LATIN AMERICAN REGION OF OMEP CODE OF ETHICS

LATIN AMERICAN REGION OF OMEP CODE OF ETHICS The main objective of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP), which is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, is to defend and promote the welfare of boys and girls, viewing them as rights holders in their early childhood 1. OMEP supports and will support all activities that improve accessibility and high quality of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). 2 Therefore, country members of OMEP Latin America continuously reaffirm the founding and historical principles in defense of the right to education and support those actions generated by its representatives members, committees, executives and other friend organizations strengthening their roles as actors committed to childhood as they build a truly professional ethical framework. Adhesion to OMEP constitutes for all its members a commitment to abide, disseminate and promote the purposes and goals of the organization by adhering to the following CODE OF ETHICS: Chapter I 1. General provisions 1.1. This Code of Ethics shall be applied to all OMEP members and/or Committees while they are part of OMEP Latin America. 1.2. Being an OMEP member carries a responsibility and entails being a firm advocate working hard for the defense of the principles stated by the organization. Such defense involves promoting and complying with the principles stated in the 1 When analyzing the rights of early childhood, the Committee wants to include all little children: from their birth and first year of life, going through pre-schooling and until their transition into schooling. Thus, the Committee suggests, as an appropriate definition of early childhood for the present work, the period below the age of 8 years 2005 General Comment Nº 7 Implementing children rights in early childhood 2 Learning begins well before a child enters primary school: it begins at birth and in the home. Comprehensive Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) fosters holistic development and learning of young children from birth to eight years of age. Care includes health, nutrition and hygiene in a secure and nurturing environment. Education includes stimulation, socialization, guidance, participation, and learning and developmental activities. Care and Education are inseparable: both are needed and reinforce each other to create a strong foundation for children s subsequent lifelong learning and wellbeing.(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-internationalagenda/education-for-all/advocacy/global-action-week/gaw-2012/what-is-ecce/) LATIN AMERICA REGION OF OMEP- CODE OF ETHICS 1

Constitution of OMEP, which acknowledges it as an international body committed to the defense of human rights and to all aspects related to ECCE, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), specially with articles 28, 29 and 30, in the context of Early Childhood. 1.3. OMEP ethical core values are based on democracy, transparency, commitment, respect, honesty, justice, participation, responsibility and collaboration. OMEP also advocates a culture of non violence and fight for peace, freedom of speech, respect for cultural diversity, respect for the environment and contribution to the development of the community. 1.4. The National Committees shall subscribe to OMEP aims and objectives, which means becoming active participants in the different activities which fall upon them in their quality of members, namely: submitting the annual reports to the Executive Committee and the Regional Vice Presidency for Latin America, paying the annual membership fee, attending international meetings as often as possible and following the work plans established in their committee, adapting the organization s global and Latin American lines of action to the local context and performing, developing and assessing their own national activities. 1.5. In order to achieve a coordinate action at regional level, each committee must keep in contact with the Vice Presidency for Latin America, reporting their work, activities, and/or problems, enabling all parties to be connected with a view to achieving consensus management and effective synergies. 1.6. It is an ethical commitment to foster mutual support in regional and global actions aimed at consolidating an inclusive pedagogy and political speech, such as congresses, assemblies and other professional encounters. Chapter II: Framework of action 2. General provisions concerning behavior. 2.1. Actions carried out by either the Committees or their members shall be aligned with the general principles stated in OMEP World Constitution, the policies adopted by the World Assembly and the regulations of each National Committee. LATIN AMERICA REGION OF OMEP- CODE OF ETHICS 2

