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Summary: This is a call for nominations for the formation of a new NGO Advisory body to work with Paulo Pinheiro, the UN agencies, and (hopefully) an eventual Special Representative of the SG on follow-up to the study on violence against children.
A new NGO Advisory Council – call for nominations for international NGO representatives In October 2006, the Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children was presented to the UN General Assembly. The GA asked the Independent Expert to submit to the General Assembly at its 2007 session a report on progress made in the initial phase of the follow-up and to anticipate the necessary strategy for follow-up to the implementation of the study. The Assembly specified this should be done in consultation with the UN and NGOs. On several occasions Paulo Pinheiro has acknowledged with appreciation the strong support that he received from NGOs during the study process, including their capacity for producing coordinated inputs. On those same occasions he encouraged the NGOs to reconstitute an advisory body 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's recommendations. A previous body, the NGO Advisory Panel that was created at the beginning of the study process to support Pinheiro in conducting the study, officially ended its work in October, when the Study was finalised and presented. NGOs have agreed they should respond positively and in consultation with Paulo Pinheiro and Jaap Doek, decided to start a process to constitute a new NGO Advisory Council. The new NGO Advisory Council is expected to have 18 members: 9 representatives from national or regional NGOs, “representing” the nine regions designated for regional consultations for the Study, and 9 “international” members selected from international NGOs, with different nomination and selection processes. Advisory Council members will be selected to ensure a balance of human rights, programmatic, professional and advocacy organisations, as well as to ensure gender and issue balance. There will also be recognition of the need for strong representation accessible to New York and Geneva, where much of the follow-up advocacy, at least in the initial period, will take place. Members will be appointed as representatives of organisations that are actively involved in work on violence against children and committed to follow-up to the Study. We are therefore issuing a call for nominations for international representatives and attach the nomination form which also sets out the role of the Council and the criteria for selection. Please only use this nomination form for candidates for the 9 international seats on the Advisory Council. Regional representatives will be selected through a regional process. Nominations are invited by 23 February 2007 and should be sent to: [email protected]. Please note that candidates should be nominated by an organisation other than their own. Prepared by: Jo Becker, former co-chair, NGO Advisory Panel for the SG's Study Roberta Cecchetti, convenor, NGO Group for the CRC Subgroup on children and violence More information:
Peter Newell, NGO representative, Editorial Board for the SG's Study