Maestral is delighted to support the new Global Campaign in Children’s Care Reform which was announced in January 2025 by the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy (then Foreign Secretary). Maestral has recently endorsed the Global Charter on Children’s Care Reform which is a central pillar of the campaign, calling on world leaders to act together to: uphold the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; invest in families, children, care leavers, and inclusive services; and to end violence against children and harmful practices like orphanage tourism.
During the UN General Assembly week, the Charter was formally launched at an event in New York hosted by the UK Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, along with young people with lived experience, the executive director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, and Ambassador Carlos Márcio Cozendey from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil. It was announced that twenty-eight countries had already signed the Charter and over one hundred organisations had endorsed it, including UNICEF and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children. We echo the call for more countries to join this movement and stand alongside other global leaders by signing the Charter and making commitments to implement improvements to their care systems and sharing learning with each other.
With UK FCDO support, Maestral is pleased to be coordinating technical assistance for countries who sign the Charter and would like support in developing their commitments or taking the first steps in implementing commitments. We are excited to be coordinating with UNICEF and technical experts around the world to be ready to provide guidance and support as we look forward to requests being submitted. The provision of technical assistance will be available over the next 12-18 months, alongside the campaign’s wider sharing and learning events.