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SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Securing sound support and predictable funding has been indispensable to promote progress in the present strategic agenda, and remains critical to ensure effective and independent performance of the Special Representative's mandate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- With this aim, and in the overall framework of the priorities of her mandate, in 2011 the Special Representative will place special emphasis on the areas described below.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Guided by the important deliberations of the XX Pan American Child Congress, significant steps were taken to consolidate regional partnerships with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Ibero-American Community.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- [Vulnerabilities and risks faced by children who are internally displaced during armed conflict – addressing their rights]: Ultimately, displacement should be a temporary condition and a durable solution should be secured where all those who were internally displaced no longer have any specific protection and assistance needs linked to their displacement and can enjoy their human rights without discrimination. States have a responsibility to create the conditions for a durable solution to displacement, either through voluntary return, integration or resettlement. The best interests of a child – determined through participatory, age-appropriate and gender-competent assessments – should always be the primary consideration when seeking a durable solution.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes and appreciates the strengthened collaboration between her Office and the United Nations human rights system, and reiterates her continued support, including sharing regular information and advocating the protection of children affected by armed conflict. The Special Representative emphasizes that unless all parties to conflict adhere to their commitments, comply with their international obligations and are held accountable for non-compliance, the plight of children in situations of armed conflict risks deterioration. To this end, the Special Representative offers the following recommendations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- State parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child are encouraged to strengthen national and international measures for the prevention of recruitment of children into the armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities. In particular, those measures include signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and enacting legislation that explicitly prohibits and criminalizes the recruitment of children into armed forces or groups and their use in hostilities; exercising extraterritorial jurisdiction in order to strengthen the international protection of children against recruitment; taking measures to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; and submitting timely reports to the Committee under the Optional Protocol.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The international community is urged to continue to mobilize its energies towards: advocating unequivocally for 18 as the minimum age for recruitment and participation in hostilities; exerting international pressure on parties that continue to recruit and use children; monitoring and compelling adherence by parties to conflict to commitments made to protect children, and holding them accountable for failure to comply with international standards; addressing the political, social and economic factors that facilitate the recruitment and use of children; and responding to the rehabilitation and reintegration needs of former child soldiers.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- In his report on the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict societies (S/2004/616), the Secretary-General defines transitional justice as the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society's attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation. These may include both judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, with differing levels of international involvement (or none at all) and individual prosecutions, reparations, truth-seeking, institutional reform, vetting and dismissals, or a combination thereof. Given the deep impact of conflict on children, child protection actors have advocated for a comprehensive view of the involvement and participation of children in all aspects of transitional justice. To attempt transitional justice processes without involving children not only fails to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child - the most universally ratified international instrument - it also compromises the outcome of those processes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Member States which bear a central and immediate political, legal and moral responsibility, should comply with international law for the protection of children within their territories. They should take strong and urgent action to bring to justice individuals responsible for the recruitment and use of children in the armed forces or armed groups, and their use in hostilities, in violation of applicable international law. They should also take action against other grave violations against children through national justice systems, including undertaking appropriate reforms of national legislation for the protection of children, in order to bring laws into line with international obligations, as well as strengthening child-protection capacity and training for the military, the police, and law enforcement and judiciary officials within national security sector reform efforts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- One of the key challenges is to overturn the inclination, including of many mediators, that broader political considerations and dynamics may be adversely affected or compromised by child protection issues surfacing at negotiating tables. There is often a reticence to consider the protection of children as a "high line" priority on an equal footing with considerations of achieving or maintaining ceasefires, for instance. Yet, such issues as the immediate cessation of grave violations against children and the unconditional release of all children associated with fighting forces should be seen as fundamental to any ceasefire agreement. Continued violations such as child recruitment, or unwillingness to identify and release children already in fighting forces, must be formally stipulated as violations of ceasefire agreements by parties to a conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- In view of the disturbing trend of civilian casualties, especially children, during the course of military operations, Member States are urged to ensure that national and multinational forces adopt standard operating procedures to mitigate the direct targeting or collateral death and injury of children. Regional and United Nations peacekeeping missions are also urged to support the development of such procedures. If support is given to national forces by international peacekeeping operations it must be on the condition that those forces have procedures in place for the protection of civilians.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 6b
- Paragraph text
- [In this regard, the development of standard operating procedures by armed forces is critical in order to put in place additional protection measures for children during military operations. Regional and United Nations peacekeeping missions should also prioritize such measures and procedures in the context of peacekeeping engagements or where international forces are supporting national forces in joint operations. These standard operating procedures may vary from one context to another, but a minimum set of measures should include:] Refraining from engaging in combat and/or using heavy artillery in highly populated areas;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- With regard to attacks on schools and hospitals, limited knowledge of international humanitarian law by parties to conflict, insufficient implementation of the law’s provisions and limited insight into the different country contexts in which violations occur still hamper the design of clear strategies to address such violations. The case of the military use of schools exemplifies the complexity of the issue; although strictly speaking not a violation of international humanitarian law, the military occupation of schools clearly impedes children’s access to education and puts them at risk. Further complicating the issue are cases where the military provide security to a school at the school’s request, and there is collocation between children and military in the same school, or even partial occupation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- [Accountability of children involved in armed conflict]: Traditional justice, aimed at the reintegration of child soldiers, can make a significant contribution to healing, recovery and reintegration. It may employ an array of measures, such as punishment, reparation, truth-telling, involving confession and absolution, and healing or cleansing ceremonies. Traditional justice can be most helpful in assisting reintegration where it focuses on re-establishing the child as a member of the community rather than relying upon punishment or public shaming. Restorative justice is very often the only way of bringing reconciliation to victims and perpetrators alike in a war-torn society where victims of offences suffer, as do child perpetrators, having been forced to commit offences.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- [Attacks on schools and hospitals: an emerging concern]: Attacks on schools and hospitals in armed conflict are widespread and are of increasing concern. Out of 22 country situations reported in the annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (A/65/820-S/2011/250), 15 referred to attacks on schools and hospitals. Apart from the direct and physical damage to schools and hospitals, incidents of closure of schools and hospitals as a result of threats and intimidation, as well as the military use of these civilian institutions, have been documented. In addition, schools are often used as recruiting grounds for children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The above are some of the key factors which create an environment that is conducive to children being caught up in conflict. Without addressing the conditions which create conflict at the strategic level, children will continue to be victimized by armed conflict. In this regard, as called for by the General Assembly in its resolution 63/241, States must “enhance complementarity and coordination of national policies and strategies related to security, development, human rights and humanitarian issues, with a view to addressing the short-, medium- and long-term impact of armed conflict on children in an effective, sustainable and comprehensive manner”. The United Nations system and the international community more widely must support the efforts of Governments in building societies that are resilient during conflict, including by contributing to economic development and equity, while supporting initiatives to strengthen social justice and accountability.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Trial Chamber I accepted the approach taken by the Pre-Trial Chamber and suggested by the Special Representative, according to which both conscription and enlistment are forms of recruitment, in that they refer to the incorporation of a boy or a girl under the age of 15 years into an armed group, whether coercively or voluntarily. The Special Representative argued in her brief to the Court that the distinction between voluntary enlistment and forced recruitment was a distinction without meaning, as even the most voluntary of acts could be a desperate attempt to survive by children with a limited number of options. In such circumstances, any consent given by a child could not be regarded as truly voluntary in the full sense of the word. Whether the child enlisted or was conscripted, the line between voluntary and involuntary recruitment was legally irrelevant and practically superficial in the context of children’s association with armed forces or armed groups in times of conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- At the start of any conflict, community leaders should be persuaded to make a special effort to negotiate with parties to ensure that schools are designated as “zones of peace” and are not the targets of attacks or use by military forces or armed groups. In this way, children will be free to pursue their education without abuse or violence. Community-based action to protect schools is another way in which to ensure that children are safe. Maintaining a degree of normalcy in the lives of children during conflict, through the continuation of schooling, sustains their development, while protecting them from recruitment by armed actors.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Efforts to strengthen the links between the work of the Security Council on children and armed conflict and its sanctions regime is an area of ongoing work. Targeted and graduated sanctions should be applied against persistent perpetrators as a measure of last resort, when all other means have failed to end impunity for crimes committed against children. In its most recent resolution on children and armed conflict (resolution 1998 (2011)), the Security Council reaffirmed its readiness, expressed in previous resolutions and presidential statements, to adopt targeted and graduated measures against persistent perpetrators of grave violations against children, and increasingly to integrate violations against children into its sanctions regimes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- [Reparations for children and the restoration of children’s rights]: The experiences of a significantly larger number of victims, and the loss and harm resulting from a wider range of violations, can be acknowledged and repaired through reparations programmes. Any decision on reparations should avoid an overly narrow definition of victims and their eligibility and not limit the violations allowing for reparations. It is important to include those victims who have not participated in court proceedings, maintaining an open list of applicants and conducting a series of registration periods. In deciding who is eligible for reparations, however, the limited human and financial resources must be taken into account. Priority should therefore be accorded to the immediate and direct victims of the crime and their families, including the victims of forced recruitment and the victims and families of the crimes committed by the armed group. Moreover, an assessment of the current needs of the victims is crucial as several years may have passed since the events took place.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Member States bear a central and immediate political, legal and moral responsibility for the protection of children and should comply with international law for the protection of children within their territories. The Rome Statute defined the recruitment and use of children in armed forces or armed groups as a war crime. Member States should enact the appropriate legislation to criminalize these violations and hold adult recruiters to account, including military commanders and political leaders, for both the crime of child recruitment and for the crimes that they forced children to commit. They should also take action against other grave violations against children through their national justice systems, including by bringing their laws into line with international obligations and by according priority to child protection capacity and training for the military, the police and law enforcement and judiciary officials in the context of national security sector reform efforts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- [Empowering children through education, skills and livelihood opportunities]: The recruitment of children into armed forces or groups has been documented as being often closely connected to poverty and social disadvantage. Poverty, often combined with social exclusion, has been found to stir the frustration of young people and create incentives for them to join armed groups. In many post-conflict societies, young people have little choice but to remain unemployed or accept short-term and exploitative work. Accordingly, providing children and young people with alternatives through high-quality education, both formal and non-formal, and national programmes for job creation and income generation for young people should be top priorities in national prevention strategies. Donor agencies should also accord priority to work in this regard. Food security and livelihood measures, tailored to the specific economic context, together with cultural and psychosocial support activities, can also contribute to preventing the recruitment and the rerecruitment of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Explosive weapons with wide-area effect, such as multiple-launch rockets, high-explosive artillery, mortars, car bombs and other improvised explosive devices, are a particular cause for concern. In 2011, mortar and artillery shells, which are indiscriminate weapons traditionally used against massed infantry, killed and injured children in Libya, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic, among others. In Afghanistan and Iraq, there has been an increasing number of complex attacks involving the combination of two or more attacks on one target using explosive weapons by armed groups. These attacks, usually perpetrated against Government institutions, resulted in significant child casualties. Aerial bombardments and drone attacks in countries such as Pakistan and Yemen have also killed and injured children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- In most of the 23 country situations reflected in the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict covering the period from January to December 2011 (A/66/782-S/2012/261), explosive weapons were used in direct physical attacks against schools and hospitals, a grave violation of children’s rights. They posed a threat to children and medical and educational personnel, resulting in the forced closure or the compromised functioning of those institutions. In some country situations, children were denied humanitarian access because of the presence of explosive remnants of war from previous conflicts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- While recognition of the distinct problems associated with explosive weapons has grown over time, there is a need for further policy attention and immediate action to effectively protect children from such weapons. There is also a need for greater acknowledgement that the use of such weapons, especially those with wide-area effect and those used in densely populated areas, severely harm children and communities. Systematic data collection and analysis of the human cost of these weapons is critical to the development of baseline information, which would in turn further strengthen the empirical basis for advocacy efforts to better protect children. In the context of the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children, the Office of the Special Representative will, together with United Nations partners, endeavour to gather disaggregated and more detailed information on child casualties resulting from the use of such weapons. The Office will also advocate the inclusion of specific provisions against the use of explosive weapons in action plans signed by parties to conflict that aim at halting the killing and maiming of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- The criminalization of underage recruitment and the domestication of international norms and standards against the recruitment and use of children are crucial first steps in the prevention of child soldiering. Setting the parameters of who can be lawfully recruited into armed forces and groups, and ensuring that those who do not abide by those parameters may receive punishment, is the basis for regulation. Effective criminalization can be hindered by amnesties and de facto immunities granted to members of armed forces suspected of serious human rights abuses and/or armed groups that will become part of a national army in the framework of a peace process. In developing legal provisions, care must be taken to ensure that amnesties are not applicable to individuals who recruited or recruit children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- To follow up on these important advances, the Office of the Special Representative, in cooperation with partners, is preparing guidance for the field on monitoring and reporting on attacks on educational and health-care facilities and plans to have dialogue with parties to conflict to halt and prevent such violations. A collaborative effort between United Nations peacekeeping and political missions in the field, as well as other United Nations entities, including UNICEF, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization, will be essential in strengthening and disseminating good practices for mitigating the effects of conflict on children's education and health care.