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WEST AFRICA CHILDREN AND YOUTH NETWORK FORUM WITH THE UN SRSG MARTA SANTOS PAIS
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DAY TWO SUMMARY
The second day of the Youth Forum on Violence against Children focused on interaction and exchange between the young participants and the UN SRSG Marta Santos Pais, in addition to other regional and national stakeholders and duty-bearers. At the onset of the day, children presented the regional initiative on violence against children, primarily aiming at increased awareness raising through production and disseminating relevant information. The project brought together Children’s Parliament, Students Council Government, Children’s clubs, media clubs, Youth networks supported by Plan, Save the Children, Unicef, ECPAT, WAR Child, Action Aid, World Vision and others. Achievements and lessons learned were shared, complemented by a statement comprising series of messages to the SRSG that reflected young people’s perceptions of the role and ongoing involvement of Santos Pais in their ongoing actions against violence.
The regional initiative presentation was followed by several addresses by members of the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Geneva based Committee on the Rights of the Child and high ranking officials from the Ghanaian Ministry of Women’s and Children’s Affairs, Ministry of Education and National Police Service Board against Domestic Violence. References were made to the critical importance of the follow-up process to the UN VAC Study recommendations, specific aspects of violence and abuse children in West Africa are exposed to and concrete solutions that should inspire joint actions on violence against children.
The SRSG pointed out this was here very first visit to West Africa, which coincides with the first anniversary of her tenure in this position. She went on to emphasize importance of establishing reporting mechanisms and services for victims of violence and urgency of undertaking legal reforms that will prohibit all forms of violence against children. She further underlined an increased need to raise awareness and use social media to ensure increased knowledge and understanding of this phenomenon impeding development of children across the region. Finally, the SRSG reasserted importance of children’s participation and invited regional youth forum to continue informing her work on an ongoing basis in an institutionalized manner.
The interactive session of questions and answers ensued, in which children and young people raised various issues ranging from need for universal mandatory reporting of violence against children to roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in the process to very specific issues and forms of child abuse that call for concerted action of all involved. This interactive exchange was followed by the Press Conference, upon which the SRSG met with the representatives of the international NGOs when she presented priorities under her agenda and invited the key actors involved to continue extending support through well coordinated inter-agency efforts and cooperation.
Meanwhile, youth participants were engaged in creating a graffiti wall featuring their messages underpinning the actions against violence affecting children in all forms and manners. That only added another layer to strong testimony and contribution to their ongoing efforts to break the wall of silence and taboos perpetuating violence against children and bring these unacceptable violations of their rights to an end.
pdf: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoid=23117