OFFICIAL NAME
International Catholic Child Bureau
ACRONYM
BICE (Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance)
ESTABLISHED
1948
HISTORY
BICE was founded in Paris as a tool to serve those who, in the Catholic world, are working to establish the rights of children and to ensure their comprehensive growth. It made a decisive contribution to the drafting of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Some of the activities of BICE that have had an impact at worldwide level include the launching of the first international programme for the children of inmates, innovative initiatives in the field of relations between humanitarian principles and state sovereignty, and the promotion of the International Year of the Child. Previously recognised by the Holy See, the International Catholic Child Bureau was confirmed as an International Association of the Faithful by the Pontifical Council for the Laity’s decree of January 6, 2006. As an NGO it has consultative status with Unicef, Ecosoc, the Council of Europe, and operational relations with UNESCO.
IDENTITY
Taking a Christian anthropological approach, BICE promotes the rights of the child in unconditional respect for the child as a person with their culture, community and religion. Particular care is devoted to deprived and disabled children, street children, child drug victims, war victims, child prostitutes and exploited child labourers. Its work on behalf of children gives special attention to the psychosocial and spiritual needs of the child: education, a family environment, a sense of responsibility, self- onfidence, spiritual growth, and outreach to the intercultural dimension. In order to fulfil its mission, BICE drafts pilot projects and mediumand long-term research and action programmes, and it mobilises civil society, seeking to influence social policies.
ORGANISATION
BICE is managed by the General Assembly, made up of the members of the association, which meets once a year and elects the Board of Directors; the Board of Directors, with 15 members, which lays down the programme of activities for BICE according to the guidelines issued by the General Assembly; the Executive Committee, comprising the President, the Vice President, the Secretary General, the Treasurer and the Ecclesiastical Assistant. There are Regional Delegations for Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe and East and Central Europe.
MEMBERSHIP
BICE has 174 full and corresponding member associations, and is present in 35 countries as follows: Africa (6), Asia (4), Europe (14), North America (1), and South America (10).
PUBLICATIONS
Annual Report, published in French, English and Spanish; Enfants de partout, published quarterly in French.
WEB SITE
http://www.bice.org
HEADQUARTERS
Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance
70 Boulevard de Magenta - 75010 Paris - France
Tel. [+33]1.53350100 - Fax 1.53350119
Email: bice.paris@bice.org