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, notable progress was made in devising and reinforcing protective measures to ensure education in times of conflict. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, created in 2010 and composed of United Nations entities and non-governmental organizations, spearheaded the development of draft guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict, also known as the Lucens guidelines. The initiative, which results from broad consultations among military experts, child protection actors, education specialists and international humanitarian and human rights lawyers, is aimed at enhancing knowledge and understanding, as well as improving the monitoring and reporting of attacks on schools. It also served to advocate for the development of clear international norms on the interaction of military forces with schools and schoolchildren. The Special Representative strongly encourages Member States to support this process at both the technical and strategic levels and to promote concrete changes in national policies and legislation, as well as the inclusion of the guidelines in military doctrine, manuals and training.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- It has been widely acknowledged that the mainstreaming of children's issues and concerns in peacemaking processes is essential in mobilizing efforts for the critical protection that children need in times of conflict. Incorporating specific commitments in political settlements, ceasefire arrangements, peace agreements and relevant implementation mechanisms can provide important opportunities and entry points for the rapid release of children from armed forces and groups and their reintegration. Early consideration of children's issues in peacemaking processes also facilitates planning and resource mobilization.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Attacks on schools, hospitals, teachers, schoolchildren and medical personnel in situations of conflict remain widespread and alarming. Access to education and health care continues to be disrupted by the damage or destruction resulting from targeted attacks on schools and medical facilities and by the use of explosive weapons. Many schools and hospitals are looted by armed groups, used as barracks, operational centres and detention sites, including by governmental forces. Access to education is also hampered, as schools are targeted by armed groups as places for the indoctrination and recruitment of children. In some cases, extremist armed groups also interfere in school programmes. Teachers and medical personnel are often threatened or become victims of targeted killings and abductions. Girls' access to education is particularly affected by all forms of attack on schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Schools remain at the heart of armed conflict in many countries around the world. The use of schools for military purposes by armed forces and groups continues to put schoolchildren at risk of attack and hampers children's access to education. Schools are often being used as military barracks, weapon storage areas, command centres, detention and interrogation sites, firing and observation positions and training grounds for combatants, as well as serving as recruiting grounds for children. This practice not only results in reduced enrolment, high dropout rates and overcrowding of schools, but also changes the civilian nature of schools and may lead to the perception of schools as legitimate targets for attack. Even when children are evacuated from schools used by military forces, their right to an education under international human rights law is compromised. In some situations, as a direct result of the military use of schools, children have been injured or killed and schools have been damaged or destroyed in targeted attacks and by the indiscriminate use of weapons.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The use of explosive weapons in populated areas has been shown to result in a pattern of harm affecting children and their families. In recent years, United Nations actors have noted with concern how evolving technologies and tactics reflecting the changing nature of armed conflict pose a threat to children. Over the past decade, reports of child casualties in the course of military operations by armed unmanned aerial vehicles, referred to as drones, have multiplied. While precise information is not available on the number and circumstances of these incidents, such reports indicate that drones have had a significant impact on children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Early consideration of children's issues in peace-making processes can also facilitate the planning and mobilization of resources. For instance, the release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces or groups is strongly linked to security arrangements in peace processes. It is also an integral part of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, which requires a specific focus on provisions for children, in particular girls. In that regard, the Special Representative commends the General Assembly for its continued call to States and regional organizations to support the inclusion of such commitments in peace agreements (see resolution 68/147). However, this aspect often remains neglected.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- In order to ensure the adequate treatment of children separated from armed groups, the Special Representative advocated with the Member States concerned for standard operating procedures for the handover of children to child protection actors. In September 2014, the United Nations and the Government of Chad signed a protocol on the handover of children, which included specific provisions regulating detention. Those standard operating procedures build on previous agreements signed with the Governments of Mali, Somalia and Uganda in recent years. Child protection provisions have also been included in the concept of operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force to fight Boko Haram/JAS. The Special Representative encourages all Member States to develop such standard operating procedures where applicable to prevent the detention of children and protect their primary status as victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In that spirit, the Special Representative reached out to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region to ensure that the issue of children remained central in her engagements with pertinent parties. Similarly, she liaised closely with the former Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria. Regarding the conflict in the Central African Republic, the Special Representative engaged with mediators involved in peace efforts, such as representatives of the Economic Community of Central African States, the African Union and the United Nations, to advocate for the inclusion of specific commitments. Regarding the situation in Yemen, the Special Representative reached out to the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Yemen and engaged with representatives of the countries of the Gulf Initiative to ensure that the protection of children, including in respect of implementing the action plan and reintegration, will be included in their discussions and initiatives. More recently, she engaged with Intergovernmental Authority on Development mediators to identify ways of strengthening cooperation in the context of the peace talks in South Sudan.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The recent commitments that the Special Representative was able to obtain from the Government of South Sudan and the opposition forces demonstrate that, in some cases, eliciting commitments by parties to conflict in the context of a mediation process to end grave violations committed against children can only be achieved through complementary and synergistic actions by different actors. In that regard, the Special Representative is engaging with a number of partners to identify and refine key elements of guidance that can be used in mediation processes, with due consideration given to the specifics of each mediation process. She will continue to work closely with the mediation community and to reach out to representatives of academia, specialized civil society organizations, experienced third-party mediators and other practitioners.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The burdensome process of rebuilding and reopening schools and restoring a community's trust in their safety often leaves children without education for months or even years. In that regard, the Special Representative underlines the importance of targeted initiatives, such as the Secretary-General's Global Education First Initiative, the "No Lost Generation" initiative by the United Nations and its partners in the Syrian Arab Republic, the planned data hub project on global attacks on education by Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict, which will be publicly available for advocacy use, and the European Union Children of Peace initiative. Children growing up in the absence of health care or education will have an impact on a society's potential for development and peace for many years after a conflict has ended. Ensuring access to education and health care, in particular during times of war, must be a priority so as to better protect children from the impact of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Sexual violence continues to be a prominent violation of children's rights in most situations of conflict, affecting both girls and boys dramatically. Rape and other forms of sexual violence are committed in the context of attacks against the civilian population and children are usually targeted due to their vulnerability and frequently because of their ethnicity. Violations are also committed in the context of recruitment and use of children and abductions. Girls are particularly vulnerable to abduction or recruitment by armed groups to be used for sexual purposes. Parties to conflict use sexual violence against children as a tactic to instil fear so as to assert control over people and land. It is also an increasing trend used by extremist groups to terrorize populations. For example, Boko Haram has been abducting girls from schools, and reports indicate that those girls have been forcibly married to local commanders.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In Sudan, following advocacy by the United Nations, several non-State actors issued command orders or launched internal sensitization campaigns on the protection of children and the prohibition of their recruitment and use. In August 2014, Minni Minnawi, leader of a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army, further operationalized its commitment by putting in place a mechanism to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. A community-based strategic plan was also initiated by Sheikh Musa Hilal and endorsed by the leaders of five tribes. The strategic plan was designed to curb the use of children as fighters in inter- and intra-ethnic clashes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative met in Addis Ababa, in May 2014, with the former Vice President of South Sudan and leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition, Riek Machar, to whom she relayed her concerns regarding reports of large numbers of children recruited and used, killed, maimed or raped by his forces. She obtained a signed commitment to end the recruitment and use of children and all grave violations against children, and command orders were issued following the meeting. However, at the time of reporting, the commitment had yet to be implemented and violations against children continued unabated by both sides.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the international community’s increasing attention to the issue of the military use of schools, in particular with the adoption, at a conference held in Oslo on 28 and 29 May 2015, of the Safe Schools Declaration. In that regard, the Special Representative highlights the May 2014 guidance note entitled “Protect schools and hospitals: end attacks on education and health care”, prepared jointly by the Office of the Special Representative and other entities of the United Nations system. The guidance note includes a draft operational strategy for preventing the military use of schools. The Special Representative also commends the efforts of the Human Rights Council to dedicate attention to the continuing attacks on education around the world as a gross violation of human rights, particularly through Council resolution 29/7 on the right to education, adopted on 2 July 2015. The Special Representative will continue to support these efforts through the monitoring and reporting mechanism and sustained advocacy, with the hope of curbing such violations and promoting children’s right to education.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative commends the Human Rights Council, the treaty bodies, the special rapporteurs and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for their work in relation to children deprived of liberty and encourages continued focus on this issue, including in the framework of the universal periodic review. She encourages Member States to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims, to consider alternatives to deprivation of liberty and to ensure that, at a minimum, deprivation of liberty be used as a last resort and for the shortest time possible.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- In instances where children are accused of specific crimes during their association with an armed force or group, they should not be brought to trial before military courts or special courts, which often do not fully recognize the special status of juveniles before the law. The Special Representative continued to remind States that children accused of criminal acts should be treated in compliance with due process and juvenile justice standards. Accordingly, the best interests of the child should always be taken into account, detention should only be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest time possible, and there should be no capital punishment or life imprisonment for children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Armed conflict has resulted not only in human casualties and physical destruction, but also in forced displacement. In the course of the past year, an ever-growing number of people have fled conflict zones and sought refuge in safer places. UNHCR reports that, globally, one in every 122 persons is now either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum. In many situations, as in the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic, children, many of them unaccompanied or separated from their families, represent a high proportion of the displaced population and have been at a particularly high risk of human rights violations and abuses. Children can be victims of grave violations inside and around refugee camps or camps for internally displaced persons. Armed groups take advantage of the vulnerability and concentration of displaced populations in camps to recruit children and commit other violations, including sexual violence and human trafficking.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, children continued to be severely affected by violent extremism and were often the direct targets of acts intended to cause maximum civilian casualties and terrorize communities. The recruitment and use of children was a prevalent concern, with armed groups controlling large swaths of territory, leaving many civilians without Government protection and resulting in children being abducted and forcibly recruited. The conduct of Government forces and their allies when retaking territory can also be a significant factor in the recruitment and use of children, since abuses and human rights violations can create or add to real or perceived grievances in the affected population as well as forcing civilians, including children, to seek protection from other parties to conflict. Social media also continues to be used for purposes of propaganda and to encourage recruitment of children, particularly outside areas affected by conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The right to education is a fundamental human right. It is key for the development of children, but also critical for peacebuilding, economic growth and sustainable development for society as a whole. In times of conflict, infringements of the right to education in the form of targeted attacks on and obstacles to safe access to schools, threats to children and teachers and the military use of schools have a negative impact reaching beyond the education sector alone. Moreover, education is often interrupted due to a general climate of fear and insecurity or because of the displacement of school children, teachers and school personnel. Not only is there a large financial cost to rebuilding schools, repairing infrastructure, replacing equipment and training new teachers, there is a significant individual and societal cost. The loss of educational opportunities owing to war has long-lasting effects on the social and economic development of a country, which in turn increases the likelihood of new cycles of violence and conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against schools, teachers and students during armed conflicts are particularly worrying as they interfere with education precisely when it can be of most benefit, not only to teach essential life skills but also to promote respect, tolerance and understanding, all of which are vital for social reconstruction and cohesion. Affected populations often view education as essential to both their short- and long-term well-being, as it helps mitigate the psychological and social impacts of conflict by creating a sense of normality, stability, structure and hope and, therefore, to overcome a crisis. All parties to a conflict have a responsibility to ensure safe access to education. It is essential that there be continuous engagement with non-State armed groups on the protection of education to remind their leadership of their obligations to avoid interfering with education, whether directly or indirectly.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative met with the NGO Advisory Council in early October 2009 in New York. The meeting helped to shed light on strategic areas where progress can be further achieved and identify significant opportunities for fruitful cooperation in the follow-up to the study's recommendations at the global, regional and national levels and across the various settings within which violence against children continues to take place; these areas and opportunities include the adoption of national plans of action to advance implementation of the study's recommendations, the legal prohibition of all forms of violence against children in all settings, the collection and dissemination of disaggregated data on violence against children and the establishment of effective and accessible complaint mechanisms for children. The meeting also considered ways of enhancing children's participation in the follow-up to the study, benefiting from their insights and experience, and mobilizing and empowering them to take action in their own communities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Decisive steps were also taken to consolidate regional collaboration and agree on a strategic action plan on violence against children with the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the Global Movement for Children, in which UNICEF and key civil society organizations participate. In this context, the Special Representative held an important planning meeting in Panama with members of the Movement, the Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and representatives of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and OHCHR. As a key outcome from the meeting, it was agreed to pursue, over the next three years, implementation of the recommendations of the study with particular emphasis on the adoption of legislation to prohibit all forms of violence against children; the development of a comprehensive, well-coordinated and well-resourced national strategy, and the consolidation of research and data systems in this area.