Association Insight International & European Association Insights Spring 2015 | Page 28

Association Insights | Association Success Story

To build the case for GC and sustainable impact, IPA has
strategically driven the campaign at a number of levels:
1. R
 esearch on the importance of play to strengthen the
case: Children’s Right to Play: Importance of Play in the
Lives of Children Worldwide (Lester and Russell, 2009);
2. Global Consultation project on Children’s Right
to identify infringements of article 31 (2010): IPA
implemented its Global Consultation Project through
partnership working in eight cities- Tokyo, Beirut, Sofia,
Bangkok, Mexico City, Nairobi, Johannesburg and
Mumbai. It highlighted both common themes in play and
specific barriers to play in particular locations.
3. Working group for continuous influencing and support
on the drafting and adoption of the GC;
4. E
 ngagement with children in six countries to participate
in the drafting of the UN General Comment on article
31. (Sie rra Leone, Scotland, Lebanon, Brazil, Kenya
and Thailand). These consultations highlighted many
groups of children who were ‘invisible’ in communities
(particularly disabled children) and children for
whom play was not a feature of their childhood years
(particularly orphaned and displaced children).
5. A
 special issue of magazine on GC, a summary of the
GC, a child-friendly version and a video to promote
understanding and the use of GC.
6. IPA launched the GC in Geneva in September 2013. 67
delegates from 32 countries joined the celebration and
committed to further advocate for play in their countries.
The voice will continue as advocacy tools are made
available on IPA website.
In short, the target was the adoption by the UN of GC on
article 31. The campaign would also produce the above
mentioned advocacy tools for widening the impact of the
campaign to different parts of the world.
With the above achievement, the campaign has met its
target. However, we realize that each individual countries
will have their own challenges to meet before child’s right
to play will actually be protected, preserved and promoted
locally. IPA will continue to support to further the mission,
and thus we are continuously developing the advocacy
tools into more languages for use. Teams of volunteer
translators from amongst our membership make this task
possible.
» Summary of the General Comment – now available in
English, Spanish and Chinese
» Child-friendly versions of the GC – now available in
English, Welsh, German, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese and
Gaelic
»V
 ideo “This is Me: Article 31 and a Child’s Right to Play”
– now available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
German, Spanish, and 7 other languages in process.
» Special issue of the international Playrights Magazine
Summary of the United Nations General Comment by IPA
To address the poor recognition given by Governments to the right
of children to rest, leisure, play, free and full participation in artistic,
cultural and recreational activities, the Committee on the Right of
the Child has produced a ‘General Comment’ that explains in detail
measures governments are urged to take to ensure implementation
of the rights in article 31 for all children. The General Comment was
adopted by the Committee in 2013.

Partners
The key campaign partner is Bernard van Leer Foundation
(BvLF). BvLF has not only provided financial support,
but also actively engaged in the campaign development.
Their representative, Mr SelimIltus was part of the working
group for continuous lobbying and support on the drafting
and adoption of the GC. Their support has enabled
us to commission the research and launch the global
consultation.
IPA has also successfully invited seven international
organizations to become co-signatories to IPA’s request for
a GC.
Right to Play International
World Leisure Organization
International Pediatrics Association
International Council on Children’s Play
World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP)
International Toy Library Association
European Child Friendly Cities Network

Challenges
Although IPA has an active and committed membership, it
is not an Association with large reserves of funds to draw
on. It is run by members without permanent paid staff. Its
main source of funds is membership fees to service basic
running of the association. Children’s rights and the right to
play specifically can be difficult to pin down, are not always
well understood and therefore it can be difficult to attract
funds at this level. IPAs main resource therefore was the
passion and commitment of members.
In order to achieve our overall aim to ensure all children are
able to exercise their right to play, requires actions all over
the world by many individuals, agencies and organisations.
IPA therefore recognised that the achievement of the UN
General Comment was a hugely significant step but that
in order to achieve its potential, people way beyond our
network need to be energised. Our challenge therefore is
to continually reach out to help spark commitment and
actions with a life of their own outside IPA.
The General Comments has highlighted the general
challenges in the realization of article 31 and government’s
obligations to respect, protect and fufil article 31 rights. It
is a very positive documents as it suggests lots of practical
ways for individual countries to follow up.
On another note, the General Comment has also listed
children requiring particular attention, including girls,
children living in poverty, children with disabilities, children
in institutions, children from indigenous and minority

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