The Human Rights Council this
afternoon held a special event on violence
against children that focused on follow-up to
the study by Sergio Paulo Pinheiro, the
Independent Expert on violence against children.
Mr. Pinheiro said the study, which was
presented at the General Assembly last year,
painted a global picture of the nature, extent
and causes of violence against children, and
proposed clear recommendations for action to
prevent and respond to it. The study called for
an end to all justification to any form of
violence against children. High-level attention
by the international community was crucial for
increasing awareness on issues such as the
impact of war on children and the harm
associated with trafficking and sexual
exploitation. He stressed the need to ensure
political will and adequate resources to support
change.
Kyung-wha Kang, United Nations
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said
in opening remarks that the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights and UN partner
agencies were fully committed to ensuring
follow-up to the recommendations of the
Secretary-General's study on violence against
children, and supporting the report's
Independent Expert, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, in
developing a long-term strategy for combining
public health, education, child protection and
human rights. It was essential that the Council
provided leadership so that children would be
guaranteed their right to live a life of dignity
and respect, free of violence.
In a
video message, Moushira Khatab, Vice-Chairperson
of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and
Secretary-General of the National Council for
Childhood and Motherhood of Egypt, said that
with the launch of the study, the real work for
implementation had just begun. It was also time
to make sure that every country had a legal
framework that prohibited and criminalized
violence against children, a plan of action, a
monitoring body, budgetary allocation and a
genuine, effective, transparent partnership
between governments and civil societies,
including children themselves.
In the
interactive dialogue that followed, speakers
affirmed that regrettably, multi-facetted forms
of violence against children existed in all
countries of the world. They agreed that all
forms of violence against children were
unjustifiable, preventable and should be
stopped. Speakers outlined national efforts to
prevent and fight violence against children,
with some highlighting the plight of children
with disabilities who were acutely vulnerable to
violence. Other issues raised included the need
to abolish female genital circumcision and child
marriages. On gathering of data, speakers called
for an agreed set of norms and standards for the
collection of such data. Speakers also discussed
the best ways to implement and follow up the
recommendations mentioned in the study.
Speaking in the interactive dialogue
were Uruguay, Germany on behalf of the European
Union, Norway on behalf of the Nordic countries,
Argentina, Egypt, Mexico, Australia, Uzbekistan,
New Zealand, India, United Kingdom, Pakistan on
behalf of the Organization of Islamic
Conference, Malaysia, Ecuador, Morocco, Brazil,
Tunisia, Cuba, Japan, China, Canada, Azerbaijan,
Bangladesh and Slovenia.
The following
non-governmental organizations addressed the
Conference: Save the Children Alliance, Human
Rights Advocates, International Islamic
Federation of Students Organizations, World
Population Foundation, Union of Feminine Action,
World Organization against Torture and
Association for World Education.
The
following speakers made concluding remarks:
Karin Landgren, Chief for Child Protection at
the United Nations Children's Fund in New York;
Robert Buthcart, Coordinator for Prevention of
Violence at the World Health Organization; Yoshi
Noguchi, Senior Legal Officer at the
International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour at the International Labour
Organization; Roberta Cecchetti, Representative
from the NGO Advisory Group on Violence Against
Children; and Bacre N'Diaye, Director of the
Division of Procedures and Human Rights at the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights.
At the beginning of the meeting,
a video presentation on violence against
children prepared by Save the Children was
shown.
The Council is scheduled to
reconvene at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 20 March at
which time it will start its consideration of
the report of the Working Group on Enforced and
Involuntary Disappearances. It is also expected
to review reports from the Independent Expert on
minority issues, the Special Rapporteur on the
human rights of migrants, and the Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and
fundamental freedoms of indigenous people.