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- As regarded violence against children, participants expressed commitment to developing productive cooperation with the Special Representative and providing her with the necessary technical and financial support. They called on OIC member States to take all appropriate legislative, social and other measures for effective follow-up to the study's recommendations; urgently review and reform legislation to ensure the prohibition of all forms of violence and the promotion of positive, non-violent forms of discipline; and, on the basis of positive national experiences, establish a high-level focal point to coordinate actions to prevent and combat violence, and develop a well-resourced national strategy on violence against children. Special attention was also given to prevention and protection from harmful practices, protection of children under occupation and in times of war and poverty alleviation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- At the end of November 2009, the Special Representative held important meetings in Addis Ababa with the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs and the Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, with a view to exploring opportunities for collaboration in the protection of children from all forms of violence. Violence against children has been high on the policy agenda of the African region, including in the context of the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; during the drafting of the study and when the 2006 Day of the African Child was devoted to this topic; during the Second Pan-African Forum on Children, held in Cairo in 2007; and in "The Call for Accelerated Action to make Africa Fit for Children", adopted thereafter. With the follow-up to the study, renewed opportunities exist to move this agenda forward.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- This initial report of the Special Representative reaffirms the human rights foundation of her mandate and the significant developments in public health and child protection which will support its implementation. The report sets out the strategic direction that the Special Representative proposes to pursue during her mandate. This approach was informed by a wide range of meetings and consultations with key stakeholders at the global, regional and national levels that the Special Representative has held over the months since she took up her position. These include Governments and intergovernmental organizations; United Nations partners, including the Special Representative on children and armed conflict; United Nations agencies, in particular the core members of the Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence against Children; human rights bodies and mechanisms; civil society organizations; and children and young people.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- With this in mind, in the immediate future, the Special Representative will give attention to progress in three key areas as a priority, namely the development in each State of a comprehensive strategy on violence prevention and response; the introduction of an explicit national legal ban on all forms of violence against children; and the consolidation of national data systems and research in this field. Moreover, the Special Representative will pursue efforts to widen and further strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders, within and beyond the United Nations system, as well as secure firm support including adequate resources for her mandate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- The mandate of the Special Representative is framed by the United Nations study on violence against children and its strategic recommendations; it builds upon public health and child protection initiatives and developments, and envisages the protection of children from violence as a human rights imperative. Indeed, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international human rights instruments provide a firm normative foundation for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. These international standards constitute a sound reference for mainstreaming the protection of children from violence in the national policy agenda, helping to avoid fragmented, diluted or simply reactive solutions and influencing lasting change through their steady implementation. For this reason, the Special Representative promotes the universal ratification and effective implementation of core human rights treaties.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 13a
- Paragraph text
- [The recommendations of the United Nations study provide a navigation chart for accelerating and monitoring progress in violence prevention and responses. In view of their particular urgency, the study identified time-bound targets for three strategic overarching recommendations. Those areas remain critical and require renewed and firm attention. For that reason, in the broad framework of the study's recommendations, the Special Representative gives priority attention to initiatives aimed at:] The development in each State of a national comprehensive strategy to prevent and address all forms of violence against children, mainstreamed in the national planning process, coordinated by a high-level focal point with leading responsibilities in this area, and supported by adequate human and financial resources to support implementation;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- This is an area where urgent action is required. Existing data sets on children provide a basis to build upon, but they need to be integrated beyond sectors and individual disciplines, promoting a holistic consideration of the child. Gaps in child protection areas need to be addressed and monitoring tools and indicators expanded, including to consider boys and girls of all ages and in all settings, and to address those at greatest risk. Moreover, those efforts need to incorporate children's views and perspectives, and capture their experience, and dynamic and evolving free agency. This is crucial to understand the hidden face of violence and effectively address its root causes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The development of the United Nations study generated solid and strategic alliances, within and beyond the United Nations system. To advance the implementation of the recommendations of the study, strengthened partnerships are crucial. The Special Representative will therefore promote enhanced collaboration with key partners, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies; human rights treaty bodies and mechanisms; national governments, regional organizations, parliamentarians, national independent institutions on children's rights; and civil society, including children and young people.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Around the globe, law reform for children's protection from violence is gaining momentum. When the United Nations study was finalized, only 16 countries had legislation prohibiting violence in all settings, including corporal punishment in the home. Currently, 29 countries have introduced such a comprehensive legal ban. In all regions, legislative reform initiatives are under way to achieve full prohibition, and in several other countries, new legislation is under review to prohibit violence in specific settings. In some cases, a monitoring system has been developed to advance implementation. In countries where harmful practices persist behind deeply entrenched traditions, the legislative process has provided opportunities to involve community and religious leaders, parliamentarians, professional associations, academic institutions and grass-roots organizations, and to engage communities concerned to promote change from within and consolidate prevention efforts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Secondly, in countries where a full legal ban has been adopted, further efforts are required to narrow the gap between law and practice. Legislation needs to permeate the work of institutions and shape the training and ethical standards of professionals working with and for children. Implementation needs to be supported by awareness-raising and social mobilization initiatives for the public at large, and children in particular. The development of easily accessible, child-sensitive, confidential and independent counselling and reporting mechanisms to address incidents of violence also need to be promoted. This is an area where progress is urgent, both to provide an effective remedy to child victims and to overcome the challenges presented by the invisibility and social acceptance of violence and the reluctance of professionals working with and for children to address or refer these cases to relevant bodies and institutions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- These are critical concerns the Special Representative will continue to address in the context of her mandate and missions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The development of close collaboration with human rights bodies and mechanisms is an essential component of the Special Representative's agenda. This cooperation is critical in pursuing an integrated approach to children's protection from violence and capitalizing on synergies across mandates, in the overall framework of the implementation of children's rights standards and commitments to children, including those undertaken at the Millennium Summit, the special session of the General Assembly on Children and, more recently, the Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents. The Call for Action adopted by the Congress highlights the importance of close cooperation between mandate holders, and its agenda provides a valuable framework for mutually supportive actions and accelerated progress in the follow-up to the study's recommendations; those include the development of national plans and the enactment of effective legislation, and the establishment of reporting mechanisms for child victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, the Special Representative's cooperation with the Committee on the Rights of the Child gains crucial relevance. The United Nations study was developed at the request of the Committee and was strongly grounded in its work on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee has devoted special attention to violence against children in thematic debates, general comments and during the consideration of States Parties' reports. At present, all concluding observations include a specific section on the follow-up to the study's recommendations and on cooperation with the Special Representative.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Significant progress has been achieved in the above-mentioned area. Firstly, important regional political commitments have been made with regard to violence against children. As a result, the issue of protection of children from violence has gained centre stage, including in the 2009 Cairo Declaration (see paragraph 10 above), the Declaration of Buenos Aires adopted at the Twelfth Ibero-American Conference of Ministers and Authorities Responsible for Children, the South Asian Initiative to End Violence against Children, the Beijing Declaration on South-South Cooperation for Child Rights, the Marrakesh Declaration adopted at the Fourth High-level Arab Conference on the Rights of the Child, the Council of Europe Strategy for 2009-2011 "Building a Europe for and with Children", as well as in the European Union Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child and the Implementation Strategy on Violence against Children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Collaboration with civil society organizations at the regional and national levels has also been significant. These organizations are indispensable supporters of awareness-raising and social mobilization in favour of children's protection from violence. With the consolidation of existing networks, often involving representatives from community-based organizations and, at times, also child-led organizations, an increasing understanding has been gained on emerging and widespread forms of violence, as well as on socially accepted practices, and on ways of promoting their effective and lasting abandonment with the involvement of communities concerned.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The valuable role played by safe and accessible counselling, and by complaint and reporting mechanisms for children's protection from violence was given focused attention by the Human Rights Council in its panel discussion on the protection of children from sexual violence, in which the Special Representative on violence against children also participated in March 2010. The Council adopted a resolution in which it strongly condemned all forms of sexual violence and abuse against children; and urged States to develop and establish child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms that are confidential and safe. The Council also invited the Special Representative and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography to submit a joint report on this topic to the Council at its sixteenth session.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- To inform the development of the report, the Special Representative will organize with OHCHR an expert consultation on this topic in September 2010. The meeting aims to provide a comprehensive overview of existing models of accessible and child-friendly counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms, established at governmental level, and by independent institutions and civil society organizations; to reflect on challenges and good practices in the use of such mechanisms by children and their representatives, including in relation to child participation, accessibility, confidentiality, safeguard of privacy and victims' protection; and to make recommendations for their improvement.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- During the first year of the Special Representative's mandate, in order to consolidate change in the aforementioned priority areas, particular attention was given to the revitalization of networks involved in the development of the study, the promotion of new alliances and further consolidation of strategic partnerships and, in particular, the institutionalization of regional governance structures related to violence against children. Those efforts have been critical in promoting the mainstreaming of the issue of the freedom of children from violence into the policy agenda at the international, regional and national levels.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The overall thrust of the Special Representative's mandate is to accelerate progress in the implementation of the United Nations study recommendations and in children's protection from violence. To advance this process steadily and achieve lasting change in the priority areas of the mandate, during the first year of the mandate attention was focused on the revitalization of networks involved with the development of the study, the promotion of new alliances and further consolidation of strategic partnerships, and particularly on the institutionalization of regional governance structures to combat violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- These important lessons learned from anti-bullying programmes provide a crucial reference for the prevention and elimination of other forms of violence against children in schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Dimensions such as these are vital to enable schools to identify early warning signs of violence, to support children at special risk and to provide timely and effective support in an ethical and child-sensitive manner.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- In the absence of training in child-friendly pedagogy, and without awareness, information or guidance regarding violence against children, teachers and other school staff may believe that resorting to violent methods to maintain academic standards or impose discipline is a natural or needed response. Children in turn may internalize such values and regard violence as a valid strategy for resolving disputes and imposing their views on their peers. When violence prevention skills and training have been provided, however, there is greater openness to resorting to alternative, positive forms of discipline and advocating the abandonment of violence in school.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- The mandate's second year was a key period to rally firm support to address persisting challenges, and speed up global progress towards a world free from violence. With this in mind, the Special Representative promoted regional consultations in South Asia, South America, Central and Eastern Europe, Central America and with the League of Arab States, and organized three expert consultations on critical topics, namely child-sensitive mechanisms to address incidents of violence, law reform to secure children's protection from all forms of violence, and preventing and addressing violence against children in schools. The main conclusions and recommendations of the latter two meetings are addressed below. In early 2012, an expert consultation will be held on the protection from violence of children within the justice system.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- In many countries, initiatives to prevent and address violence against children in schools are building momentum. Some key developments of this significant process of change include campaigns aimed at ensuring learning without fear and at addressing specific forms of violence, including bullying, cyberbullying and gender-based violence. School audits and participatory debates inform the promotion of ethical standards and encourage child-sensitive counselling, reporting, mediation and victim assistance. Data and research address root causes of violence and support children at risk. Law reform initiatives seek to prohibit all forms of violence in education.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Education has a unique potential to create a positive environment in which attitudes condoning violence can be changed and non-violent behaviour can be learned. Schools are well placed to break patterns of violence and to provide skills that enable people to communicate, negotiate and support peaceful solutions to conflicts. This is possible at all stages of life, especially early childhood, when initiatives can decisively improve the development of talents and abilities, reduce marginalization and associated risks of violence, and promote access to school and educational achievement. An environment free of violence in all its forms is also instrumental to promoting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular to ensure universal primary education for all and to eliminate gender disparities in education.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The consultation was guided by international and regional human rights standards and the recommendations of the United Nations study on violence against children. The study highlights the fact that the most effective approaches to countering violence in schools are tailored to the specific circumstances of each school. These approaches also have key elements in common, as "they are based on the recognition that all children have equal rights to education in settings that are free of violence, and that one of the functions of education is to produce adults imbued with the non-violent values and practises".
