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III World Congress on Sexual Exploitation of Children & Adolescents-Website: http://www.iiicongressomundial.net/index.php?id_sistema=2&inicial=2&id_idioma=2

Reference Documents: http://www.iiicongressomundial.net/index.php?pg=docs&inicial=2&id_pg=64&sid=c00af2dc61a1ba92080f2d884a279b92&id_sistema=2&id_idioma=2

Good Practices: http://www.iiicongressomundial.net/index.php?pg=imprensa&inicial=2&id_pg=43&sid=c00af2dc61a1ba92080f2d884a279b92&id_sistema=2&id_idioma=2

WWSF Women’s World Summit Foundation - Children’s Section - Good Practice: International

Making prevention of child abuse and violence against children a global priority

The issue: Today, child abuse and violence against children continues to be a universal and alarming problem. Increased attention and effective protection skills and prevention measures are urgently needed at the family, community, and national and international level.

The Response: With this in mind, in the year 2000 WWSF launched the 19 November - World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, calling attention to the need for more effective prevention programs and prodding governments and civil society organizations across the globe to play a more active role in promoting respect for child rights. Commemorated every 19 November, the World Day and the international coalition of relevant organizations committed to this cause, is an annual rallying call to action for effective prevention measures and for WWSF to monitor innovative programs - in short, creating a culture of prevention. In 2008, 929 organizations from 135 countries have joined the international coalition that marks and supports the World Day as well as the Prevention Education Week - 13 to 19 November.

WWSF’s Support: WWSF works closely with coalition members and partners to encourage renewed efforts, to develop and increase effective prevention measures, and to catalyse examples of good practices. WWSF mobilizes concerned actors with its annual call to action to initiate activities and to select good practice models. In 2003 the WWSF Prize for prevention of child abuse was launched which awards annually four coalition member organizations (US$ 5000 per year). As of today, 16 organizations have received the WWSF Prize for Prevention of Child Abuse. The four laureate organizations for 2008 will be announced just before 19 November.

Results: Since 2001, the number of partner organizations is continually increasing. From 129 in 2001, 929 organizations from 135 countries in 2008 have joined the coalition that supports and marks the World Day and Prevention Week. Coalition members are published on the global campaign poster of which 10'000 copies are annually sent around the world. On the back of the poster, a Call to Action provides ideas and suggestions to help coalition members commemorate the Day with distinct activities that address prevention issues: conferences, debates, workshops, demonstrations (marches, plays, songs, release of balloons), exhibitions, poetry readings, and information distribution in the form of books, comic strips, radio and TV spots/programs, film projections and other media. A wide range of participants in these events include politicians, government administrators, police, judiciaries, clerics, teachers, professionals, and NGO representatives as well as children, young people and parents, and media representatives. Many governments have declared 19 November as a National Day for Prevention of Child Abuse.

In 2007, WWSF produced a TV spot to alert and mobilize civil society for better prevention of abuse and violence against children (spots are available in English and French www.woman.ch). TV spot message:“19 November is World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse. But one day is not enough. Every day, all together, let us unite for better prevention.”

In addition, WWSF launched its international Clearinghouse for good practice prevention programs (40 links) as well as sharing innovative measures.

In 2008, WWSF published a Guide “Prevention is Key” for NGO and citizen action with a Forward Message by UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Dr. Najat Maalla M’Jid. Objective: to inspire and mobilize participation - men, women and children - embracing all civil society organizations, in particular non-governmental organizations, educational settings, grassroots groups, faith-based organizations and networks dealing with children’s rights and development issues.

The WWSF prevention campaign programs received many endorsements : Professor Yanghee Lee, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child • Jean Zermatten, Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Director of the International Institute for the Rights of the Child IDE • Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan • Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate • Dr. Samuel Kobia, General Secretary, World Council of Churches • The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights • Prof. Jaap E. Doek, former Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child • Prof. Paulo S. Pinheiro, Independent Expert for the UN Study on violence against children • Vernor Muñoz Villalobos, UN Special Rapporteur on Education • Juan Miguel Petit, former UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution • Conseil d’Etat et Conseil administratif de la République et du Canton de Genève in corpore, among others.

Lessons Learnt and the Way Forward: One of the most important lessons learnt as a result of the WWSF campaign for prevention of child abuse is the importance of working in partnership with a broad network of relevant organizations creating a culture of prevention, and sending a strong message for urgent action to governments.

For more information: WWSF Women’s World Summit Foundation, Laure Maitrejean - wdpca@wwsf.ch

11 Avenue de la paix, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland - Tel: +41 22 738 66 19 - http://www.woman.ch/home.php

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