Report of Independent Expert on Violence
against Children
The Council has before
it the note by the Secretary-General
transmitting the report of the Independent
Expert for the United Nations study on violence
against children (A/61/299), based on the
in-depth study undertaken by Paulo Sérgio
Pinheiro, Independent Expert appointed by the
Secretary-General pursuant to General-Assembly
resolution 57/90 of 2002. The report provides a
global picture of violence against children and
proposes recommendations to prevent and respond
to this issue. It provides information on the
incidence of various types of violence against
children within the family, schools, alternative
care institutions and detention facilities,
places where children work and communities. The
study was prepared through a participatory
process which included regional, subregional and
national consultations, expert thematic meetings
and field visits. Many Governments also provided
comprehensive responses to a questionnaire
transmitted to them by the Independent Expert in
2004. Among the report's recommendations are
that Governments should formulate a national
strategy, policy or plan of action on violence
against children with realistic and time-bound
targets, coordinated by an agency with the
capacity to involve multiple sectors in a
broad-based implementation strategy.
Opening Statements
KYUNG-WHA
KANG, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
, said the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights and UN partner agencies were fully
committed to ensuring follow-up to the
recommendations of the Secretary-General's study
on violence against children, and supporting the
report's Independent Expert, Paulo Sergio
Pinheiro, in developing a long-term strategy for
combining public health, education, child
protection and human rights. She acknowledged
the efforts of non-governmental organizations in
the early phase of the follow-up process, and
the role of the Committee on the Rights of the
Child, which initiated the process. Children
were also mobilizing to participate in the
follow-up.
The Deputy High-Commissioner
said follow-up would be a challenging task,
especially where attitudes and traditions were
used to justify or normalize violence against
children. Violence against children was
completely unjustifiable and preventable, and
structured, focused follow-up was essential. Mr.
Pinheiro's report called for integrated measures
to prevent and respond to violence against
children in national action plans; strengthening
legal frameworks and ensuring conformity with
the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
prevention and promotion of participation of
children in the follow-up processes; and
strengthening of data protection. It was
essential to work together on all these areas
and to focus on those where there was value
added. The Council should provide leadership so
that children would be guaranteed their right to
live a life of dignity and respect, free of
violence.
MOUSHIRA KHATTAB,
Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights
of the Child and Secretary-General of the
National Council for Childhood and Motherhood of
Egypt , in a video message, said that with the
launch of the study, the real work for
implementation had just begun. The challenge was
to invest in the process of partnership and
sense of ownership that this study had been
developed through. Every region, every state and
every government, non-governmental organization
or children themselves should see now the final
recommendations of the study as their own
recommendations. The challenge was to work on
the national level, and to support governments
and the civil society to implement the agenda
that the study had put. It was also time to make
sure that every state had a legal framework that
prohibited and criminalized violence against
children, a plan of action, a monitoring body,
budgetary allocation and a genuine, effective,
transparent partnership between governments and
civil societies, including children themselves.
Speaking on behalf of the Middle East
and North Africa Region, Ms. Khattab said this
region had demonstrated a will and determination
to end violence against children. It was very
important to empower regional mechanisms to
continue with the implementation and follow up;
and at the international level, the Committee on
the Rights of the Child would continue its
mandate to monitor the implementation by State
Parties of their obligation within this study. A
Special Representative would follow up on a
continuous basis to assist the Committee in its
mandate. The Special Representative would ensure
that the States Parties were exerting the
necessary efforts throughout the reporting
periods to ameliorate the welfare of the child.
It was very important that this Special
Representative was within the United Nations
system.
PAULO SERGIO PINHEIRO,
Independent Expert for the United Nations study
on violence against children , said the study
had been presented last year to the General
Assembly after almost three years of an
intensive participatory process. The study
painted a global picture of the nature, extent
and causes of violence against children, and
proposed clear recommendations for action to
prevent and respond to it. It found that,
despite repeated commitments to protect
children's rights, in every region of the world
it persisted, and was often hidden and
unrecorded. The study called for an end to all
justification to any form of violence against
children. Since the beginning, it was clear that
the report should be a tool for action at
global, national, and local levels, and for this
to happen, the findings and recommendations
detailed in the report should be disseminated
and debated by the various relevant
stakeholders.