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- This whole-school ethos was evident in the experiences shared at the Oslo meeting, including those designed to prevent bullying in schools. The success of these initiatives has been closely associated with the engagement of teachers, staff and students, as well as parents and members of the community. The reduction of incidents of bullying has equally been dependent on a strategic combination of factors, namely: - Sincere commitment to address this phenomenon, with the formal adoption and wide dissemination of anti-bullying rules, and their launch though an official school event; - The creation of a governance system in which all stakeholders participate; - The development of a monitoring system, through which incidents and issues of concern are periodically reviewed; and - The dissemination of anti-bullying messages in the community at large. The lessons learned from anti-bullying programmes provide a crucial reference to address other forms of violence in schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- The Day of the African Child was a strategic opportunity to join with the African Committee of Experts in calling for the establishment of widely publicized, accessible, safe and child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms; national investment in well-resourced child protection systems, including legislation banning all forms of violence against children; and the abolishment of status offences, including the decriminalization of survival behaviour such as begging, truancy and vagrancy. These solutions need to be promoted among street children themselves, with an understanding of their perspectives, thus investing in their genuine empowerment and enabling them to make informed choices in situations where the risk of violence may be effectively prevented.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The regional process of follow up to the Study has continued to strengthen further. On the one hand, through the holding of periodic meetings to review progress achieved, as was the case in September 2011, in Nepal, by SAIEVAC, which has since been recognized as an Apex Body of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC); in October by the League of Arab States in Doha; and in December by the Permanent Commission of the Initiative Nin@Sur in Montevideo. One the other hand, through the extension and further development of existing strategies, as was the case of the Council of Europe meeting in Monaco, "Building a child-friendly Europe: turning a vision into reality", held in November 2011.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, in a number of countries, including the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Belize, national follow-up consultations were held on the implementation of the Study recommendations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- In collaboration with United Nations partners, in May 2010 the Special Representative launched a campaign for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. During the campaign, the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography received 21 additional ratifications; it is currently in force in 158 States. At least 23 other States made formal commitments to ratify the latter Optional Protocol in the framework of the universal periodic review process of the Human Rights Council, the Committee on the Rights of the Child or other human rights mechanisms. Of the 35 States not yet parties to the Optional Protocol, 50 per cent have ratified the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women, and 75 per cent International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour, which address similar areas of concern.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 14c
- Paragraph text
- [At the consultation, in which governmental experts and representatives of United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations, human rights bodies, academia and civil society participated, a set of practical recommendations to assist States and other actors in the development of a violence-free justice system for children was drawn up. Those recommendations, included in a joint report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/21/25), address the following issues:] Ensuring the use of diversion and alternative non-custodial measures. Effective alternative mechanisms to formal criminal proceedings and to deprivation of liberty should be developed and used, including restorative justice, mediation, probation, community service and community-based programmes, including treatment for children with substance abuse problems.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Building upon the consultations held in Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, respectively for South American and Central American countries, a Caribbean regional meeting will be held in May 2012 in Jamaica.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- From 2011 and over three years, the World Day is devoted to ending violence against children. In 2011, World Day partners, including UNICEF, organized 85 activities in 70 countries in commemoration of the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. For instance, in the Dominican Republic over 70 faith-based organizations and child rights advocates gathered behind an Interreligious Declaration calling for enhanced efforts to implement the recommendations of the Study and highlighting religious leaders commitment to promote non-violence, the protection of children from violence in their communities, and non-violent discipline within the home. The Declaration was officially presented to the Special Representative in the framework of the Central American regional meeting on Violence against Children, held in Santo Domingo on 2 December 2011.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the Special Representative agreed upon a regional cooperation framework with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, for which protection of children against violence constitutes a priority of its five-year workplan; held two review meetings with the League of Arab States in October 2011 and June 2012 to advance implementation of commitments made on the protection of children from violence; and pursued her close cooperation with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, including through the co-organization of the consultation on the protection of children from harmful practices (see paras. 17-20 above). Cooperation was also pursued with the Council of Europe, which adopted its 2012-2015 Strategy for the Rights of the Child, highlighting the elimination of all forms of violence against children as a core objective; and with the European Union in the framework of its Agenda for the Rights of the Child and review of its Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Building and strengthening partnerships within and beyond the United Nations system remains a priority of the Special Representative's mandate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative conducted over 70 missions and visited more than 40 countries in all regions to advance national initiatives and bring the mandate closer to national stakeholders and the public at large. During country visits and in her direct dialogue with Governments to advance implementation of the Study and provide expert advice, she raised a wide range of themes and concerns, including the universal ratification of human rights instruments, the enactment of legislation to ban all forms of violence and establish effective child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms, data and research initiatives to inform policymaking, promotion of the prevention of and responses to violence against children in their early years, as well as their protection in schools and care and justice institutions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Governments' participation in the expert consultations organized by the Special Representative, as well as in the numerous thematic events held at the United Nations, has been particularly relevant for the sharing of national experience and good practice, and for reflecting on persisting challenges and gaps. Member States have been key players in the promotion of regional consultations and the shaping of regional and national agendas on violence against children. Currently, more than two thirds of Member States participate in regional cooperation frameworks for the protection of children from violence, a trend that it is expected to continue to grow.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 106
- Paragraph text
- The effective follow-up to the Study recommendations is largely dependent on the extent to which they are mainstreamed into the national policy and development framework, and become a central topic of concern in the public debate. Through her global advocacy, policy dialogue and field missions, the Special Representative will continue to support national implementation efforts, particularly those designed to put in place well-coordinated and resourced national agendas on violence against children; legislation prohibiting all forms of violence against children in all settings; and sound data and research on the forms, incidence and magnitude of violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- But beyond the cost to each individual victim, violence has serious costs for households, communities and national economies. As noted in a WHO study, meeting the direct costs of health, criminal justice, and social welfare responses to violence diverts many billions of dollars from more constructive societal spending. The much larger indirect costs of violence due to lost productivity and lost investment in education work together to slow economic development, increase socioeconomic inequality, and erode human and social capital. Investing in the prevention of violence is therefore of critical importance, not only as a question of human rights and good governance but also of good economics.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- In most cases, information is obtained from broad categories, such as domestic violence, or limited to a few areas, such as crime, with limited disaggregation on the basis of gender, age, social origin or disability.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The coordination of data sources remains challenging, with multiple institutions gathering and handling dispersed information, based on different definitions and indicators. When a central institution is in place, the information is often collected from limited sources, or only addresses some manifestations of violence or settings within which it occurs. Moreover, there is seldom regular periodicity of data-gathering efforts. Likewise, there is often a lack of coordination between statistical bodies and institutions responsible for the design and implementation of policies to protect children from violence. As a result, it is difficult to gain a holistic view of the incidence and cumulative impact of violence on children, to address neglected areas or to enable the prevention of violence to have a genuine chance of succeeding.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The Study called for the protection from violence of children in early years and recognized the crucial importance of positive parenting, home visitation and early childhood care and development programmes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 41a
- Paragraph text
- [The meeting included the participation of a cross-regional group of experts, including young people, and highlighted the urgency of:] Promoting strong political engagement to prevent and reduce violence in the life of young children, supported by a national strategy and by well-coordinated public policies across governmental departments and between central and decentralized authorities. With this aim, countries should designate a high-level government institution responsible for the prevention of and response to violence against children, well-versed in the issues affecting the youngest children and with the capacity to involve multiple sectors, such as education, health, social services and justice; as well as for securing adequate funding and effective monitoring and evaluation to assess results and impact;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 21b
- Paragraph text
- [Legislation prohibiting all forms of violence is a key component of a comprehensive national strategy for children's protection from violence. To take stock of progress, identify positive experiences and advance legal reform in this area, the Special Representative organized, in July 2011, an expert consultation with OHCHR, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the NGO Advisory Council on Violence against Children. The consultation highlighted the following key conclusions and recommendations (see also A/HRC/19/64):] Law reform needs to be pursued through a comprehensive review of national legislation to ensure conformity with international human rights standards and overcome dispersed action; it requires the introduction of an explicit legal ban on all forms of violence in all settings, supplemented by detailed provisions in relevant pieces of legislation to tackle distinct manifestations of violence and the various contexts within which violence may occur; national legislation needs to be periodically reviewed and evaluated to address gaps and emerging concerns;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The protection of children from sexual exploitation is the area where most decisive progress has been made. Over 90 per cent of respondents highlight a legal prohibition of sexual violence against children, including prostitution; a ban on the procurement or offering of children for pornography, and on the possession and dissemination of images of child abuse, including via the Internet. Information from United Nations reports, including concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, confirm an accelerated rate of legislative activity in this area, although additional serious efforts remain necessary to promote effective implementation and address gaps and emerging concerns, including the protection of children from sale, the rise in child trafficking, the low number of prosecutions, the lack of data and the limited allocation of resources.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Less than 30 per cent of respondents indicate 18 as the minimum age for marriage, with younger ages and different thresholds for boys and girls prevalent in a large number of countries.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- Children with disabilities are also at heightened risk of abuse, neglect, stigma and exploitation; in their lives, disability, poverty, poor health care and nutrition and social exclusion often go hand in hand. The incidence of disability is higher amongst children belonging to poorer households, where they lack access to basic social services of quality, thus compromising opportunities for early detection, treatment and recovery and for meaningful participation in social life. As families of children with disabilities face extra medical, housing and transport costs, they miss employment opportunities and face marginalization and aggravated vulnerability to violence. When placed in institutions, where they have limited ability to disclose situations of abuse and seek redress, children's vulnerability to violence is further exacerbated.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Ghana, for example, completed its national plan of action on violence against children, 2008-2012; Jamaica adopted a national plan of action for an integrated response to children and violence, 2011-2016; Lebanon finalized a national strategy to prevent and protect children from violence; and Belgium developed an action plan on child abuse, violence and mistreatment. The first national programme on child protection (2011-2015) established by Viet Nam gives priority attention to children at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse. With special emphasis on economically disadvantaged areas and those where high proportions of ethnic minorities live, the plan aims to establish child protection systems in half of the country's provinces and cities by 2015.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- In order to build on the growing body of knowledge and experience, and to accelerate progress in ensuring children's online protection from violence, over the next several months, the Special Representative will organize with strategic partners a consultation on information and communications technology and children's protection from violence. The consultation will provide a strategic platform for learning from and building upon initiatives undertaken by national Governments, United Nations organizations, international and regional organizations, academia, independent children's rights institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations, including children and young people.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- In June 2013, the Special Representative joined the Governments of Indonesia and Norway in the organization of an expert consultation on restorative justice for children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- In the context of the criminal justice system, child-sensitive restorative justice may involve bringing together the victim, the offender, his or her parents or guardians, child protection and justice actors, and the community, in a safe and structured environment. Through a non-adversarial and voluntary process, based on dialogue, negotiation and problem-solving, restorative justice aims to rehabilitate and reintegrate the young offender, through helping to reconnect him or her with the community, and ensuring that the offender understands the harm caused to the victim and the community and acknowledges accountability for criminal behaviour and reparation of its consequences.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Since the launch of the campaign, the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography received 26 additional ratifications and is currently in force in 163 countries. Of the 30 States that are not yet parties to the Protocol, the majority made formal commitments to ratification in the framework of the universal periodic review process of the Human Rights Council, the Committee on the Rights of the Child or other human rights mechanisms; and the large majority have ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementary to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), of the International Labour Organization, which address similar areas of concern.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The Protocol recognizes children's legal standing with respect to seeking redress for the violation of their rights - either directly or through a representative. To promote its implementation, domestic remedies and child-sensitive procedures and mechanisms need to be in place, including ombuds for children or similar national independent human rights institutions. Similarly, child-sensitive procedures and legal safeguards need to be established to ensure respect for the best interests and the views of the child, to protect children's privacy and prevent the risk of ill- treatment or intimidation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- [The Bali meeting adopted important policy recommendations, highlighting the following areas:] Legislation - States should undertake a comprehensive legislative review to align relevant domestic legislation, whether in statutory, customary or religious laws, with human rights standards; in countries with plural legal systems, the supremacy of legislation aligned with international human rights standards should be explicitly recognized in the law to avert potential conflicts in legal interpretation and implementation. - Legislation should decriminalize status offences and survival behaviours and include legal safeguards to protect the child's best interests, and the child's right to freedom from violence and discrimination, to free and safe participation in proceedings throughout the restorative justice process, and to legal and other relevant assistance. - Legislation should provide law enforcement, prosecutors and the judiciary with options for diverting children away from the criminal justice system and promoting restorative justice processes at all stages of the proceedings; it should include alternative and educative measures such as warning, probation, judicial supervision and community work, to be applied in combination with restorative justice processes or when restorative justice is not appropriate. Children's right to recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration should be firmly expressed in legislation. - Legislation should recognize that restorative justice and informal justice or conflict resolution mechanisms, while being accessible at the local and community levels and playing an important role in the protection and reintegration of children, should never jeopardize children's rights or preclude children from accessing the formal justice system.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Professionals and community facilitators dealing with children involved with the justice system must also receive adequate and continuous training and capacity-building.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Restorative justice can take place during the time that a child is serving a prison sentence, or as a component of a probation programme. It can significantly help reduce recidivism.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, five imperatives are of crucial relevance: there must be a legislative basis for customary law that is in line with international human rights standards; a range of appropriate alternatives for the child's rehabilitation and reintegration must be available; there must be proper assessment of the processes and procedures used, including with regard to who selects the individuals to sit on the mediation panel; capacity and knowledge relating to children's rights and national legislation, including juvenile justice laws, must be continuously ensured; and the right to appeal must be guaranteed so that there is oversight by the formal justice system.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, parents who have assisted their child through a restorative justice process show less inclination to resort to violence as a form of discipline.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 111
