Interplast Australia and New Zealand is a child safe organisation and does not tolerate any form of child exploitation or abuse. Interplast programs facilitate positive outcomes for children, through plastic and reconstructive surgical services and associated allied health support. Through these programs, Interplast is committed to improving opportunities for children to lead a healthy, meaningful life, engaged in their community.
In its work, Interplast commits to protect and safeguard children from all forms of abuse and exploitation. Each person who shares in the work of Interplast shares in the responsibility to take every precaution to protect the children associated with programs from all forms of abuse and exploitation.
Interplast recognizes that the local partners (medical professionals) with whom it works to deliver programs play a specific role in the community to keep children safe and are trusted and accessible professionals. Interplast also recognizes that children may come into contact with our programs who are not just patient beneficiaries, but also family members (siblings/children) of patients.
To this end, Interplast will ensure:
Interplast’s commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children is underpinned by the upholding of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989), local and international legislative frameworks, the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Child Protection Policy, as well as meeting DFAT’s 9 minimum standards for child protection.
UNICEF, the United Nations’ Children’s organisation, has published a series of reports relating to child protection in the Pacific Islands, which can be found here.
The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) has compiled a list of websites related to the rights of children which may be useful.
Australian child-safe organisation ChildWise has a number of useful resources to support developing a child protection policy and processes, which can be found here.
The following organisations (to which Interplast is not affiliated) work in many of Interplast’s partner countries, with a focus on child protection. They may be able to assist in developing policies, processes and other resources which are specific to local needs:
In each country in which Interplast works, we have developed a useful fact-sheet about local laws and contacts for child protection. Please click on the relevant link below to access this fact-sheet for your country.