MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA: Regional Consultation Closes

Summary: Closing ceremony for the MENA regional
consultation.

[CAIRO, 29 June 2005] — The Middle East and North Africa Regional
Consultation for the UN Study on violence against children closed this evening
with an address by the Mrs. Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt. Mrs.


Mubarak said that despite efforts, many children around the world are
deprived of many rights, and that violence against children is an aggression on
our society as a whole. “We are confident in the future generation, and must
stop any kind of violence against children, … This problem should be treated in
full transparency and honesty” she continued. She emphasised that it was
essential to review the full extent of violence, in all its forms, and that this
process should start with the family, as that was the most important environment
for the child.


Child delegates presented their final recommendations, and highlighted that
although all governments had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
many children still suffer from all forms of violence. “We the children, declare
violence, whether physical violence, psychological violence, or neglect, a
serious problem in this region, and we regret that most laws to protect us are
not implemented” a child delegate from Sudan said.


Ambassador Moushira Khattab read out the final declaration for the
consultation, prepared and agreed by delegates, including government
representatives and NGOs. The Cairo Declaration includes among other things a
commitment by all to adopt national plans of action, measuring indicators,
obstacles, within a timeframe and with specific allocated budget. This plan
would be based on the four principles of the CRC.


The declaration includes a commitment to ban corporal punishment explicitly,
in all institutional frameworks and settings, in schools, and in armed conflict.
The declaration comments on the issue of people using religion as a
justification for using violence, “we take pride in our customs, but some
practices are penetrating our faith” it stated. More specifically, it says that
violence in family should be eliminated and that it should be the focal point of
the struggle.

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