- Paragraph text
- Several case studies have demonstrated that even when diversion to restorative justice has been promoted as an alternative to formal judicial proceedings, important risks may persist for the protection of children. These include the use of threats to obtain compliance with a restorative agreement; testimony of a child or admission of responsibility obtained through undue means; referral to a diversion programme without the prior consent of the victim or the offender; the use of rushed mediation sessions; referral to public mediation sessions, where the right to confidentiality is violated; and the referral of cases to restorative justice conferencing without any preliminary inquiry or compelling evidence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 121
- Paragraph text
- Guided by relevant international standards, national experiences and existing research, the recommendations below highlight crucial steps to achieve this goal.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 125
- Paragraph text
- Children's right to recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration should be firmly expressed in legislation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 128
- Paragraph text
- Training should provide skills to promote dialogue, manage emotions and conflict, and secure the safety of child participants.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 113
- Paragraph text
- The present report provides an overview of results obtained and progress achieved by the Special Representative in the first three years of the mandate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, notably the Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography provide important guidance for the realization of children's rights online. All measures, including legislative, policy and educational initiatives, should be guided by the best interests of the child; respect and support children's growing autonomy and agency, and protect children from violence and discrimination. These principles lay the foundation to capitalize on the potential of the online environment; to promote children's learning and freedom of expression; to support children in accessing, receiving and imparting information; and to protect them from harmful materials and information, from unlawful interference with their privacy or correspondence, and situations where their honour and reputation may be at risk.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 31b
- Paragraph text
- [The urgency of safeguarding children's freedom from violence has certainly not diminished and the magnitude of this phenomenon remains high and deeply distressing. Significant United Nations reports illustrate this well:] In the past few years there has been a marked increase in trafficking in children. From 2007 to 2010, numbers rose from 20 to 27 per cent; in some regions more than 60 per cent of detected victims are children, as indicated in the UNODC 2012 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons and girls are particularly affected. Child trafficking is a serious form of violence; but it is also a source of incidents of abuse, as children are enslaved into prostitution, sold into marriage, coerced to work in plantations or deep-sea fishing, forced to beg on the street, or recruited by criminal networks.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- The Model Strategies address crucial challenges for children's protection from violence in the criminal justice system. Misperceptions and widespread prejudice towards marginalized groups of children continue to fuel incidents of violence and re-victimization. Those children are frequently perceived as responsible for serious crimes and high rates of criminality, and deserving of harsh sanctions and lengthy periods of detention. Yet available data indicate that children are not predominant in crimes statistics and in the majority of cases where they may have infringed the criminal law, it is for minor offences and petty crimes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 118
- Paragraph text
- As noted throughout the present report, the three priorities of the mandate remain the foundation for achieving progress with regard to all the recommendations of the Study and have been identified by Governments across regions as crucial areas where progress needs to be achieved. Thus, putting in place a comprehensive, well-coordinated and well-resourced national agenda on violence against children; introducing an explicit legal prohibition on all forms of violence in all settings, supported by child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms; and consolidating violence-related data and research are urgent and indispensable components of the future agenda.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- However similar to any other form of violence, online abuse is not inevitable. It can be prevented and addressed effectively. As children often stress, technology is not bad, it depends on the use one makes of it.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 41a
- Paragraph text
- [In some countries, important legislative initiatives have addressed violence against children with albinism and those accused of witchcraft, criminalizing harmful practices and issuing protective measures to secure children's safety and protection. Legislation is, however, insufficient to change superstition and deeply rooted beliefs. To ensure the protection of these children, the Special Representative has called for a comprehensive strategy highlighting, the following measures:] Supporting the protective role of the family. Parents and members of the extended family play a central role in the care and protection of children and need to be sensitized and supported in their child-rearing responsibilities. To address the social and economic drivers of violence against children with albinism or accused of witchcraft, it is critical to provide basic social services of quality to families concerned, to promote child development, well-being and effective protection, and to prevent children's exposure to harm.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Widespread poverty and weak State structures compromise children's social and legal protection and enhance the vulnerability of potential victims. In poorer countries, children who have access to the Internet without adult guidance and supervision, for instance in cybercafes, may be particularly vulnerable to online solicitation and their economic situation may pressure them into accepting risky propositions. Moreover, parental knowledge and awareness of the online risks children face may be lacking, limiting further the support and protection those children receive. The generational divide has become increasingly apparent in poorer urban areas and rural neighbourhoods, in low- and middle-income countries.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- Over recent years the protection of children from violence has evolved from a largely hidden and neglected topic into a growing global concern. Framed by international human rights standards, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Protocols, and guided by the United Nations study on violence against children, there has been a growing understanding of children's exposure to violence, strengthened commitments to secure their safety and protection, and significant national implementation efforts to mobilize support for prevention and response and to help change attitudes and behaviour which condone violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 9b
- Paragraph text
- [The following strategic dimensions of this important agenda in which significant progress has been made are highlighted in the report:] Enhancing awareness and consolidating knowledge to prevent and respond to violence against children by hosting international expert consultations, developing research on strategic topics and publishing studies. The publications included Toward a World Free from Violence: Global Survey on Violence against Children; 10 thematic studies on topics such as violence in schools and in the justice system, restorative justice for children, the rights of girls in the criminal justice system and child-sensitive counselling, and reporting and complaint mechanisms; reports on protecting children from harmful practices and from armed violence and organized crime; and a report on opportunities and risks associated with information and communication technologies (ICTs). In addition, child-friendly materials were produced to inform and empower children about their right to freedom from violence;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The study constitutes a high priority for the mandate of the Special Representative and she has facilitated the initial coordination and planning efforts in the lead-up to its development, in partnership with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). To prepare the ground, the Special Representative has spearheaded efforts to establish an institutional framework, including a United Nations inter-agency task force, a civil society forum and a cross-regional academic research network.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative remains strongly committed to the further advancement of the global study.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Regional organizations and institutions are strategic allies in violence prevention and elimination initiatives. The institutionalized cooperation developed with the Special Representative has been instrumental in placing violence against children at the heart of the regional policy agenda to accelerate progress, enhance the accountability of States and support national implementation efforts. The Special Representative's annual high-level cross-regional round table, which brings together regional organizations and institutions, has become a strategic forum for promoting policy dialogue, sharing knowledge and good practices, coordinating efforts and promoting synergies, identifying trends and pressing concerns and joining forces to accelerate progress in the protection of children from violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The round table provided a strategic platform for sharing experiences on the development of regional strategies aligned with the 2030 Agenda and implementation actions foreseen. Critical attention was paid to strategies to support the mainstreaming of the targets related to combating violence in national and subnational plans and the development, where appropriate, of regional and national goals and targets. The role of regional organizations and institutions in mobilizing their member States to address violence against children in their voluntary national reviews to the high-level political forum on sustainable development was also stressed, as was cooperation with other regional entities in review processes. Support for peer learning and participatory processes in the national assessment of progress through the round table and other platforms was encouraged.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Recognizing the strategic opportunity presented by the 2030 Agenda and the tenth anniversary of the United Nations study, regional organizations and institutions reaffirmed their strong commitment to further accelerating and assessing progress in eliminating violence against children and to reinforcing cooperation. Strategic actions envisaged include providing support to the development and implementation of regional plans aligned with the 2030 Agenda; mobilizing partnerships and strengthening the implementation of comprehensive national strategies for the prevention and elimination of violence; enacting and enforcing national legislation to ban all forms of violence against children; and enhancing data systems and supporting the follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda through strong accountability mechanisms at the national and regional levels.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The Secretary-General launched the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children in July 2016, calling on it to help realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda of a world where all children live in peace. The Special Representative serves on the board and the executive committee of the Global Partnership, and through her global advocacy role promotes the shared mission of making the world a safe place for children and ending violence against children everywhere. The Global Partnership has the potential to harness collective efforts to promote steadily growing commitment and action for a world free from violence. It seeks to enhance political will to reach the Sustainable Development Goal targets on ending violence against children, accelerate action through the implementation of key interventions and strengthen collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. Box, p. 5
- Paragraph text
- Bullying affects children at different stages of their development, severely undermining their health, emotional well-being and school performance. It is often associated with profound feelings of dread, loneliness and helplessness. Victims may suffer sleep disorders, headaches, stomach pain, poor appetite and fatigue as well as feelings of low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, shame and, at times, suicidal thoughts. The psychological and emotional scars that are left may persist into adult life. Bullies themselves are also affected, and are also more likely than their peers to be involved in anti-social and risky behaviour later on in life. Furthermore, bullying can affect the whole school community, creating a climate of suspicion and uncertainty that can cause children to remain silent or to become complicit out of fear.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- As the central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda, the high-level political forum on sustainable development is critical to ensuring that ending violence against children is at the heart of the implementation process of the Sustainable Development Goals. The theme of the forum in 2016, "Ensuring that no one is left behind", was of particular relevance for children exposed to violence. Many of these children suffer in silence, loneliness and fear, and they are too often left behind in accessing appropriate care and support services to overcome their trauma, benefiting from recovery and reintegration and developing to their full potential.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The experience gained from the first set of voluntary national review reports for the high-level political forum will provide strategic input to future reporting, follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It is essential that future voluntary national reviews recognize that sustainable development cannot be achieved while globally, one billion children suffer violence and its devastating consequences. To achieve target 16.2 and free all children from fear, it is crucial to be able to assess progress and identify challenges. The Special Representative is determined to support these reviews and build upon the important experience gained from national human rights monitoring and reporting processes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- The 2017 high-level political forum will provide an important platform to assess progress in the protection of children from violence under the theme "Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world". The in-depth reviews at the high-level political forum of the Sustainable Development Goals on ending poverty, ensuring healthy lives and achieving gender equality will provide a critical reflection of how far States have come in ensuring a protective environment to offset the multiple, and often interconnected, vulnerabilities faced by children. For target 16.2 and the other violence-related targets, the 2017 voluntary national reviews are an important opportunity to highlight good practices, identify challenges and lessons learned, and renew commitments and the provision of reliable resources towards ending all forms of violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- National reviews of the Sustainable Development Goals are a crucial contribution to ensuring investment in children and building a world in which every child grows up free from violence and exploitation. The Special Representative is strongly committed to supporting the voluntary national review process, which has been high on the agenda of her field missions and informed her participation in high-level conferences and regional forums. This question was also the central theme in 2016 of her cross-regional round table, which annually brings together regional human rights bodies, organizations and institutions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The inclusion of violence against children as a distinct concern in the global development agenda is an historic breakthrough and presents the global community with a strategic opportunity to transform target 16.2 into a reality for all the world's children. As the implementation process of the 2030 Agenda is now well under way, the chief priority of the Special Representative is supporting efforts to accelerate progress towards the achievement of all the violence-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially target 16.2. Protecting children from violence must not remain simply an ideal; indeed, the international community has a special responsibility to translate the ideal into tangible change for every child.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- The mandate of the Special Representative also honours the best of humankind; this comes, not surprisingly, from children themselves. Time and time again, the Special Representative has met children who have emerged from the most terrible nightmares and who yet remain resilient, confident, generous and eager to show the way ahead. In all regions of the world, young advocates join hands with national authorities, civil society and many other allies in raising awareness about the detrimental impact of violence, empowering young people to be the first line of protection from abuse and exploitation, and inspiring many others to build a world where children can grow up respected, nurtured and supported to achieve their ambitions and dreams. Even in the most desperate of situations, children demonstrate hope for a better world and determination to achieve lasting change. This is much more than positive thinking; this is about achieving positive change.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 103
- Paragraph text
