The Dutch CABA working group met through a telephone conference on Tuesday Feb 4, 2014. The meeting was attended by Doortje ‘t Hart (STOP AIDS NOW!), chair, Jolijn van Haaren (Unicef), Margot Klute (Wereldkinderen), Petra Costerman Boodt (Terre des Hommes) and Arend Huitzing (advisor). Other members had apologized because of travel abroad or unforeseen developments. The agenda was agreed as proposed. 1. Welcome and introduction(s) Petra was welcomed to the group and a very short round of introductions followed. 2. Round of exchange – sharing interesting developments in or activities of our organisations - related to Children and AIDS Margot referred to her email of Jan. 7th. concerning (amongst others) the realization of Guidelines for Action on Inter Country Adoption in Africa, which were drafted by the African Child Policy Forum and adopted by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child, to be recommended to the member states of the African Union. The ACPF will be allowed continue its activities in Addis Abeba. Margot will send the information again. Together with partners, Wereldkinderen will review the way in which cash transfers have also a beneficial effect on protection of children’s rights. UNICEF, said Jolijn, remains concerned with HIV prevention (e.g. early medication for pregnant women, as in WHO guidelines) and Social Protection. On Dec. 1st.,2013 the Sixth Stocktaking Report on Children and Aids appeared and on 30th. Jan. 2014 the State of the World’s Children 2014 (Every Child Counts) was published. Later this year, the 25 years of the Convention of the Rights of the Child will be commemorated (in The Netherlands in Leyden in particular). Notwithstanding all the information in these reports, UNICEF asks special attention for the importance of data collection on children’s interests, in particular on early child development. Petra mentioned involvement of Terre des Hommes in Bangladesh, where a project will be set up to combat child marriage and to prevent early pregnancies. In this project (with the Dutch Embassy, where surprisingly, funds were available) HIV will be integrated in this as indicating a vulnerable group. Doortje (STOP AIDS NOW!) : updates are given in the newsletter Children & Aids. At present, she is busy writing project proposals, e.g. a proposal on up-scaling the Malawi pilot project to the EU. Another proposal was submitted for the Postcode (Lottery) gala and she is also searching funds for a project to increase treatment for children with HIV in Uganda (where the participation of children in treatment is far behind that of adults). Taking up the point made by Margot on the importance of Addis Abeba and the African Union, Doortje told us that the ‘Stop Aids Alliance’ considers placing a lobbyist there, in addition to lobbyists already working in Brussels, Washington and Geneva.
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