The first year of
follow-up would be focused on promoting
activities of dissemination, galvanising action,
most particularly by United Nations entities and
Member States, reporting on progress made, and
outlining a long-term follow-up strategy to
secure continuity to the process. But
dissemination alone was not sufficient: the
implementation of such a vast number of
recommendations required prioritisation and
coordination at national, regional, and national
levels. Implementation did not necessarily mean
starting new programmes or policies, but
frequently required strengthening or expanding
the coverage of measures already in place.
His experience in leading the study
process had, Mr. Pinheiro said, convinced him
that Member States were ready to join forces and
fully implement the study recommendations,
transforming into action the commitments
expressed in the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. But the impact of the actions would not
be felt without comprehensive support and
political will. All concerned should therefore
consolidate their commitments, to truly invest
in national initiatives to prevent and respond
to violence, and to demonstrate international
solidarity. High-level attention at the
international community was crucial for
increasing awareness on issues such as the
impact of war on children and the harm
associated with trafficking and sexual
exploitations. The protection of children from
all forms of violence would require an even
stronger commitment as many forms of violence,
such as violence in homes and schools, youth
violence and violence in state institutions had
been only scarcely mentioned to date.
Interactive Debate on Violence against
Women
PAULINE DAVIES (
Uruguay ) said Uruguay
was very pleased to see the special event being
held and thanked Professor Pinheiro and all
special guests for their participation. The
Human Rights Council must participate in the
first year of implementation of this study as
approved at the last session of the General
Assembly. There were various mechanisms to
render the process effective. On a national
level, with the support of the United Nations
Children's Fund and Save the Children, a study
produced by Uruguay had generated rich debate on
public policy and social development. Violence
against children was a gap in the Special
Procedures of the Council and deserved special
attention.
ANKE KONRAD ( Germany ),
speaking on behalf of the European Union , said
that the European Union attached utmost
importance to the promotion and protection of
the rights of children and appealed to all
countries to support ongoing international
efforts to this end. Regrettably, multi-facetted
forms of violence against children existed in
all countries of the world. Full awareness
raising was much needed; the issue deserved
undivided international attention. The European
Union welcomed all steps to improve the
situation of children affected by violence and
supported relevant international actors, most
notably the United Nations and its special
mechanisms, the United Nations Children's Fund,
the Council of Europe and the Organization of
Security and Cooperation in Europe, among
others. The European Union believed that the
Human Rights Council could play a supportive
role in addressing violations of the rights of
children. The European Union was very grateful
to Professor Pinheiro for his dedicated work and
supported the thrust of the study. Its concrete
recommendations could provide a road map for
coordinated follow up action at the national and
international levels.
ASTRID HELLE
AJAMAY ( Norway ), speaking on behalf of the
Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Sweden and Norway), said the Nordic countries
firmly supported the recommendations in the
study. All forms of violence against children
were unjustifiable, preventable, and should be
stopped. Initiatives should encompass human
rights, child protection, and child health, in
order to prevent and respond to all forms of
violence, and should involve all forms of
agencies at all levels. The Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights could add
long-term value in the area of legal reform. The
heads of the United Nations Children's Fund and
the World Health Organization should provide
support, and the Committee on the Rights of the
Child should be actively involved in follow-up
to recommendations. The advice of Mr. Pinheiro
on how to best integrate the recommendations in
the programmes of the different United Nations
agencies was requested.
SERGIO CERDA (
Argentina ) said that one of the regional
consultations leading to the study was carried
out in Argentina, and this had been a good
opportunity to examine the issue. Argentina
supported mechanisms of the Human Rights Council
that helped resolve the issue of follow-up in an
appropriate time. This was a key tool for
stakeholders working in children-related areas.
