and Oceania
(excluding Australia and New Zealand) which are industrially
underdeveloped and economically weak. Although Third
World countries comprise about 80% of the world's population,
they are responsible for less than 30% of global industrial
production.
Torture
Any
act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical
or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for
such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person
information or a confession, punishing him for an act
he or a third person has committed or is suspected of
having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or
a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination
of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted
by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence
of a public official or other person acting in an official
capacity
Trafficking
The
recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or
receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of
force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud,
of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position
of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments
or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having
control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation
of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual
exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or
practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal
of organs
Trans-National
Corporation (TNC)
An
organization whose operations cross (or transcend) national
boundaries. Often used interchangeably with the terms
international or multinational organization.
Treaty
Formal
agreement between states that defines and modifies their
mutual duties and obligations; used synonymously with
"convention."
United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The
UNDP is charged with economic and social development
activities in over 160 countries.
United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
The
United Nations office charged with the promotion and
protection of human rights worldwide.
United
Nations (UN)
Established in 1945 after World War II to maintain international
peace and security, and to promote and protect individual
human rights. The UN is the institution where international
human rights treaties are negotiated, created and monitored.
The UN is a political institution, to which only states
can be members.
United
Nations Charter
Contains
the framework for the United Nations as a whole, as
well as important human rights provisions.
United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Branch
of the UN that promotes child health, education, equality,
and protection, and upholds the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child
United
Nations Civil And Political Rights Covenant
UN
agreement that details the basic civil and political
rights of individuals and nations.
United
Nations Committee On The Rights Of The Child
An
internationally elected body of independent experts
that sits in Geneva to monitor the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child NITED NATIONS CONVENTION
ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD’s implementation.
United
Nations Conference On International Organization (UNCIO)
A
conference in which official representatives from the
countries signing the 'United Nations Pact of 1942',
as well as advisors and observers from peace organizations,
attended to complete an agreement known as the Charter
of the United Nations by which future international
peace would be guaranteed.
United
Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhumane or Degrading Treatment and Punishment; a.k.a.
the Convention on Torture
The
main legislative document used by anti-torture advocates
worldwide.
United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
An
international treaty that recognizes the human rights
or children, defined as persons up to the age of 18
years. The treaty set forth a full spectrum of civil,
cultural, economic, social and political rights of children.
United
Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI)
Branch
of the UN that helps NGOs gain access to and disseminate
information about the range of issues in which the UN
is involved, to enable the public to understand better
the aims and objectives of the world organization.
United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
UN
agency that promotes education for all, cultural development,
protection of the world's natural and cultural heritage,
international cooperation in science, press freedom
and communication
United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
One
of the principal organs of the UN, consisting of all
member states. The General Assembly issues declarations
and adopts conventions on human rights issues. The actions
of the General Assembly are governed by the Charter
of the United Nations.
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
This
agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international
action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems
worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights
and well being of refugees. It strives to ensure that
everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find
safe refuge in another State, with the option to return
home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in
a third country
United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA)
Tasked
with humanitarian policy development and coordination
functions in support of the Secretary-General, such
as protection and assistance for internally displaced
persons, advocacy of humanitarian issues with political
organs, notably the Security Council; and coordination
of humanitarian emergency response.
United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
The
world's largest international source of funding for
population and reproductive health programs
United
States Agency for International Development (USAID)
An
independent U.S. federal government agency that receives
overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of
State. Their work supports long-term and equitable economic
growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by
supporting economic growth, agriculture and trade, global
health, and democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian
assistance.
Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Proclaimed
by UN in 1948, the UDHR is the primary UN document establishing
human rights standards and norms. Although the declaration
was intended to be non-binding, through time its various
provisions have become so respected by States that it
can now be said to be customary international law.
Urbanization
Over
the last 50 years as a rural migration has increased
and population levels have risen, cities have expanded
dramatically. The rapid urbanisation process in the
Third World is taking place against a backdrop of high
population growth and low incomes. Housing, water, sanitation,
power and other services need to be provided for all
city dwellers. Food has to be grown and transported
in vast quantities, employment and health care also
need to be provided. The planning, co-ordination and
resources necessary to accomplish all this are often
unavailable to governments in many developing countries.
New city dwellers are often forced to live in slums
or shanty towns, where they have little access to safe
drinking water or proper sanitation facilities.
USAID
United
States Agency for International Development, a federal
government agency that extends assistance to countries
suffering from disaster, poverty and/or political turmoil
and which promotes economic growth, global health and
humanitarian relief, including efforts to address the
needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Voluntary
Service Organisation (VSO)
A
term used for a Non-Profit Organization (NPO) in many
parts of the world.
Women’s
Commission for Refugee Women and Children
An
independent organization formed with the assistance
of the International Rescue Committee to advocate for
the solution of problems affecting refugee and internally
displaced women and children
World
Bank See: International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
World
Bank Group (WB)
A
development bank which provides loans, policy advice,
technical assistance and knowledge sharing services
to low and middle income countries to reduce poverty.
Its mission is to fight poverty and improve the living
standards of people in the developing world
World
Organization Against Torture (OMCT)
Coalition
of non-governmental organizations working against arbitrary
detention, torture, summary and extrajudicial executions,
forced disappearances and other forms of violence.
Worst
Form Of Child Labor (WFCL)
Worst
forms or exploitative child labor are defined as child
slavery (including forced labor, debt bondage and servitude);
child soldiering; child trafficking; child prostitution;
involving children in illegal activities (such as selling
drugs); and involving children in hazardous labor (labor
that, due to its nature, places the child's health,
safety and morals at risk).where a child under the age
of 18 is engaged in domestic labor and works under conditions
that are hazardous. This would also be true of situations
where the child has been trafficked into domestic labor,
or where debt bondage or other practices similar to
slavery exist.
©
copyright - Youth Advocate Program International 2003-04
Last updated 5/19/2004
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