- Ten years after the launching of the United Nations study, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a unique opportunity to renew commitments and reinvigorate action to end violence against children. For the very first time, the dignity of children and their right to live free from violence and from fear are recognized as a distinct priority on the international development agenda. The inclusion of target 16.2 to eliminate by 2030 all forms of violence against children was a breakthrough; the international community must now act to transform this momentum into an unstoppable movement towards a world free from fear and from violence for all children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council 20 years after Graça Machel presented her findings on the impact of armed conflict on children (A/51/306) to the General Assembly, which through its resolution 51/77 subsequently created the mandate of the Special Representative. The Assembly also requested in its resolution that an annual report containing relevant information on the situation of children affected by armed conflict be transmitted to the then Commission on Human Rights. The anniversary thus provides an important opportunity to take stock of the longer-term achievements since the first report and to highlight to the Human Rights Council areas where progress is still required in order to enhance the protection of children and of their rights during armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- In May 2015, the MERCOSUR Permanent Commission on Children agreed to develop a regional policy for the promotion of positive discipline and prevention of violence. In July 2015, the Caribbean Community Task Force on child rights and child protection developed a regional strategy on the prevention and elimination of violence against children for the period 2015-2020, to reinforce the protection of children from physical, emotional, sexual and online-related violence. The Central American Integrated System (SICA) initiated the drafting of a regional convention to address sexual violence against children, informed by a cross-regional discussion process supported by the Special Representative.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- An ongoing concern in some contexts is the very definition of a child. While it is almost universally accepted at the international level that a child means every human being below the age of 18, in line with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, practice between and even within States is sometimes contradictory. Member States should take measures to close legal lacunae and ensure that the definition of a child is set at 18 years, in line with the international normative framework. Member States should also make additional efforts to ensure that the international obligations regarding the definition of a child are widely known and are adhered to by all national, regional and local authorities. A connected concern is the process for determining the age of a person who is allegedly associated with a party to a conflict. In many conflict settings, birth registration systems are lacking, and age assessment mechanisms are frequently inadequate and children are often presumed to be adults. In this regard, it is important for Member States to ensure adherence to the principle that if there is any doubt, the individual should be considered a child and protected as such.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Over the reporting period, the increased use of screening of civilians by government security forces or pro-government militias in situations such as those in as Iraq and Nigeria has been an emerging concern related to the deprivation of liberty of children. Centres have been established by parties to conflict in order to process civilians fleeing from armed groups. This practice has resulted in mass deprivation of liberty of civilians, including children, due to long processing times but also due to a presumption of affiliation with the very armed group from which they are fleeing. Screening has been undertaken by parties to conflict, including militias, who are poorly trained and, in many instances, lack the neutrality and capacity required to engage in a child-sensitive manner. Presumptions of affiliation have been based on broad categories, such as the age, gender or ethnic affiliation of the people being screened, and screening has also been used for intelligence gathering. This practice of screening and subsequent detention often violates the right to challenge the lawfulness of the deprivation of liberty before a court or another competent, independent and impartial authority. In some instances, the presumption of affiliation can also amount to a form of collective punishment. While the Special Representative is cognizant of the need to ensure the safety of civilians, she reminds Governments in conflict-affected countries of the importance of using civilian actors with child protection expertise to carry out screening and of adhering to the last resort and shortest possible time provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Screening without clear legal oversight also leaves children open to other violations, such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and torture. In this regard, the Special Representative welcomes the continuing attention that the Human Rights Council has given to the issue of deprivation of liberty in its country-specific and thematic resolutions, which has included calls for accountability in instances of secret detention, torture and practices tantamount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, including under the pretext of countering terrorism.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- An issue connected to the deprivation of liberty of children for association with non-State armed groups is the recruitment and use of children under the age of 18 by government forces. Member States should be cognizant of the fact that when they recruit children under the age of 18, even in non-conflict situations, notwithstanding the provisions of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, this can be used by the leadership of non-State armed actors to legitimize their own actions. More children are thus likely to be encountered during military operations and detained by Member States. In this regard, the Special Representative calls upon Member States to consider establishing the minimum age for recruitment into the armed forces at 18 years, even if the children are not used in conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The risk of trafficking from situations of armed conflict is a related issue of concern for the protection of girls, including during displacement. The Special Representative welcomes the Human Rights Council's call to Governments in June 2016 to ensure that the prevention of and responses to trafficking in persons continue to take into account the specific needs of women and girls and their participation in and contribution to all phases of preventing and responding to trafficking, especially in addressing specific forms of exploitation, such as sexual exploitation. The Special Representative has also undertaken a number of initiatives to support that aim, including contributing to the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of measures to counter trafficking in persons and addressing an event on the role of the United Nations in combating modern slavery and human trafficking in conflict, which was hosted in New York in November by the United Nations University.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Girls are also significantly affected by recruitment and use, with some estimates indicating that as many as 40 per cent of children associated with armed forces or armed groups are female. In addition to the use of girls in support functions, for sexual purposes or to be forced into marriage, they are also used for combat and to commit violent acts. For example, in a particularly grave example, in Nigeria in 2016, girls were increasingly being forced by Boko Haram to be suicide bombers, and were used for the purpose of avoiding detection by security personnel. Although the advocacy that has taken place since the Machel study has led to increased recognition of the plight of girls associated with parties to conflict, they still face significant obstacles in the process of being released and separated from parties to conflict. For example, it was noted in a recent report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo that out of the 1,004 children who had escaped or been separated from one armed group between 2009 and 2014, only 19 girls had been documented. While there was a significant number of young girls present in camps who were allegedly used as wives, concubines, cooks, and combatants in the ranks, male members of the group claimed that these girls were their daughters. In the light of this repudiation of their role, girls are often less visible and are frequently neglected in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes. When their role is recognized, societal factors have an impact, as girls are sometimes reluctant to join disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, fearing rejection by their families and communities. Further action is required in order to raise awareness of the needs of girls in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes and also of the risks that they face after separation from armed groups, with special attention needing to be given to their reintegration into families and communities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Within the United Nations system, the Office of the Special Representative has continued to support the efforts developed as part of the Secretary-General's Human Rights Up Front initiative, and participated with the Deputy Secretary-General in the interactive dialogue on the initiative at the General Assembly in January 2016, highlighting the importance of strengthened collaboration to address human rights concerns in conflict-affected situations. Children and armed conflict concerns have also been mainstreamed in Organization-wide initiatives on human rights issues. For example, in connection with the Sustainable Development Goals, the Special Representative took part in the launch of Alliance 8.7, which is led by the International Labour Organization and is aimed at enhancing coordinated efforts to eradicate forced labour, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers. On another occasion, the Office of the Special Representative provided input for the Secretary-General's Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674), in order to ensure that safeguards were included for the protection of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- In the light of the gravity and scale of the concern relating to children deprived of their liberty in situations of armed conflict, the Special Representative continues to bring this matter to the attention of the Human Rights Council. It is stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child that children must be detained only as a measure of last resort, in exceptional circumstances and for the shortest appropriate period of time. These provisions are recognition of the detrimental long-term impact that deprivation of liberty has on a child and his or her development, however for thousands of children around the world, these safeguards are compromised and their rights are denied, particularly in the context of counter-terrorism operations or other security responses.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- [Attacks on schools and hospitals: an emerging concern]: The abduction of educational and medical personnel is also of grave concern to the children and armed conflict agenda, as it severely affects the provision of basic services to children. The Office of the Special Representative is concerned at the use of schools as recruiting grounds for children with the aim of involving them in armed hostilities and military operations. Schools should be considered safe havens protecting children from involvement in armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Collaboration with regional organizations and institutions is a cornerstone of the Special Representative's strategy to accelerate progress in the implementation of the Study recommendations. Those partnerships are aimed at developing policy platforms to sustain and scale up positive developments, identify concerns and challenges, and mobilize action to safeguard children from violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative commends the inclusion of accountability for grave violations against children in armed conflict in the Committee on the Rights of the Child's consideration of States parties' reports, and encourages the Committee to continue to integrate the monitoring of the six grave violations against children affected by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Recalling that the sustainable reintegration of children is crucial for allowing children formerly associated with armed groups to exercise their human rights, the Special Representative encourages Member States to provide appropriate resources to the reintegration of the children recruited and used by any party to a conflict, giving special attention to the needs of girls.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages the Human Rights Council to highlight the rights of children displaced by conflict and the obligations of States of origin, transit and destination, in its resolutions on country-specific situations and thematic issues and in the mandates of special procedure mandate holders and commissions of inquiry.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 60a
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Representative urges the international community:] To continue to advocate for 18 years as the minimum age for recruitment and participation in hostilities;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 60d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Representative urges the international community:] To address the political, social and economic factors that facilitate the recruitment and use of children;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Lastly, States, which bear the primary duty and responsibility for addressing internal displacement should abide by their obligations under international law and adhere to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. States should: safeguard populations on their territory from arbitrary displacement; protect and assist those who have been displaced; and support and facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified solutions to displacement, particularly those of their most vulnerable citizens – their children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- It is therefore a matter of practical consideration that the United Nations, as well as regional mediation infrastructures and initiatives, are committed to incorporating child protection perspectives and expertise. Child protection elements should be routinely included in guidance materials for mediators, in mediation training programmes and in development of mediation tools. This includes establishment of modalities for child protection actors to regularly collaborate with mediation support focal points and to brief the mediators themselves.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- In response to this crisis of education in conflict and other emergency settings, Member States, United Nations entities and civil society organizations have undertaken a concerted campaign in the past several years, which resulted in the adoption by the General Assembly in July 2010 of resolution 64/290 on the right to education in emergency situations. The resolution affirms that attacks on educational buildings is a war crime and threatens the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, including in the context of education for all.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative urges States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to strengthen national and international measures for the prevention of recruitment of children into the armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities, in particular by signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict and enacting legislation to explicitly prohibit and criminalize the recruitment of children into armed forces or groups and their use in hostilities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- A specific commitment to uphold international legal obligations such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child should also be referenced, and no blanket amnesty should be granted to parties having committed grave violations against children. In addition to a general guarantee of safe humanitarian passage for civilians and humanitarian organizations, peace agreements should expressly prohibit the use of schools for military purposes. The inclusion of these provisions provides legitimacy to child protection actors and facilitates dialogue with the parties to end and prevent grave violations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- It is the Special Representative’s hope that, through acknowledgement that the military use of schools may result in increased risk of attack, consensus will grow to address this concern. The Special Representative calls upon Member States to tackle this issue by taking concrete and proactive initiatives to protect schools and promote their civilian status, through the inclusion of protection elements in military training and doctrine and operational planning, as well as the incorporation of the recent Lucens Guidelines into national legislation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Addressing the structural causes of fragility to escape "conflict traps" can be achieved only if a country's long-term recovery efforts include priorities for the successful rehabilitation of the lives of conflict-affected children and young people. While there are several reasons why children join armed forces and groups, poverty a lack of education and limited socioeconomic opportunities have been recognized as an important factor for children's association with armed forces and groups in conflict-affected and fragile countries.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, the Beijing Declaration on South-South Cooperation for Child Rights, adopted in November 2010 by Governments in the Asia-Pacific region, emphasized the need to address child protection concerns based on laws that focus on safeguarding children from potential harm and banning all forms of violence against children. At the Fourth High-level Arab Conference on the Rights of the Child, held in Marrakesh in December 2010, the determination to enforce legislation and promulgate laws to protect children from all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect and ill-treatment was voiced.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative participated in meetings which led up to the adoption of the Council of Europe Strategy for 2009-2011 "Building a Europe for and with Children", which identifies the protection of children from violence as a key priority concern. Under the strategy, the Council acts as the regional initiator and coordinator of national and regional initiatives to combat violence against children, and as the European forum for follow-up to the recommendations contained in the United Nations study and cooperation with the Special Representative.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Important regional standards and initiatives provide a framework for the protection of children from violence. To support progress in this area, the Council of Europe organized a conference in Strasbourg to establish a children's rights platform with national focal points from countries across the region and a network of experts from key partner organizations. The Special Representative participated in this high-level policy forum, which will play a crucial role in the promotion of information-sharing, advocacy and debate, and monitor progress achieved within the European region.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Recognized as a priority by regional organizations and political groupings, important efforts have been made to support national implementation. Regional initiatives enabled the sharing and cross-fertilization of national experiences, and the development of national strategies in the framework of agreed regional agendas. In some cases, regional consultations were held on this topic, such as the Council of Europe meeting for Central and Eastern European States, held in Kyiv, entitled "Combating violence against children: from isolated actions to integrated strategies".
