Article 4 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) provides for the obligation of States to invest the appropriate resources for guaranteeing that all the rights safeguarded by the convention are fulfilled to the maximum extent of the available resources. In its most recent communication regarding the implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child in Saint Lucia, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2014) acknowledged the Government of .Saint Lucia’s efforts to maintain the allocation of resources to the most vulnerable groups of society, including children, given the ongoing economic crisis. However, it also urged the

Government to assess the needs of children in terms of budget allocations, utilize a child-rights approach in the preparation of the State budget, with clear allocations for children in the relevant sectors and agencies, and provide disaggregated information on the proportion of the national budget allocated to the implementation of the rights of the child at the national and local level (pp. 4-5).

This report aims to assist in this effort by presenting an analysis of the national budget, while reflecting on policies and investments for children in Saint Lucia. The objective of a related report, published in the same series, is to examine and explore fiscal space for sustainable financing of existing as well as additional investments and spending that benefit poor households and children in particular.

The starting point of this endeavour is the understanding that such a fiscal space needs to

exist or be created in order for government to increase or improve on spending for children, the

poor, and other vulnerable groups in the population in a sustainable manner. The analysis focuses on social sector spending, which includes education, health, child protection and social protection. And, while child and gender responsive budgeting is necessary for the progressive realization of children and women’s rights and well-being, it should be acknowledged that spending decisions have to be taken against the backdrop of the necessity of maintaining fiscal and macroeconomic stability. Moreover, whether a certain policy measure is deemed affordable is eventually a matter of political will and commitment.

Budgets are a monetary reflection of all government policies. They not only relate to those who issuethem (e.g. finance ministries), but also to those who draft them, and ultimately implement and prioritize the policies that underlie them (e.g. line ministries). They do not merely relate to economic policy but rather they reflect the social contract between government and citizen and take into account social and economic considerations. Without political and civil consensus on how to implement human rights or conventions such as the CRC, long-term financial commitment is difficult to obtain. Download [full report]