Argentina hoped the report would endorse the new
public policy on children in Argentina, notably
regarding the juvenile justice system.
MAHY ABDEL LATIF ( Egypt ) said that
Egypt wished to thank Professor Pinheiro for his
tireless efforts that had culminated in the
study. The implementation of the recommendations
in the study would lead states to provide a lot
of measures to enhance the situation of children
and promote the protection of their rights.
Egypt actively supported the work of the study.
Egypt also remained committed to all efforts to
follow up and implement all the recommendations
stated in the study at national and
international levels.
ELIA SOSA ( Mexico
) said Mexico supported the work of the
Independent Expert on violence against children.
There was no type of violence against children
that could not be prevented if daily practices
in the family and in society were changed, and
children were recognised as subjects of human
rights. Mexico had worked on violence against
children both nationally and regionally, and
endorsed the objective set out by the study that
by 2009 there be national systems to compile
statistics, and to establish national policies
and focal points. The timeline of activities for
the next few years at the regional, national and
international levels gave a better plan for
following-up the recommendations of the study,
and this was appreciated. The recommendations of
the study should be applied in an effective
manner. Children should be properly protected
against violence by the mechanisms of the
Council.
LARA NASSAU ( Australia ) said
Australia shared concern about the effects of
violence on children, especially in situations
of armed conflict. Australia supported numerous
programmes, notably in Sri Lanka, where it had
sent human rights law experts to assist a
National Commission of Inquiry to investigate
serious human rights abuses there.
KANYAZOV ESEMURAT ( Uzbekistan ) said
that the protection of the rights of children
was a priority for the State policy of
Uzbekistan. There were monitoring measures among
others. Uzbekistan was cooperating with the
United Nations Educational, Cultural and
Scientific Organization for guarantees for
children with the participation of
non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It also
set up a children's ombudsman. A national plan
of action was developed where NGOs were active
partners. Uzbekistan involved school children
and NGOs to provide them with material on the
rights of the child. A policy of the development
of school education had been established. An
annual set of measures for preventive health had
been set up. Protection of the rights of the
child included cooperation with the United
Nations Children's Fund.
NICOLA HILL (
New Zealand ) said New Zealand welcomed the
report and the opportunity to reflect upon it.
It was hoped that children would have an
increased voice in the Council. The report
contained many useful recommendations, but it
was more than that - it had created a momentum
in the United Nations and among Member States,
and work should be done to keep this up. It was
important to have a viable follow-up for the
study. New Zealand wished for clarification on
children with disabilities: in the comments, Mr.
Pinheiro had said that most violence against
children was not reported. Recent research
suggested that children with disabilities were
acutely vulnerable to sexual abuse. Violence
against these children was an important issue,
and Mr. Pinheiro's comments and suggestions on
ensuring that no children were left behind in
this regard would be appreciated.
RAJIV
CHANDER ( India ) said India was home to the
largest child population in the world, one third
of population. The right to protection was at
the core of development and the basis for other
rights. A newly created Ministry for Women and
Child Development in India was looking at how to
create a strong protective environment, provide
essential services and set standards. A new
commission had been established also for proper
enforcement and effective implementation. An
integrated child protection scheme dealing with
adoption, fostering and children in need of care
was also under way, as was a major study on
child abuse that was developed with the support
of the United Nations Children's Fund and Save
the Children.
NICHOLAS THORNE ( United
Kingdom ) said the United Kingdom associated
itself with the comments made by the European
Union. The United Kingdom was actively involved
in the promotion of the rights of children. All
children's lives should be spared from abuse.
The lack of data aggregated by sex and age was a
problem around the world and the United Kingdom
wondered what the panel would recommend to
address this problem. There was also a lack of
data concerning violence against children with
disabilities. In regard to violence against
girls, which recommendations did the United
Nations Children's Fund wanted to prioritise in
the coming future.
