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The Inter-American Dialogue, in collaboration with UNICEF, the University of the Andes, and other civil society partners, co-hosted the Second Regional Forum for Early Childhood Development on September 24 and 25.
Representatives from governments, civil society, and cooperation agencies gathered in Bogotá, Colombia, and signed the “Declaration of the Second Regional Forum Agenda for Early Childhood Development.” (Document in Spanish).
Different sectors from several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean called on the entire region to reaffirm and advance the political and social commitment to the Regional Agenda for Early Childhood Development (signed in 2017) and to achieve new commitments that allow for continued progress in the fulfillment of children’s rights and well-being.
In this regard, during the Second Forum, the four agreements of the Regional Agenda were reaffirmed and consolidated: (1) Intersectorality and financing; (2) quality of child development services; (3) measurement of child development; and (4) collaboration and alliances. The signatories agreed to include a new agreement: (5) inclusion and equity that seeks guarantees for children on the move and refugees; policies and programs for child development with and for Indigenous peoples and nationalities, Afro-descendants and other ethnic groups; and attention to promoting the development of children with disabilities.
During the Second Forum and within the framework of the Regional Agenda, the Second Early Childhood Policy Progress Report was presented. This report summarizes the main results of the new eight country progress reports on the four agreements of the Regional Agenda, recognizing the opportunities for improvement and, above all, highlighting the strengths that the different countries have in each of the areas.
The agreements presented at the Second Regional Agenda Forum arose from discussions in private sessions held during the Forum and are the result of a dialogue process between a multi-sector group of actors committed to early childhood in the region.
