Children and Adolescents Statement: Legal frameworks and enforcement

Summary: Children and adolescents statements at thematic panels
During World Congress III, 25-28 November 2008, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This statement was delivered during the panel on Legal frameworks and enforcement.

Theme 2: Legal frameworks and enforcement

Children and adolescents all over the world would like to contribute to the process of fighting and increasing awareness on sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. This is a big problem that is growing in recent years.

It is the first time that three hundred children and adolescents are coming together to talk about and decide what measures and actions to take to end sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. We ask for your commitment here today, to accept the decisions children have made here and follow up on them in your respective countries.

We are urging governments to guarantee the enforcement of laws protecting children and adolescents and also to support the victims of sexual exploitation through rehabilitation programmes so that they can be reintegrated into the society.

In addition, there have to be strict rules and regulations to overcome the problem of early marriage of children to older persons and other such harmful practices.

We need strict legislation for zero tolerance of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.

It is important to establish an intersectoral committee to guarantee the enforcement of public policies against sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. It is also important to guarantee effective participation of children and adolescents in this committee.

People always say we are the future of a nation, but we don’t think so. We are the present too. There is our existence. We want all legal systems to build upon our present and our future, with dignity.

Further information:

More news HERE.

Owner: Children and Young People participating at the III World Congresspdf: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=18144

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