2.2. Non-discrimination is a key principle for all OMEP members, so OMEP shall be reaffirmed as a comprehensive, ecumenical organization, keeping clear of any public manifestation, on behalf of the organization, of individual religious or political stances. 2.3. It is important that each member is fully aware of and knowledgeable about the mission and vision of the organization and, accordingly, engages in ensuring compliance with the following: 2.3.1. To ensure the organization s growth and sustainability, so that the spirit and coherence of its work is maintained. 2.3.2. To collect and disseminate information and facilitate the understanding of the rights of young children at local, regional and global levels. 2.3.3. To promote study and research in ECCE. 2.3.4. To promote family education in accordance to ECCE. 2.3.5. To promote continuous professional training of people involved in ECCE. 2.3.6. To organize international and regional conferences and symposia, ensuring their academic quality. 2.3.7. To establish work relations with other world organizations sharing similar objectives. 2.3.8. To facilitate the development of networks with governments, civil society organizations and institutions interested in ECCE. 2.3.9. To promote actions intended to build and maintain direct personal relationships among all members of the Regional OMEP through different means. 2.3.10. To encourage the establishment of Local and Regional Committees. 2.4. With the aim of ensuring responsibility and respect in a constructive manner, each member of the National Committees is allowed and expected to report to the President of National Committees or Regional Vice Presidency for Latin America, on any facts or behavior contrary to the values and interests of the organization or failing to comply with its ethics and current regulations so that this could be amended. LATIN AMERICA REGION OF OMEP- CODE OF ETHICS 3

2.5. Internal and external relationships originated when executing OMEP works in each of the Latin American countries must be based on transparency, harmonious coexistence, good faith, honesty and respect. All of the above shall be expressed in leadership, fulfillment of commitments, efficient use of resources and respect for the norms established in OMEP Constitution. 2.6. Since OMEP is a non-profit organization, part of the income obtained through the execution of projects, programs, academic events or courses can be used to pay professional fees but no less than 15% of the proceeds shall be devoted to the functioning of the organization itself, ensuring that the interests of OMEP are always kept above any personal interest. 2.7. Intellectual property and copyright: All contents discussed in the National Committees, in the Regional or World Assembly meetings with the Vice Presidency or with the different agents participating in the Organization, must be in accordance with the current applicable regulations as regards intellectual property rights, and should quote the corresponding bibliography sources. 2.8. The use of OMEP name and logo must be for the benefit of the organization, since the organization well-being, visibility and reputation are the interests that should always prevail. 2.9. Information security and confidentiality: The members of the Presidency of each National Committee must ensure due reservation as regards any confidential information asset, whether they are the direct responsible of the content of such asset or in the case they are in charge of them. 2.10. Transparency in management: Each Committee s annual reports and balance sheets shall be available to the public. Chapter III 3. Responsibility in institutional and inter-institutional relationships. 3.1. In order to ensure the continuous democratization of the institution, the following should be done: 3.1.1. Carry out annual assemblies to renew the members elected to the Board of Directors. Reelection of members is recommended for one period only. LATIN AMERICA REGION OF OMEP- CODE OF ETHICS 4

3.1.2. Choose for the Board of Directors members that prove to enjoy solvency and academic soundness as regards ECCE and to be committed to OMEP objectives. 3.1.3. Work to spread the presence of local committees to the provinces or states beyond capital cities of each country, in order to encourage the growth of the organization and to guarantee that each province / department / state / jurisdiction of the country, is represented. 3.1.4. To widen the influence of OMEP work through agreements and deals with other organizations with similar concerns, building and maintaining harmonious relationships, marked by a democratic coexistence, which will contribute to mutual enrichment. 3.2. The Regional Vice-Presidency for Latin America, its team, and members of the National Committees agree to keep harmonious relationships with the control authorities of each country, other organizations and also within the OMEP itself, by promptly submitting, in a complete and accurate manner, any information that these are legally entitled to ask for, so that they can do their job efficiently. Likewise, they agree to implement the institutional and inter-institutional improvement measures derived from the reports of supervisory and control departments. 3.3. Each OMEP active member shall be aware of professional ethical principles and liabilities, refraining themselves from satisfying personal interests that could jeopardize the rights of the people and/or from using OMEP for their own benefit or for benefit of a third organization, institution or company to which he or she belongs to. 3.4. To guarantee ECCE enforcement, all actions carried out by the Regional Vice-Presidency for Latin America and the National Committees will be applied in consideration of justice, equity, quality, and effectiveness and will lie within the scope of OMEP constitutional principles; the Regional Vice-Presidency for Latin America will also encourage citizen participation to devise educational policies and to monitor management. 3.5. The OMEP members and committees from each Latin American country shall keep ties with several actors related to ECCE and will always abide by a principle of mutual respect, avoiding to cross the limits as regards the professional field. Any discrepancies LATIN AMERICA REGION OF OMEP- CODE OF ETHICS 5

