Education for development and children’s rights: The role of international agencies and the impact of training on the transformation of contexts

The aim of the article is to examine the role of international agencies in education for development from the perspective of children’s rights. We consider the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 as one of the main milestones and child welfare as a cornerstone to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The successful experience of the UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative of the Spanish Committee and the impact of the Master’s Degree in Municipal Rights and Policies for Children are described. The results show that training improves job stability, professional skills and the development of comprehensive childhood initiatives, but does not have such a positive effect on organizations’ recognition of professionals. It is concluded that education is a powerful tool for the transformation of socioeducational contexts.