MARGHOOB SALEEM BUTE
( Pakistan ), speaking on behalf of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference , said
violence against children was an issue that
deserved the immediate attention of the
international community because of the increase
of violence against civilians, both in armed
conflicts and other areas, and of which children
bore the brunt. No violence against children was
justifiable, and all violence was preventable.
Any vision of building safer communities for
children around the world should focus on
conflict-resolution, particularly the immediate
resolution of situations of armed occupation,
which had wreaked havoc on millions of children;
an enhancement of efforts for the promotion of
an agenda for development and the implementation
of the Millennium Development Goals; and to
place particular focus on education in order to
achieve targets. The international community was
ready to move faster on making a world safer for
children. The rights of the child should be
given the first priority to ensure the
respectable and dignified life that every child
deserved.
MARGARET HO POH YEOK (
Malaysia ) said the study had proposed a
commendable set of recommendations to prevent
and eliminate violence against children. The
challenge was the effective implementation of
laws, and in Malaysia the Child Act 2001 was
based on the four core principles:
non-discrimination; supporting the best
interests of children; the right to life; and
respect for the views of the child. Malaysia was
amending the Child Act to ensure protection of
children against ill treatment, abuse and
neglect; it also aimed to abolish whipping.
Malaysia would continue to provide education and
in-service training to people working with
children coming into contact with the justice
system. Malaysia sought qualification on the
rights and special needs of children with
disabilities.
LUIS VAYAS VALDIVIESO (
Ecuador ) said that the delegation of Ecuador
wanted to express its pleasure that this special
event on violence against children was being
held during the fourth session of the Human
Rights Council. Ecuador believed that the study
with the recommendations was coherent and should
be implemented and promoted. Ecuador asked
Professor Pinheiro to elaborate more on how the
Human Rights Council could promote the work on
violence against children.
MOHAMMED
LOULICHKI ( Morocco ) said the study was
exhaustive, as were the recommendations. The
Human Rights Council had an important role to
play; combating violence against children was an
obligation for all, a responsibility that the
international community should assume in all
places and at all times, collectively and
singly, to eliminate all manifestations of the
phenomenon. All should adopt an integrated
approach with legislative and development
measures, including in the school system's human
rights education in order to change mentalities;
countries should also ratify international
instruments to protect children and involve the
media and civil society and the implementation
of the Millennium Development Goals. The role of
the family as the framework for values also
needed to be strengthened. National legislation
should be strengthened.
SERGIO ABREU E
LIMA FLORENCIO ( Brazil ) said the issue was
indeed central to human rights debate and the
study was a landmark that must be a reference
for the Council's work. Within MERCOSUR, there
was a regular mechanism and it was hoped this
mechanism would be used to foster a follow-up to
the study on violence against children. Violence
against children was a key focus of social
policy in Brazil. The delegation of Brazil asked
for definition of the basic guidelines for the
follow-up strategy, and whether the United
Nations Children's Fund had or intended to have
an internal action plan related to the study's
recommendations.
SAMIR LABIDI ( Tunisia
) said that the delegation of Tunisia wanted to
thank the Human Rights Council for having
organized a discussion on violence against
child. The issue was a very important topic for
all, given the vulnerability of children.
Tunisia was a member of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child. Every person must speak up
whenever children were in danger. The protection
of children against violence involved the family
as well.
YURI ARIEL GALA LÓPEZ ( Cuba )
said the report addressed the areas of family
community, civil society, and exploitation of
child labour. However, it did not address
central aspects of the concept of violence, such
as children in armed conflicts and under
unilateral coercive measures. A study should
examine the neglect given to children in the
unjust international order and through the
policies of international organizations such as
the World Trade Organization and the Bretton
Woods organizations. Poverty, hunger, illiteracy
and marginalisation should not be forgotten. The
unilateral illegal boycott by the United States
of Cuba was a serious form of violence against
children in Cuba. The Expert should systematise
and integrate all aspects related to the concept
of violence against children, and clearly define
his mandate, adjusting it to a content which
avoided duplication of the work of other
instances on the rights of the child.
