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Summary: Opening session of the Europe and Central
Regional Consultation for the UN Study on
violence against children taking place in
Slovenia from 5 to 7 July 2005.
[LJUBLJANA - 5 July 2005] – The Europe and Central Asia Regional
Consultation for the UN Study on violence against children opened today
with over 250 participants from 52 countries, including children and young
people, government representatives, and non-governmental
organisations.
The meeting was officially opened by Janez Jansa, Prime Minister for the
Republic of Slovenia who said that this consultation was an excellent
opportunity to exchange experiences with all states in the region. “No one
condones violence”, he explained, however children face violence inside
their own homes, in classrooms, in the community and in residential
institutions.
He explained that violence against children was often hidden, but this
consultation and the recommendations that will be adopted here would
help all states to find solutions for the future, “somewhere between law
and practice there is a gap”, he continued, “this consultation hopes to
mobilise everyone to act now…we cannot wait another year, almost every
country has outlawed violence against children, but it remains in many
places”.
Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Independent Expert leading the UN
Secretary-General’s Study said that we should value children’s insights
and fresh perspectives in the consultation, and said that even though
many efforts had been made in the region to ban physical punishment in
schools, much more needed to be done. In particular the disturbing legal
and social acceptance of violence being disguised as discipline, “how can
hitting children be reasonable” he asked.
He highlighted that in every regional consultation that had taken place so
far, there had been a formal outcry by hundreds of children denouncing
corporal punishment. Other issues that had been widely discussed
elsewhere, he explained, was the situation of children in conflict with the
law, particularly the fact that so many children are subjected to torture
and are being held in inadequate conditions, for long periods of time.
Finally, he deplored the fact that the rule of law often does not extend to
juveniles, “children are not meant to be behind bars” he said.
The representative of children and young people declared “we know the
problem and we know we have to do something about it”. She explained
that 24 children from the region had been preparing for the consultation
for the past two days, to help governments and NGOs find solutions, “you
rely on our expertise like we rely on your power and commitment” she
continued, “we have been shaping up our recommendations to find the
roads to stop violence and prevent violence because this study is about,
and for children”.
During the next two days, delegates will be taking part in working groups
to draft recommendations to be adopted regarding the following: violence
against children in the home, in schools, in residential institutions and in
the community. Specific workshops will be looking at parenting and
preventing violence in the home, sexual abuse and harmful traditional
practices, the care system and children with disabilities and correctional
institutions and reception centres.