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- In many countries significant efforts are being deployed to move in this direction. In some cases, the development of a national strategy on violence has been promoted through a wide participatory process in which governmental departments, civil society organizations, academics and young people have taken part. In a number of other cases, States have set in place national plans of action and high-level coordinating bodies to oversee implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a core component of which is violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Around the globe, law reform for children's protection from violence is building momentum. When the United Nations study was finalized, only 16 countries had legislation prohibiting violence in all settings, including corporal punishment in the home. Currently, 27 countries have introduced such a comprehensive legal ban; in all regions, legislative reforms are being pursued to achieve full prohibition, and in several countries new legislation is also under review to prohibit violence in specific settings. In some cases, a monitoring system has been developed to support implementation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative remains firmly committed to further strengthening strategic alliances for the protection of children from all forms of violence, within and beyond the United Nations system. Important institutional collaboration mechanisms have been established in support of her mandate, including the Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence against Children, the non-governmental organization Advisory Council for the follow-up to the study on violence against children, and regional high-level governance structures established for the follow-up to the study.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- The normative foundation of the protection of children from violence was further strengthened by other developments supported by the Special Representative, including the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, ILO Convention No. 189 on decent work for domestic workers, and the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems. She also contributed to the general comment of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 14b
- Paragraph text
- [At the consultation, in which governmental experts and representatives of United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations, human rights bodies, academia and civil society participated, a set of practical recommendations to assist States and other actors in the development of a violence-free justice system for children was drawn up. Those recommendations, included in a joint report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/21/25), address the following issues:] Protecting children from all forms of violence within the juvenile justice system. National laws, policies and procedures concerning juvenile justice should be brought into full compliance with relevant international standards, and juvenile justice reforms should pursue a child- and gender-sensitive approach and be guided by child rights principles and safeguards, including (i) the recognition of the deprivation of children's liberty as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate time; (ii) the separation of children from adults and of girls from boys in a child-sensitive environment; (iii) the explicit prohibition of and effective protection of children from violence, including as a form of punishment, treatment or sentencing; (iv) the legal provision of safe and child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaints mechanisms to prevent and respond to incidents of violence; and (v) the establishment of independent oversight and monitoring mechanisms and accountability systems for the inspection of places of detention and the prompt investigation of incidents of violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence against Children, chaired by the Special Representative, has remained a crucial mechanism of institutional collaboration in support of the mandate. Its periodic meetings are a key forum for consultation, policy formulation and mainstreaming on the United Nations agenda of the protection of children from violence. In 2012, that cooperation informed the organization of expert consultations on data and research on violence against children and on the prevention of and responses to violence in the justice system.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- However, progress remains uneven and more vigorous efforts are needed in particular to develop a cohesive and well-resourced national strategy on violence against children; promote coordinated policy interventions to overcome dispersed and ill-enforced pieces of legislation and insufficient investment in family support; and promote capacity-building of professionals and safe and child-sensitive mechanisms to address incidents of violence. The survey also emphasizes the pressing need to consolidate data and research to promote evidence-based decision-making.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Another significant gap revealed by the survey is the dearth of data on laws, policies and advocacy on the gender dimensions of violence and the legal protection of girls: 40 per cent of the respondents provide no information on this question and less than 30 per cent mention positive initiatives. Legislation in the area remains a challenge, with less than half of Governments indicating the enactment of a legal ban on harmful practices, which may fully or only partially cover female genital mutilation/cutting, child or forced marriage, witchcraft rituals, honour killings and other practices.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 28e
- Paragraph text
- [The joint report recognizes that, despite efforts made in many countries, existing initiatives remain piecemeal and inadequate to address children's specific concerns and are often not seen as core components of a robust child protection system. To overcome these challenges, the report presents guiding principles and action-oriented recommendations, highlighting in particular the need for these mechanisms to be:] Effective in safeguarding children's safety, in ensuring the confidentiality of the proceedings and providing prompt and speedy responses and follow up.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 31c
- Paragraph text
- [To address these dimensions and capitalize upon a growing body of knowledge and experience in this area, the Special Representative organized with the Government of Sweden an expert consultation in 2012 (see also A/67/230, para. 24). The conclusions and recommendations highlighted the urgency of the following measures:] Capitalizing on children's perceptions, views and experiences while ensuring due respect for their protection from harm and their right to express views and influence decisions, and avoiding situations that may place children at risk; and
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- In early December, representatives from Central American countries, Mexico and Cuba met in a regional consultation in Santo Domingo. The meeting was hosted by the Government of the Dominican Republic in cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative and the Latin American Chapter of the Global Movement for Children. It included the participation of national institutions and authorities on children and adolescents, international and regional human rights bodies, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, the media, and young representatives.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative's office participated in the 5th Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2011, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Conference presented new evidence on effective interventions to prevent interpersonal violence and promote increased collaboration across sectors and disciplines, including health, social protection and criminal justice. The results of the meeting will be an important resource for the upcoming expert consultation on better data and research on violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 111
- Paragraph text
- But beyond the cost to each individual victim, violence has serious costs for households, communities and national economies. As noted by the World Health Organization, meeting the direct costs of health, criminal justice and social welfare responses to violence diverts many billions of dollars from more constructive societal spending. The much larger indirect costs of violence due to lost productivity and lost investment in education work together to slow economic development, increase socioeconomic inequality and erode human and social capital.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Victim-offender mediation is a model often applied in cases involving minor offences committed by children, although it is also used for more serious offences. This model is most commonly used as an alternative referral by the court after the offender has made a formal admission of guilt.The process promotes dialogue in a safe and structured setting, which allows the young offender to learn about the impact of his or her offence while helping the victim and offender to develop a mutually acceptable plan to address the harm that has been caused.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- Young victims are often the target of these practices. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, between 2011 and 2012 there was a 70 per cent increase in child sexual abuse material focused on girls under the age of 10 years, and abuse material involving toddlers or babies is not uncommon. Once online, child abuse images can circulate indefinitely, alongside the risk of perpetuating victims' harm. The circulation of such images contributes to the hypersexualization of children and in turn fuels the demand for sexual abuse material.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Infants
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Self-exposure. Sending explicit self-generated text or images by mobile phone or instant messenger, known as "sexting", is becoming widespread. As a result of peer pressure or as part of online interaction, there is a real risk of such material falling into the wrong hands and used to harass young people, or blackmailing them into engaging in further risky behaviour. According to the Internet Watch Foundation, up to 88 per cent of self-generated sexually explicit content online has been taken from its original location and uploaded elsewhere on the Internet.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 107
- Paragraph text
- As young people stressed during the 2013 Global Youth Summit promoted by the International Telecommunication Union, more than simply trying to avoid online threats, it is important to develop children's capacities as digital citizens; and promote solid values and life skills, including a strong sense of responsibility, respect and concern for others. Rather than curtailing children's natural curiosity and sense of innovation for fear of encountering risks online, it is critical to tap into children's resourcefulness and enhance their resilience while exploring the potential of the Internet.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 109
- Paragraph text
- Informed and engaged parents and caregivers who support and advise children in their access to the Internet and the use of ICTs open avenues for a safer online experience. Parents' effective mediation minimizes risk without limiting children's skills or opportunities. Taking time to surface the cyberuniverse together, to guide and reassure their children, and to provide age-appropriate rules about online conduct are crucial dimensions of this process. Equally important is to raise children's awareness of online risks and provide guidance on ways of addressing them when they occur.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 111
- Paragraph text
- Schools have a unique potential to promote non-violent behaviour and to support change of attitudes condoning violence. Through quality education, children can gain the skills and abilities to surf cyberspace with confidence, to avoid and address risks, and to become well-informed and responsible digital citizens. This includes promoting creative, critical and safe use of the Internet and preventing and responding to incidents of online violence, including cyberbullying, even when they were not originated in the school environment.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Promoting a safe and peaceful learning environment is a major cultural undertaking that requires leadership and support from Government, including adequate resources, to become a reality. It is crucial to strengthen children's protective environment with the support of all relevant stakeholders, including parents and caregivers, teachers and service providers. No less important is engaging and empowering children themselves. Children need to develop their own capacities as digital citizens and learn solid values and life skills, including being responsible in their actions towards others.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The conference highlighted progress, challenges and opportunities to promote freedom from violence as part of wider efforts to achieve the African Union's Agenda 2063. The outcomes of the discussion informed the development of Africa's Agenda for Children 2040, which includes a core goal to end violence against children. These developments provide significant impetus for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Africa's Agenda for Children presents measurable goals and priority areas to which the African Union and its Member States commit themselves for the next 25 years.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Thirdly, it is imperative to include in this process those who are most affected. Children and young people need to be provided with genuine opportunities and platforms to influence the road ahead - not simply on accidental occasions, but as true partners and agents of change. Recognizing the value of their contribution, the Special Representative joined civil society partners in the development of a report which captures the concerns and recommendations conveyed by child participants in the post-2015 sustainable development process.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative is guided by General Assembly resolution 62/141, in which the Assembly established the mandate, and acts as a bridge builder and a global, independent advocate for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. In its resolution 70/137, the Assembly expressed support for the work of the Special Representative and recommended that the Secretary-General extend the mandate for a further period of three years, and maintain support for the effective and independent performance and sustainability of the mandate, funded from the regular budget.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Protection of children online remained high on the agenda of the Special Representative. In this regard, she continued to support important multi-stakeholder initiatives, including the WePROTECT Global Alliance to End Child Sexual Exploitation Online. WePROTECT has secured high-level commitments from Governments, the information and communications technology industry, international organizations and civil society. It supports comprehensive national action on prevention and response to inform and empower children and to fight impunity within and across borders.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Since the adoption of the Regional Plan of Action, the Special Representative has been active in promoting its implementation in collaboration with the ASEAN member States and secretariat and with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children. In February, in a joint meeting held in Jakarta, the Commission expressed its commitment to the High Time to End Violence against Children initiative to galvanize political will and mobilize wide social support and action towards the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls anew upon Member States to treat children allegedly associated with non-State armed groups primarily as victims entitled to full protection of their rights and to urgently adopt protocols for their handover to child protection actors. The Special Representative also urges the Human Rights Council, treaty bodies and the relevant special procedures to focus closely on the detrimental impact on the rights of children that results from exercises of widespread screening of civilians in situations of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- In April 2016, in Sofia, the Council launched its new Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021), which was developed with the participation of the Special Representative. Children's freedom from violence is at the heart of the Strategy and is mainstreamed in actions concerning the protection of children from online abuse; the promotion of child participation; the development of child-friendly justice; the prevention of deprivation of liberty and the promotion of diversion measures; and the protection of children on the move.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- Guided by the human rights imperative of freeing children from violence, by the evidence gathered in recent years and by the ambitious vision and historic opportunity offered by the 2030 Agenda to promote a quantum leap in violence prevention and response efforts, the Special Representative reaffirms her resolve to mobilize even greater support and action towards a world free from violence against children, in close collaboration with Member States and all other stakeholders, most especially children themselves.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 103
- Paragraph text
- To address these concerns, urgent measures are needed. First, it is crucial to empower children with easily understandable, age-sensitive and culturally appropriate information about their rights and relevant procedures to enable them to exercise their right to be heard and to benefit from effective remedies and services for their protection, recovery and reintegration. Moreover, it is indispensable to establish safe, child- and gender-sensitive counselling, complaints and reporting mechanisms to which children can easily gain access to address any incidents of violence or other grievances.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- To minimize their effects on children, drone strikes must be carried out in accordance with principles of precaution, distinction and proportionality. A transparent normative framework governing drone use must be put in place, recognizing the special status of children, with the aim of avoiding child casualties. The Special Representative calls upon Member States to review their policies and to make a greater effort to investigate incidents involving the killing and maiming of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- During the universal periodic review process, States are urged to include, as appropriate, in their recommendations to the State under review, specific references to information from the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children that was established in accordance with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in addition to the country conclusions adopted by the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, as appropriate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 124
- Paragraph text
- This is an area where significant work is being done, as illustrated in the 2011 thematic report on juvenile justice and human rights in the Americas issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, with the support of the Special Representative. The report identifies developments and good practices for the protection of children in the juvenile justice system and provides recommendations for the effective implementation of relevant international standards.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 125
- Paragraph text
- With a view to consolidating progress, the Special Representative will capitalize on significant experiences in various parts of the world, and will strengthen strategic partnerships with Member States, United Nations agencies, regional institutions, academia and civil society organizations. In this connection, she will join the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other partners in the organization of an expert consultation early in 2012.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 124
- Paragraph text
- Legislation should provide law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the judiciary with options for diverting children away from the criminal justice system and promoting restorative justice processes at all stages of the proceedings; it should include alternative and educative measures, such as warnings, probation, judicial supervision and community work, to be applied in combination with restorative justice processes or when restorative justice is not appropriate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative will carry out her mandate by making use of mutually supportive strategies, including the promotion of advocacy for concerns related to violence against children; the contribution to strategic meetings at the international, regional and national levels, including for the identification of good practices and the promotion of cross-fertilization of experiences across regions, sectors and settings; the organization of field missions; and the promotion of thematic studies and reports.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In her collaboration with United Nations organizations, the Special Representative on violence against children has built upon existing inter-agency mechanisms, in particular the Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence against Children, of which ILO, OHCHR, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) are core members. The Inter-Agency Working Group is a critical forum for consultation, promotion of policy formulation and mainstreaming of concerns related to violence against children within the United Nations system's agenda.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- As acknowledged by surveys of children across regions, violence constitutes a key matter of concern for them. But in spite of the serious and long-lasting impact of violence in their daily lives, children show remarkable resilience and a unique ability to mobilize to promote non-violence and peaceful solutions, including by raising awareness amongst children and their families about violence and its impact, generating solidarity and support for child victims, and instilling confidence to report incidents of violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 14a
- Paragraph text
- [At the consultation, in which governmental experts and representatives of United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations, human rights bodies, academia and civil society participated, a set of practical recommendations to assist States and other actors in the development of a violence-free justice system for children was drawn up. Those recommendations, included in a joint report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/21/25), address the following issues:] Preventing the criminalization and penalization of children. The prevention and reduction of situations leading to the deprivation of children's liberty is a critical strategy for decreasing the risk of violence in the criminal justice system. States should pursue this goal by: (i) decriminalizing "status offences", such as begging, vagrancy, truancy and loitering; (ii) preventing the detention of unaccompanied migrant children and asylum seekers on the basis of their status; (iii) ensuring that children with mental health and substance abuse problems are appropriately cared for, rather than dealt with by the criminal justice system; (iv) ensuring universal birth registration, raising the age of criminal responsibility to at least 12 years and continuing to raise it further, and ensuring non-custodial options for children below that age; and (v) supporting the prevention of criminalization and penalization through a robust and well-resourced child protection system, with effective coordination between the justice, social welfare and education sectors.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Children growing up in poverty are less likely to access basic social services of quality or to benefit from effective preventive initiatives or protection mechanisms. This is a particularly acute problem for children living or working on the street, who often struggle to survive in unhealthy, hazardous and violent public spaces where crime is rampant and protection hardly available, and who are at risk of enduring ill-treatment by the authorities or being criminalized for survival behaviour, including truancy and begging.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Poverty and violence also shape the life of the majority of children affected by HIV and AIDS. The pandemic has stripped away traditional social support networks and is associated with a higher risk of social exclusion, stigma and discrimination, school dropout and limited access to information and treatment, while paving the way to enhanced risks of violence. In turn, rape, intimate partner violence and sexual abuse, as well as harmful practices, including child and forced marriage, increase the risk of exposure to HIV infection.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Yet, these technologies also generate new risks and can become a tool with which to perpetrate violence. Indeed, harmful information becomes available more easily and may also be spread more quickly, potentially reaching out to millions in a fraction of a second and remaining in cyberspace for a lifetime. As a result, children may be at risk of abuse, bullying, harassment and exploitation in ways that are often difficult to detect and address, including by parents, caregivers, teachers and others (see box IV).