HIROSHI MINAMI ( Japan ) said in Japan
child abuse and sexual exploitation were matters
of concern, and the Government of Japan had been
strengthening the legal framework to combat
violence against children. In natural disasters
and armed conflict, children were the most
vulnerable. International coordination among
United Nations organs was important. Japan had
been working with the United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF) and had provided financial
assistance to a UNICEF project in Liberia. The
Japanese Government concurred that all violence
against children was unjustifiable and
preventable. The Japanese Government was willing
to work with all stakeholders on the matter.
ZHAO XING ( China ) said that China
thanked Professor Pinheiro for his study on
violence against children. Violence against
children was a scandal for our society because
of its negative effects on the development of
children. Combating violence against children
was always a concern for the Chinese Government.
Following on what had been said by the Deputy
High Commissioner concerning trafficking, child
victims were often obliged to work in the sex
industry, both in developing and developed
countries. China wanted to raise the question
concerning the measures that should be taken
against trafficking in children. In addition,
China noted the problem that in regard to
corporal punishment, parents often thought it
was a way of educating children. China wondered
how the international community could resolve
that problem.
JULIE DELAHANTY ( Canada )
said it was important to maintain innovative
approaches to development issues such as this
one of violence against children. The study on
violence against children was an important
document that should have a permanent impact on
the United Nations organizations and agencies,
as well as the Member States. Canada wished to
hear how the full participation of children was
being ensured in follow-up. Canada had
undertaken a number of initiatives, including a
national focal point on violence, promoting
public awareness of risk factors linked to
family violence, and supporting data collection,
research and evaluative efforts in order to
determine the causes of violence and eliminate
this from Canadian territory, including through
laws, prevention activities, and programmes for
victims and perpetrators.
ELCHIN
AMIRBAYOV ( Azerbaijan ) said that in spite of
recent progress, the situation of violence
against children still caused concern and
protection standards and concrete initiatives
were necessary. No violence against children was
justifiable. But consequences of that violence
differed from one another. Strategies must be
comprehensive, looking also at root causes.
Civil society could play an important role in
filling gaps and in data collection. Poverty
created wide disparities to the detriment of
children. Poverty reduction strategies were
needed. Aggression and foreign occupation also
needed to be taken intro account. Azerbaijan
asked how the challenges of children in armed
conflict could be better addressed.
MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN ( Bangladesh ) said
that Bangladesh appreciated very much the work
of Professor Pinheiro. In his report, Bangladesh
noted that violence against children took place
everywhere in the world. Cooperation was
necessary because of the global scale that this
problem posed. No violence against children
could be justified. Prevention must be a
priority and causes must be determined such as
poverty, marginalization and under-development.
A high level of violence occurring in families
and schools was mentioned in the report. The
development of societies depended on the
development of children.
EVA TOMIC (
Slovenia ) said based on the last year of
disseminating and promoting the study, what were
Mr. Pinheiro's recommendations for the effective
follow-up of the recommendations of the study?
Slovenia was strongly in favour of a strong
implementation mechanism, but wished to hear Mr.
Pinheiro's views on what form and shape such a
mechanism should take.
LENA KARLSON, of
International Save the Children Alliance ,
speaking in a joint statement with International
Federation of Social Workers, said Save the
Children and other non-governmental
organizations welcomed the focus of the study on
the meaningful and ethical participation of
girls and boys. In the United Nations study,
non-governmental organizations and the United
Nations Children's Fund had stressed the
importance of learning from children, and
development and support for children together
with adults had been supported. Governments and
the United Nations must create genuine spaces to
involve children, including enabling children to
engage more actively in decision making, and
making available material about violence for
children to access. Children had said they
wanted to be involved in decisions that affected
their lives; therefore it was important to act
on children's recommendations. What was being
done to support the translation of
child-friendly material into local languages and
ensuring dissemination and use, and how would
children's participation be supported and
followed up, and by whom?
