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Summary: This statement was delivered by Marta Santos Pais, the recently appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against children, at the Third Committee on 14 October 2009.
Mr. Chairperson, 1. It is a great pleasure for me to speak before you, as I start my mandate as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children. The General Assembly was strongly behind the establishment of this position and, throughout the years, has kept the protection of children from all forms of violence high in its agenda. The General Assembly’s wide endorsement of the UN Study on Violence against Children and its process of follow-up are an unequivocal expression of support to this important issue and constitute a decisive reference for my work. I am therefore delighted to meet with you at the very early stages of my mandate, to benefit from your advice and to initiate a process of fruitful collaboration in the shaping of the steps ahead. Distinguished Delegates 2. Thanks to the UN Study on Violence against Children, developed under the strong leadership of Professor Paulo Pinheiro, there is today a worldwide movement aiming at the protection of children from all forms of violence. The Study has helped to challenge the acceptance of violence against children, highlighting that no violence against children is justifiable, and all violence can be effectively prevented. With its action-oriented recommendations, the Study has shaped a strategic agenda that will help move this process forward. Within and across borders, it is essential to maintain momentum around this agenda; to increase visibility and generate renewed concern at the harmful effects of violence on children; to promote behavioural and social change; to mobilise political and financial support to prevent and combat this phenomenon; and to achieve steady progress along the way. In my role as independent global advocate on violence against children I am strongly committed to support, nurture and learn from this process of change. I look forward to collaborating closely with you, to keep this topic high in the international agenda, serving as a catalyst of actions in all regions, promoting information-sharing and cross fertilisation of experiences, helping to gain a shared understanding of the challenges that prevail, and stimulating evidence-based approaches to prevent violence and safeguard the right of each child to freedom from violence. 3. The agenda of the SRSG will build upon the strong foundation provided by the UN Study and its recommendations; it will further strengthen the strategic partnerships the Study has promoted and will pursue the broad participatory process that led to its development. The Study recommendations are comprehensive and may be perceived as ambitious; although they will require a strategic prioritization of actions, they reaffirm core commitments undertaken by States, and can be advanced further in the context of the implementation of core human rights treaties. Protecting children from violence is a human rights imperative. It is, therefore, meaningful and certainly also inspiring that the SRSG mandate has been established during the year of the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and when the international community also commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and of ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention. These are very widely ratified treaties that provide, with other international standards, a firm normative foundation for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. They stand as a tangible indicator of how genuine national commitment is to respecting the human dignity of the child at all times; to addressing risk factors that compromise children’s development and citizenship; to investing in the social inclusion of the most vulnerable; and to promoting actions that build upon children’s best interests, perspectives and experiences. These human rights standards create, in addition, a strategic opportunity to mainstream the protection of children from violence as a core component of the national policy agenda, helping to avoid fragmented, diluted or simply reactive solutions, and promoting progress informed by good practices and significant initiatives that have helped to achieve change in national implementation processes. 4. Violence against children is an area where action is urgently needed. Violence against children remains widespread, largely hidden and still too often condoned by society. It knows no geographic, cultural, economic or social boundaries and it has serious, life-long emotional and health impacts on children’s lives, undermining their development and learning abilities, inhibiting positive relationships, provoking trauma and depression, and often leading to risk taking and aggressive behaviour. According to a recent UNICEF publication on key child protection concerns, more than 85% of children between 2 and 14 years of age experience physical punishment and/or psychological aggression. National studies, although limited in their number, confirm similar rates, and available research suggests that between 500 million and 1.5 billion children endure some form of violence every year. And yet, as we know well, this is an area where serious data gaps remain. This dramatic picture may therefore simply be the tip of the iceberg. 5. Joining hands with young people and listening to their views and experiences allows us to gain a better understanding of the hidden face of violence and, more importantly, to become better equipped to prevent its occurrence, to develop child sensitive counselling, recovery and long lasting reintegration strategies, and to monitor progress and impact. Children express a strong sense of impatience when they voice their deep concern at the very high levels of violence affecting their lives and acknowledge the insufficient steps taken to address it. And they ignite us with a call for urgent action, intervening as spokespersons for the many victims who remain invisible in their experience of violence, stigma and exclusion; the many children who lose trust and hope, when abused in settings designed to protect them; the many who fear reporting and reprisals, and those who dare to speak up and yet see their suffering forgotten in a pact of silence. This is the message we hear time after time. It was voiced again last September, by the Forum of Young People who participated in the Pan-American Ministerial Congress on Children and Adolescents, held in Peru. And it was equally echoed by the recent survey conducted amongst adolescents from within the EU Member States. In both cases, as in many others before, violence against children was identified as the most pressing concern and the one requiring the highest priority attention on the part of governments. This is why partnering with children as agents of change will remain a critical dimension of my agenda. And your deliberations on child participation, chosen as a main theme for your current session, will be an instrumental source of reflection for the steps ahead. Ladies and Gentlemen, 6. As you know, the mandate of the Special Representative has been established for a period of three years, at which time it will be evaluated including with regard to its current funding from voluntary contributions. It is therefore of critical importance to achieve tangible results within this short period of time. To make this possible, sound funding is instrumental and solid partnerships remain critical – including with governments, with UN agencies, human rights bodies and mechanisms, with regional organisations, civil society and children and young people. The recent establishment of the Trust Fund for contributions in support of the mandate of the SRSG, and the mechanisms already in place for institutional collaboration, including the UN Inter Agency Working Group on Violence against Children and the NGO Advisory Council, provide a firm basis for the work ahead. But it is also indispensable to focus on a strategic agenda. The twelve overarching recommendations of the UN Study provide a navigation chart and constitute, in addition, a decisive reference to accelerate and monitor progress in our endeavours. In view of their particular urgency, some of these recommendations were highlighted with time bound targets. These areas are critical and require a renewed and firm attention at all levels. Over the immediate future, I am therefore committed to give special attention to: In these and other fields, promising change is taking place. The significant legal reforms introduced in different regions of the world to prohibit all forms of violence against children illustrate this well – at present, twenty four countries have a comprehensive and explicit legal ban and many others are working towards the same end. Several countries have reinforced their legislation to address specific forms of violence and to protect children from violence in schools, from child trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as from female genital mutilation and early and forced marriage. The legal prohibition of violence against children conveys a clear message of political commitment to work towards its elimination. It constitutes a critical safeguard for the protection of child victims and witnesses, and provides a strong reference for capacity building initiatives and the development of guidance for professionals working with and for children. But not less importantly, law reform is being increasingly used in support of public information and awareness raising campaigns, and as a powerful tool for the promotion of positive discipline, social mobilisation and behaviour change. Distinguished Delegates, 7. Strong political will is essential to move this process forward. With so many competing priorities and an increasing difficulty of securing funding at a time of financial and economic crisis, children’s rights and protection concerns run the risk of being placed in a waiting slot. And yet, by investing in children and preventing violence, we know well how strong the opportunity is to limit the human impact of the crisis and reduce social cost in the long run. This is why we need to urgently pursue our common efforts and capitalize on the significant developments promoted so far. The agenda is clear, the tools are at hand and the resources within reach. We cannot afford to fail! I count on your support and look forward to working closely with you in the steps ahead. Thank you.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends
Ladies and Gentlemen,