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Section on child rights: During 2007 the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Children, under the leadership of Commissioner Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, continued with the following activities: This Rapporteurship analysed and evaluated cases, petitions and requests for precautionary measures pending before IACHR. In particular, the Rapporteurship analysed alleged violations of rights of children and adolescents, especially those relating to personal liberty and integrity; the right to a dignified life; the forced recruiting of children into the armed forces, and the right to health, among others. In the framework of the 129th Special Session held in Paraguay, the Rapporteurship held working meetings regarding cases of child soldiers in Paraguay. During the hearings held in 2007, Rapporteur Pinheiro received information on the situation of children deprived of liberty in Argentina; on public policies regarding adolescents in conflict with the law in Brazil; on the malnutrition of indigenous children in the Americas; on the human rights situation of migrant workers, refugee children and other vulnerable groups in the United States; on children and adoption procedures in Guatemala, and on the situation of children in the armed conflict in Colombia. Also during 2007, the Rapporteurship began to carry out the activities planned under the “Technical Cooperation Agreement on the Protection of the Rights of Children in Latin America: Violence Prevention,” signed by IACHR and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). In that regard, in April 2007, the Rapporteurship hired Peruvian attorney Cecilia Anicama Campos, as a consultant to implement the activities planned in the agreement. Ms. Anicama was selected in accordance with established guidelines for the selection of experts at the IACHR. Within the framework of the said Technical Agreement, the Rapporteurship is in the process of completing the second edition of the book “Childhood and its rights in the inter-American System of Protection of Human Rights” as well as the elaboration of thematic reports on various issues related to violence against children in the hemisphere. Particular attention has been given to the situation of Children in conflict with the law. Regarding the latter issue, the Rapporteurship has requested information to various civil society organisations of the regarding children in conflict with the law due to their possible participation with the gangs (maras) in Central America. Additionally, and in order to continue with the study and analysis of the situation of children in conflict with the law, on August 21 and 22, 2007 the Rapporteurship organised two working meetings on juvenile justice in the city of São Paulo, Brasil. On the first day, the Rapporteur met with regional experts and officials from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the subject of juvenile justice. On the second day, Commissioner Pinheiro and the delegation from the Executive Secretariat met with representatives of civil society organisations who work in the area of protection of children in conflict with the law. During their activities in Brazil, the Rapporteur and the delegation had the support of UNICEF and of “Save the Children” Sweden. In the context of the activities carried out in Brazil, the delegation visited the Center for the Defense of Children and Adolescent Rights in Interlagos (CEDECA Interlagos) and the National Defense Association (ANCED). The Rapporteur for the Rights of Children and the Secretariat Specialist participated in other activities as it is described next: a meeting with experts of the region and officials of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) from August 20 through August 24 in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. On November 15 and 16, the Organisation of American States sponsored the Sub regional Conference on Culture of Peace and Prevention of the Juvenile Violence that took place in the city of San José, Costa Rica, that was attended by a delegation of the Secretariat. From November 20 until November 21 a delegation of the Executive Secretary took part in the XII Annual Meeting of the Latin-American Federation of Ombudspersons (FIO), which was held in Lima, Peru. On December 5, a delegation of the Executive Secretary participated in a working meeting organised by the Commission of Juridical and Political Affairs of the OAS in relation to the Draft Inter-American Programme for Universal Civil Registration and the “Right to Identity”. On December 17 a Cooperation Agreement was signed between the IACHR and the non-governmental organisation “Save the Children Sweden” with the objective of strengthening the activities of the Rapporteurship in the defense of Children’s rights in the Hemisphere. Further information