IIN Directing Council in Honduras: “Childhood unites us”
IIN Directing Council in Honduras: “Childhood unites us”
From October 13 to 15, 2025, the 99th Regular Meeting of the Directing Council of the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN-OAS) will take place in Comayagua, Honduras, under the theme “Childhood unites us.” This gathering will bring together representatives of OAS Member States and delegations of children and adolescents from across the region in a space of democratic, technical, and participatory dialogue.
Held annually, this meeting provides an opportunity to present the institution’s actions and management processes for the 2024–2025 period and to strengthen public policies through intergenerational dialogue between high-level national authorities on childhood and adolescence and representatives of child and adolescent participation networks.
Participation: A right and a practice in action
The right to participate, enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and addressed in General Comment No. 12, guides the IIN’s working methodology. As a practical expression of this commitment, and in line with the resolutions of the Directing Council and mandates of the OAS General Assembly, this year’s meeting will include technical roundtables that will bring together children and adolescents with state authorities to jointly discuss and formulate recommendations on three key topics:
1. Early Childhood
This roundtable will examine the commitments made by States regarding comprehensive early childhood care, emphasizing the importance of sustained, multisectoral policies that guarantee rights from the earliest years of life.
2. Child Rights Protection Systems
This roundtable will address the need to strengthen and coordinate national child protection systems to ensure the full and non-discriminatory exercise of the rights of children and adolescents. The principle of shared responsibility among the State, civil society, and families will be highlighted as the foundation of a comprehensive protection approach.
3. Mental Health
This roundtable will seek to promote an inter-American mental health strategy based on rights, inclusion, and participation. It will foster a comprehensive vision that includes social, digital, family, and educational factors.
In addition, the meeting will draw on contributions from the Civil Society Forum and the 4th Child and Adolescent Participation Forum, both held during the 23rd Pan American Child Congress (El Salvador, 2024).
IIN-OAS: Strengthening States’ commitment to children and adolescents
Under the theme “United by childhood,” the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN-OAS) reaffirms its role as a key technical and political body supporting OAS Member States, strengthening their capacities to design and implement public policies for children and adolescents.
With its centenary on the horizon and in pursuit of the 2023–2027 Action Plan, the Directing Council will continue to promote concrete transformations in public policies, from an intergenerational, participatory, and democratic perspective that guarantees the rights of all children and adolescents—without discrimination.