NICOLE
SICIBOLA, of Human Rights Advocates , said in a
joint statement that juvenile execution was
prohibited for juveniles under eighteen in the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. State
reporting and monitoring was thus very important
because this Convention was still not respected
everywhere in the world. Juveniles were executed
in Iran for example. United Nations reporting
mechanisms were absolutely crucial. Human Rights
Advocates asked how the Council could address
those specific problems.
SYED FAIZ
NAQSHBANDI, of International Islamic Federation
of Students Organization , said Jammu and
Kashmir had been under foreign occupation for
more than 40 years, and the children of that
country had been held at gunpoint by Indian
soldiers, who had committed barbaric acts,
although the international community's
conscience remained undisturbed. Violence
against children was more pronounced in areas
under armed conflict or foreign occupation.
While the valuable study was appreciated in
highlighting violence across the globe, it
failed to study the plight of children under
occupation or in situations of armed conflict.
ROY W. BROWN, of World Population
Foundation , said that one aspect of the report
deserved greater attention – child marriage –
which had been described as institutionalised
violence against children. It was a form of
non-consensual sex and an abuse of human rights.
The Foundation had made a number of
recommendations on this and asked what
recommendations Professor Pinheiro would make to
the Council on this issue.
FATIMA
OUZLEB, of International Feminine Action , said
that the report stressed that prevention was one
way to prevent violence against children.
Children were the most vulnerable against
violence. International Feminine Action urged
the United Nations to help children in refugee
camps such as in Darfur. Special Rapporteurs
were also urged to make visits to those camps.
CECILE TROCHU, of World Organization
against Torture , said it was important to
disseminate the study and follow up it
recommendations, and it was regrettable that the
General Assembly had not assembled firmer
recommendations in this regard on the role of
states. The responsibility of other actors and
of civil society was important as well. A firm
commitment at a high level within the United
Nations was necessary to ensure follow-up to the
study and its implementation, and should include
the issue of violence against children in armed
conflict.
DAVID LITTMAN, of Association
for World Education , said over 3 million
females and girls were being brutally mutilated
each year as a result of female genital
circumcision. Energetic steps were needed. In
Sudan and Egypt, over 90 percent of females were
affected, and 28 other Muslim countries were
also affected. A fatwa was now in the pipeline
by the Mufti in Egypt and the Association asked
whether a fatwa would make a difference. In
child marriage, the Association asked what was
considered under age, saying that in Iran a bill
to abolish marriage of nine-year-olds had been
thrown out on the grounds of religious doctrine.
Concluding Comments
KARIN
LANDGREN, Chief for Child Protection at the
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in New
York , said that child protection was a leading
priority of UNICEF. It was important to improve
data and analysis. Progress was slow, but the
study on violence against children had given a
momentum for efforts to continue. Governments
needed to ensure collection of data in order to
improve the situation in their countries. UNICEF
was promoting the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities. Social protection
systems were being strengthened for the
protection of children. Children with
disabilities were at high risk of
institutionalisation where they ran a high risk
of violence.
Among other things, UNICEF
would launch a strategy for the abolishment of
female genital circumcision, Ms. Landgren said.
The abolishment of child marriage was also a
priority. In both cases, a change in social
belief was an important prerequisite. Violence
against girls was a priority of UNICEF. The Cape
Town principles were updated in February 2006 in
France. An action plan would be prepared between
UNICEF and governments. A ten-year strategy was
being planned. A focus was put on the
strengthening of social change at community
level with strong emphasis on the participation
of children.
