How we work

Plan International’s mission

Plan aims to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives, by:

Plan’s right based approach

Plan’s rights-based approach is child-centred and focused on community development, in which children, families and communities are active and leading participants in their own development. Plan believes that there is a clear link between access to rights and poverty reduction. For example, a child who receives good quality education has the best opportunity to become economically secure in the future and benefit future generations.

The six core principles of Plan’s work

1. Our programmes focus on children because they are disproportionately affected by poverty, abuse and exploitation.

2. Our programmes are guided by international human rights principles and regional conventions.

3. We work for, and on behalf of, children in order to enable them to claim their rights. We also support those with a duty towards children to deliver on their obligations, and hold these duty bearers to account.

4. Our programmes promote an environment of social inclusion, and protect children from discrimination, particularly children living in extreme poverty, children with disabilities and those from isolated communities.

5. Our programmes promote gender equality. Gender-based discrimination within society undermines individuals’ power to create change.

6. Our programmes maximise the free and meaningful participation of children in the decisions that affect their lives, bearing in mind their evolving capacity to understand and contribute.

Taking Plan’s Vision to the European level

Plan’s vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people’s rights and dignity. To bring this vision to the European level, the Plan EU Office strives to ensure that the promotion and protection of the rights of the child is a priority in EU policy and practice, and that children’s voices are heard in the decision-making process.

In order to achieve this, the Plan EU Office advocates for the mainstreaming of child rights throughout the work of the European Union, and in their development policy in particular with the goal of bringing lasting change in the lives of children. We have a particular focus in our advocacy work on education, health, child protection and gender; and child participation is a red line through everything we do.

Since the EU is the world’s largest international donor of development aid, engaging with this influential global player is of critical importance to achieve the goals and vision of Plan. Therefore, we also advocate for increased and improved development and humanitarian aid with particular attention to children; we are closely involved in the debates on the MDGs, and post-2015, and the next multi-annual financial framework.

The Plan EU Office is also an information and coordination platform for Plan members on child related policies and European Commission (EC) grants. We monitor EC funding instruments and build capacities of our members for a more effective mobilisation of resources for quality projects of Plan.

Our Office also campaigns to increase awareness of child-centred development, presenting the work of Plan in programme countries and the lessons learnt. We communicate to a wide range of actors by organising conferences, roundtables and other events with Plan colleagues, key EU policymakers, other civil society organisations and children themselves. By building associations between Plan members, Southern partners and European policymakers, we aim to raise awareness of children’s rights.