that might arise should be treated democratically and in accordance with OMEP Constitution, National Regulations and this Code of Ethics. 3.6. Members commit to enrich communications by keeping a fluid dialog with other public and private institutions and labor unions, in compliance with all ethical deals as regards the rights set by the CRC. The main goal of this is to build fluent and democratic relationships that will give shape to forceful work oriented at improving the general welfare and life quality of boys and girls. 3.7. Discipline plurality will be acknowledged and respected, and the integrity and indivisibility of rights and approaches on ECCE will be promoted. 3.8. Relation with the community: Personal interests of members must be aligned with general welfare, acknowledging the community as the legitimate beneficiary of the actions of the organization, within the frame of a serious conduction that is coherent with the ethical principles. 3.9. Communication and information are cornerstones oriented at providing the educational community and the society with an accurate, timely and transparent account of all plans, programs, projects, measures and achievements of each OMEP Committee that are oriented to the defense and promotion of education in Latin America. Chapter IV On the Committees action 4.1 All academic activities organized by OMEP Committees (assemblies, congresses and other academic events), constitute a public expression of the vision, ideas and work of OMEP as a whole, so any National Committee organizing such activities is to take into account an ethic, aesthetic, academic and political management framework which is in accordance with OMEP quality and professionalism. Thus: 4.1.1 The organization of regional events must be arranged through the committee of the hosting country and the program must be agreed by the Regional Vice-Presidency. In order to ensure that the event is carried out as stated in OMEP Constitution, information related to the event must be delivered in appropriate communication times, and logistics and expenses (tickets, accommodation, transfers, among others) must be anticipated. LATIN AMERICA REGION OF OMEP- CODE OF ETHICS 6

4.1.2 If possible, the experts on the different subject-matters who are invited to participate should be members of OMEP or academic colleagues with a high, relevant, up-to-date and valuable pedagogic discourse. 4.1.3 The use of graphic and communicational material that is infantilized or of material linked to market proposals should be avoided, in order to encourage professionalism and ethical and aesthetic quality. 4.1.4. The companies sponsoring the events through financial support must be sensitive towards prevention and eradication of child labor and be not in connivance with violations to the rights of children. 4.2 Visits to institutions: local educational and/or cultural spaces chosen for visits must be coherent with OMEP principles. Likewise, it is expected that these institutions, if possible, contribute to the academic and practical formation of each person, being innovative in their proposal. 4.2.1 When there are children present in the institutions visited, their welfare and safety shall be set as a priority. Thus, each time the number of visitors shall be optimized, in an effort to avoid intrusive attitudes that could affect them. 4.2.2 As regards photographs, these should always be taken with academic purposes. No pictures of the children should be taken without the child s and his/her parents consent. In particular, the unnecessary use of flash indoors and in close-ups of the kids should be avoided. 4.3 Internet and social network publications: Considering that the Internet and social networks have become a basic tool for OMEP visibility and promotion in relation to ECCE, all publications posted through these means must be aimed only at promoting the values and principles stated in the OMEP Constitution and in this Code of Ethics, in the most objective and ecumenical manner. Public demonstrations and news in the name of or regarding the organization should not be linked to personal issues of their members. LATIN AMERICA REGION OF OMEP- CODE OF ETHICS 7