[GENEVA, 19 March 2007] - The Independent Expert on Violence against Children sets out vision Professor Paulo Pinheiro, the Independent Expert appointed by the Secretary-General to lead the UN Study on Violence against Children, this morning briefed NGOs on his plans for implementing the Study’s recommendations. Insisting it is “time to involve children in decision making processes,” he identified two areas of focus for the children’s rights community, and civil society as a whole: 1. Asking governments what they plan to do, since the responsibility for ending violence against children rests primarily with them. The Human Rights Council is dominated by countries who have shown resistance to child rights. 2. Identifying practice which reflects the recommendations by strengthening current laws, lobbying to stop violence against children, and lobbying for the establishment of a coordinating group to deal with recommendations. Due to the short time frame, he listed five aspects of the recommendations for special consideration: 1. Integrating measures to prevent and respond to violence against children in national plans The Human Rights Council has extended Professor Pinheiro’s mandate until the end of 2007. He will present a follow-up report, which he is expected to finish in July, to the General Assembly in November. He intends to disseminate the study in several languages and, in France and Germany, a child-friendly version of the report is being distributed to schools. He has planned some follow-up visits: having already visited Panama and Colombia, he will head to Iran, Syria, and Mexico later this year. Professor Pinheiro will be presenting his report on “Violence Against Children” at the Human Rights Council on the afternoon of March 19, 2007.
2. Strengthening legal frameworks in conformity with the Convention on the Rights of the Child
3. Prevention of violence
4. Promotion of the participation of children and structures to support it
5. Strengthening data collection and research
Child Rights Caucus: Morning briefing with the Independent Expert on Violence against Children
Countries
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