DCI Worldwide | | Movimento Globale per i Diritti dell’Infanzia

Founded in 1979 by Nigel Cantwell e Canon Moerman, Defence for Children International has actively contributed to the process of drafting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international standards at a time when human rights were not a priority in the analysis and questions around children’s issues. 

The debate which took place on the International Year of the Child highlighted and spread a large quantity of specific information for the first time in relation to the violation of children’s rights, for example torture, prostitution, economic exploitation, arbitrary detention, child slavery and trafficking. 

Defence for Children International was established to deal with the wide range of issues related to children through a human rights-centred approach. By becoming a reference point of the ONG coordination group when the CRC was drafted, Defence for Children International developed important relationships with other organisations becoming a crossroads of competencies and capacities. 

Today the movement is made up of 40 members between sections and associated members. Despite all the sections adhere to the mission and principles of the movement, each one defines and implements its own projects to promote and protect children’s rights according to the needs and priorities of young girls, boys and teenagers in the respective countries, as well as initiating international cooperation projects. The national sections are made up and governed locally and are financially independent from the Secretariat.