ROBERT BUTHCART,
Coordinator for the Prevention of Violence at
the World Health Organization (WHO) , said WHO
had a strong commitment to its ongoing programme
for the prevention of violence in general and
against children in particular. Collecting data
about violence against children was indeed
difficult, but in principle was no more so that
collecting data about diseases and other taboo
conditions on which many countries were already
collecting data. However, there was a need for
the political will and international support for
an agreed set of norms and standards for the
collection of such data. WHO was therefore
convening a three-phase programme to combine the
establishment of the norms and standards, and
ensure capacity training and support for
country-level surveys and systems to monitor
violence against children on an ongoing basis,
in order to help steer preventive efforts in the
right direction.
YOSHI NOGUCHI, Senior
Legal Officer of the International Programme on
the Elimination of Child Labour at the
International Labour Organization (ILO) , said
ILO was calling for zero tolerance towards
violence against everybody in the work place,
especially children. There were at least 218
million children working around the world, who
were vulnerable to violence in the work place,
and many of the issues applied also to legally
working adolescents, of whom there were at least
100 million among those 218 million. The worst
forms of child labour were tantamount to
violence against children, this included sexual
exploitation of children or child trafficking.
ILO had suggested an ambitious plan to eliminate
this kind of worse kinds of child labour by 2016
in a report last year. ILO was aware of
difficulties in gathering date and it had
experience in gathering child labour statistics
and hoped this would remain a major source of
input to the follow-up. The goal was to change
perceptions and tackle root causes. It was now a
priority to tackle things that had once been
seen as part of everyday life in some regions.
ROBERTA CECCHETTI, NGO Advisory Group on
Violence against Children , said with regards to
the commitment of non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) to follow-up the study, there were
different activities by individual NGOs,
including advocacy at regional and international
levels, in particular on legal reform,
capacity-building of professionals working with
children, and monitoring, research,
dissemination and awareness-raising. Work would
be carried out with the existing Special
Procedures. An NGO Advisory Council would be
established so as to ensure continuing
involvement of NGOs in the follow-up, and to
advocate for a Special Representative to the
Secretary-General on violence against children.
It was felt that a high-level mechanism
to ensure high-level visibility to the situation
and follow-up was essential, as this related to
the mandates of multiple United Nations bodies
and agencies, and it would ensure strong
leadership and ensure effective cooperation in
the UN system and across regions. Without this,
the substantial momentum that had been set up
would be lost. There were protection gaps for
children that the text did not address, and
these protection gaps should be closed, as
suggested in the study. The establishment of a
Special Representative required political will
as well as resources. The empowerment of
children should not rest on the shoulders of
NGOs only - child participation should become an
institutionalised process in all areas affecting
children.
BACRE N'DIAYE, Director of
Division of Procedures and Human Rights at the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
, said with regards to the importance of this
session today, it should not be disregarded that
this was the first thematic debate of the Human
Rights Council, and all present should be
congratulated for the sense of consensus that
appeared to be flowing. The Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights would continue to
give strong support to Professor Pinheiro and to
implement its recommendations and ensure follow
up. The Division, in partnership with the
inter-agency partners, would disseminate and
mainstream the recommendations of the study,
both at Headquarters and in the field, as well
as with the treaty bodies and the Special
Procedures, in particular those dealing with
trafficking. The Committee on the Rights of the
Child was the first to suggest this study, and
the first to initiate dialogue.
PAULO
SERGIO PINHEIRO, Independent Expert for the
United Nations Study on Violence against
Children , said a consensus was emerging on the
need to implement the recommendations of the
study. Regarding expectations on the role of the
Council, he said it would be desirable if the
Council adopted some of the recommendations that
had been indicated as a priority, and also that
members work with partner agencies to provide
information on implementation. At the country
level, it was very important to work with United
Nations country teams. He commented on the need
to ensure political will and adequate resources
to support change. During the past three years
he had seen many initiatives and now saw the
matter as going beyond the question of how they
could participate and moving towards pilot
projects to this end. He referred to the
egregious situations that children were finding
in situations of occupation, for example, as an
area that was covered in the report. He agreed
with Cuba on the issue of economic and social
rights but mentioned the difficulty of
implementing these rights as the important
factor regarding violence against children.
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