Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Call for participation to follow up activities to the UN Study on Violence Against Children. Letter from The CRADLE-The Children Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya. As you may all know, the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) commissioned a Study on Violence Against Children which was concluded not too long ago. This study was undertaken through a consultative process which most of you participated in. One unique feature of the study was the involvement of Non Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations through an NGO Advisory Panel. There is an ongoing process that now seeks to implement the recommendations that came out of the study. A new NGO Advisory Council has since been constituted and it comprises of 18 members, 9 being regional representatives, from national or regional NGOs, and 9 “international” members selected from international NGOs. The CRADLE-The Children Foundation represents East and Southern Africa region in the Council. The mandate of the NGO Advisory Council is: (i) To encourage and maintain NGO involvement at national, regional and international levels in follow-up advocacy with governments, UN agencies and others for full implementation of the UNSG’s Study recommendations; The Advisory Council held several meetings in New York between 18th October 2007 and 21st October 2007. The main activity that was undertaken was to lobby and advocate for the creation of the position of a Special Representative to the UN Secretary General on Violence Against Children. There were several action points that were agreed upon which we are now following up on as a Council. As the representative for the region, I wish to invite you all to take part in the follow up to the UN Study on Violence Against Children and further request your support in ensuring that the NGO Advisory Council meets its objectives and Terms of Reference as stated hereinabove. It is for this reason that I hereby request you to take a few minutes to fill in the form attached below and further to forward the same to as many NGOs within the East and Southern Africa Region as possible. I intend to set up a list serve that I will use to update you and consequently open up dialogue on critical issues relating to children which issues will be presented to the Council. For more information, contact: Further information:
(ii) In particular to advocate for a Special Representative to the Secretary General on Violence Against Children (hereinafter referred to as the "SRSG") and to work with a Special Representative when appointed;
(iii) To work with the Independent Expert and the Inter-Agency Working Group, particularly in identifying key priorities for the working group and its members and developing follow-up activities and strategies to ensure effective implementation of the Study’s recommendations;
(iv) To identify and transmit important information regarding VAC from the field level to the SRSG and other appropriate UN bodies;
(v) To use and strengthen existing information channels/mechanisms (e.g. CRIN, NGO Group mailing lists, etc.) to inform the child rights NGO community regarding the follow-up of the UNSG’s Study on VAC and its implementation;
(vi) To be strongly and systematically connected to the proposed Youth Council in order to support continued and increased participation of children in follow-up; To participate in monitoring the implementation of the Study’s recommendations by member states.
(vii) Monitoring the implementation of the Study’s recommendations by member states.
Gilbert O. Onyango
Senior Programme Officer/
Acting Deputy Executive Director
The CRADLE-The Children Foundation
Opposite Wood Avenue Apartments
Wood Avenue, Kilimani
P.O. Box 10101-00100
NAIROBI
Telefax: +254-20-2710156, 3874575/6
Wireless Phone: +254-20-2012411
Office Cell Phone +254-722-201875, +254-734-798199
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: www.thecradle.or.ke