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 139
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative will continue to mobilize support to consolidate those important efforts and in 2015, will place special emphasis on the following topics: ensuring violence against children remains a distinct concern on the global development agenda; reinforcing the protection of children from online sexual abuse; strengthening action for the prevention of violence in early childhood; and promoting the protection of children and adolescents affected by community and armed violence and organized crime.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Over the past year, cooperation with the African Union Labour and Social Affairs Commission and the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child gained a renewed relevance with the launch, in May 2014, of the Campaign and Call to Action to End Child Marriage in Africa. The Campaign and the national launches anticipated in 10 countries provide a sound basis for this important collaboration and for enhancing regional initiatives in support of the abandonment of harmful practices against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- The Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence against Children has remained a crucial institutional collaboration mechanism in support of the Special Representative's mandate. The periodic meetings of the Working Group are a key forum for consultation, policy formulation and mainstreaming of violence against children within the United Nations agenda. Over the reporting period, this cooperation was of strategic relevance for the organization of the expert consultations on early childhood and on restorative justice for children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Concern about the role of ICTs in generating violence against children has been growing in recent years. In 2006, the United Nations Study on Violence Against Children acknowledged that "the Internet and other developments of communication technologies … appear to be associated with an increased risk of sexual exploitation of children, as well as other forms of violence" (A/61/299, para. 77). The third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, held in 2008 in Brazil, reaffirmed that concern.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Harmful material and information, including violent, sexually explicit or hateful content, are readily available and may spread quickly, potentially reaching millions in a fraction of a second and remaining in cyberspace for a lifetime. Violence, abuse and exploitation can easily take place in spaces that are not under adult supervision, and parents and caregivers may struggle to keep up with technological developments to monitor children's online activity, especially in countries where digital literacy is low.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- The rapid development and expansion of ICTs have generated new opportunities for the realization of children's rights as well as significant challenges for the protection of children from violence. Cyberbullying is one such challenge. Available information about this phenomenon, its impact on children and on measures to prevent and address it remains limited. Nonetheless, research and experience in different regions suggest a number of key areas in which action is needed to ensure children's safety and protection.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative remains strongly committed to accelerating progress in the protection of children from violence and to seizing the unique opportunity presented by the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The inclusion in the 2030 Agenda of a distinct target, target 16.2, to eliminate all forms of violence against children is an historic achievement that can galvanize political will and reignite action to build a world free from fear and from violence for all, leaving no child behind.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 109
- Paragraph text
- Child participation continues to be a core dimension of the Special Representative's mandate. Regular meetings have been held with children and young people, including within the framework of regional initiatives and field missions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- [Vulnerabilities and risks faced by children who are internally displaced during armed conflict – addressing their rights]: The rights of internally displaced children are expressly guaranteed and firmly entrenched in international humanitarian law and human rights law – the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict. These instruments obligate State and non-State actors alike to protect children from the harmful effects of armed conflict, to prevent arbitrary displacement, to protect and assist persons who are displaced, and to facilitate durable solutions to displacement, paying special attention to the particular vulnerabilities and risks faced by internally displaced children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The overarching considerations for the involvement of children in transitional justice processes are set out in the annex to the present report.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Another priority and challenge is to ensure that a level of child protection expertise is maintained as peacekeeping operations are drawn down and restructured in transition to peacebuilding configurations. During that phase, it remains critical that the representatives of the Secretary-General retain adequate advisory capacity on child protection within their offices. In particular, child protection advisers will be responsible for ensuring ongoing monitoring and verification of child protection action plans with parties to conflict, as well as maintenance of the cycle of reporting to Member States on implementation of children and armed conflict resolutions and the recommendations of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which often remain relevant and in effect through the transition to post-conflict peace consolidation and peacebuilding.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- [Vulnerabilities and risks faced by children who are internally displaced during armed conflict – addressing their rights]: In situations of internal displacement, the freedom of movement of the affected population, including their right to move freely in and out of camps and settlements should be respected. For children, it entails the right to move freely with their family. Few threats to a child’s well-being equal that of being separated from his or her family during conflict, and for these children all possible action should be taken to prevent separation from their families and to ensure rapid reunification in the case of separation. To this end, displaced children, in particular separated and unaccompanied minors, should have their own identity documentation in order to enjoy their full legal rights and to have access to basic social services, such as health care and education.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- Protecting vulnerable populations, and especially children, should be paramount during military operations. New tactics of war, the absence of clear battlefields and increasingly numerous and diverse parties to conflict in terms of their composition, motivations and character have complicated matters. Moreover, the rise of terrorism where civilians are the main victims directly challenges the distinction between military and civilian targets, one of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. Counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency also blur the line between what is legitimate and what is not in addressing security threats. Raids against predominately civilian targets, including night raids, and the use of aerial bombardment in civilian-populated areas, make children more vulnerable to being killed or maimed and often serve to fuel resentment and conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- Rules of engagement of armed forces stipulate that the protection of civilians should remain the foremost consideration in the course of military operations. Increasingly, however, the record indicates that these strictures are inadequate to ensure the safety of children. Moreover, as noted by the Secretary-General in his most recent report on children and armed conflict (A/64/742-S/2010/181), there also seems to be a growing practice of putting children in the direct line of danger, through, for instance, their use for intelligence-gathering in military operations. This includes the interrogation of children separated from armed groups during military actions, in contravention of standards that require the immediate transfer of such children to protection actors.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 60b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Representative urges the international community:] To exert international pressure on parties that continue to recruit and use children;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 60e
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Representative urges the international community:] To respond to the rehabilitation and reintegration needs of former child soldiers.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, Security Council resolutions 1882 (2009) and 1888 (2009) challenge United Nations actors to put in place more rigorous monitoring and reporting mechanisms on sexual violence. Resolution 1882 (2009) advances monitoring practice by requiring the Secretary-General to list in his annual report on children and armed conflict parties who commit patterns of rape and other grave acts of sexual violence against children in contravention of international law. The Office of the Special Representative is in the process of developing templates, with the assistance of an international legal expert and former prosecutor of gender cases in the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, for action plans to ensure that parties that are listed will enter into agreements with the United Nations to prevent such violations, hold individuals accountable and take action to provide support to the victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Security Council resolution 1888 (2009) also breaks new ground through its establishment of a focused mandate of the Council dedicated to sexual violence in conflict. These developments have brought a new momentum to address this critical issue, and also represent new challenges in terms of coordinated action among a broad array of United Nations and civil society partners. Beyond the specific focus of the Council on addressing impunity of perpetrators of sexual violence, at the level of the General Assembly the new United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has been established, with a broad mandate to coordinate the global efforts of the United Nations on gender-related issues as a whole.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- The weak writ of the State, particularly in peripheral areas, is another contributing factor to conflict and has played a role in exposing children to violence. Where the State is challenged in its ability to provide security, deliver basic social services, adjudicate on grievances and facilitate economic activity, local communities turn to alternative forms of authority. Traditional governance structures and/or justice mechanisms, may take precedence over weak statutory institutions. However, traditional governance structures are often not underpinned by the normative standards and protection mechanisms facilitated by the State. Where conflict is occurring, local communities also often form self-defence groups and frequently enlist young children in the community to fight and defend them against external threats.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- In some societies, protracted violent conflict becomes an end in itself, with a political economy driven by the logic of economic gain and political compromise. In such contexts, children are socialized to accept war as the norm, not the exception, and to seek advancement in the structures it creates. Military commanders become role models for children and the military ethos becomes part of everyday life. Joining an armed group may facilitate social mobility, with access to resources and the ability to wield power and influence in the territory under the control of the armed group. In such situations of chronic conflict, joining an armed group may be seen by children as a legitimate avenue of advancement in a society that offers them few other options.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- [Attacks on schools and hospitals: an emerging concern]: Armed conflict can either directly or indirectly result in the forced closure or the compromised functioning of civilian facilities. Children, teachers and health-care providers can be subject to direct threats and acts of intimidation by parties, which, for example, target Government institutions or medical personnel assisting the other party to the conflict. In other situations, armed elements are opposed to secular and/or girls’ education, or to girls being seen by male medical personnel. The delivery of health-care services to children is also heavily affected by lack of supplies and manpower caused by looting of the facilities and/or access constraints. A general climate of fear and insecurity as a result of armed hostilities can also prevent children, teachers and medical personnel from attending school or seeking medical help. Parents, for example, may find it too risky to send their children to school in a volatile security situation, or children may be denied timely access to hospitals because of checkpoints and roadblocks.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- [Attacks on schools and hospitals: an emerging concern]: Military control and use of school facilities also endangers children. The Office of the Special Representative will advocate with parties, urging them to take all precautionary measures not to endanger the life of civilians and civilian objects in the vicinity of military objectives. Extreme caution should also be exercised in identifying objects normally dedicated to civilian purposes as military targets. In armed conflict situations, the use of schools as polling stations may put the physical integrity of such facilities at risk, as some armed groups see these civilian institutions as legitimate targets of attack. The Office of the Special Representative will further continue to advocate with Governments for the adoption of precautionary measures that avoid jeopardizing school facilities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Where armed forces and groups are merged, or demobilized and reintegrated as part of a peace agreement, there is a need to ensure, as a first step in any security sector reform process, that children who may be associated with the parties are separated. The initial stage in such situations is often the registration of combatants. Measures must be systematically put in place to effect age verification or, where reliable State-managed data on birth dates are not available, to establish a solid method of for age determination. However, separating children from armed forces and groups should not be dependent on security sector reform plans. Recruitment and use of children in armed conflict is a violation of international law; there is a normative imperative for children to be identified and separated, inter alia in the context of the action plans mentioned earlier.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- At the strategic level, clearly the most effective way of protecting children from the scourge of war is by mitigating the outbreak of armed conflict. Conflict prevention means addressing the root causes of violence and promoting sustainable and equitable human development. As identified in the Machel study and the 2007 10-year review of that study (see A/62/228), sustainable conflict prevention and peacebuilding require going beyond political settlements and strengthening the key vectors of peace, including good governance; the creation of an accountable, legitimate and rule-based security sector; an independent and effective judicial system; the delivery of basic social services; and the creation of an economic environment conducive to employment and wealth creation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The above are broad and long-term measures that States affected by conflict must address progressively, with the sustained support of the international community. A number of more direct protective steps may be taken by national actors, with international support. During conflict, the creation of child protection networks may assist in helping communities to better protect their children. These networks alert the community to threats or violations and can help develop a community-based response to the consequences of violence. They can also help prevent abuses by raising awareness and forging linkages with entities that can provide protection. Being able to rely on a network of support makes children feel more secure and provides a mechanism for assistance when violations or abuses are committed against them.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The Chamber also decided to apply a broad interpretation of the term “participate actively in hostilities” to ensure justice and protection for all children associated with armed forces or armed groups. The Court held that the term included a wide range of individuals, from those on the front line (who participated directly) to the boys and girls who were involved in multiple roles that supported the combatants. The Court further refined that interpretation, using a case-by-case determination and adopting a double test: whether support was given and whether the support provided to the combatants exposed the child to real danger as a potential target. The Chamber made a clear distinction between the term “direct participation in hostilities”, which determines combatant status under international humanitarian law, and the term “actively participating in hostilities”, which is the criteria applicable to the use of children in hostilities, holding that the latter was to be interpreted broadly, and without conferring combatant status on those children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Following the adoption by the General Assembly of its groundbreaking resolution 64/290 on the right to education in emergency situations, the Security Council also strengthened its efforts on this matter. In July 2011, the Security Council adopted resolution 1998 (2011), expanding the listing in the annexes to the annual reports of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict to perpetrators of recurrent attacks against schools and recurrent attacks or threats of attacks against protected personnel in relation to such facilities. The Special Representative commends the focused attention of the General Assembly and the Security Council on the right of children to access education and urges Member States, together with other child protection partners, to implement the decisions of both bodies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- First, there is a need to ensure a well-coordinated monitoring and reporting mechanism, which is able to pull the various country-specific strands of information together in order to develop a comprehensive view of the trends and patterns of violations perpetrated by armed groups. This is critical in order to ensure that appropriate practical measures are taken to protect civilians in affected areas. For instance, during the reporting period, with the support of the Office of the Special Representative, UNICEF enhanced its capacity to facilitate coordination and information-sharing on LRA between child protection teams in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan and Uganda.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Research has demonstrated a strong correlation between poverty and violent conflict, as well as between violent conflict and poor human development indicators. Millennium Development Goal indicators reveal that countries in situations of armed conflict account for one third of those living in extreme poverty, half of the children with no access to primary education and half of the children who die before their fifth birthday. While not all poor children in conflict situations become soldiers, poverty is an important motivating factor for children to join armed forces and groups. In some areas, poverty means a lack of access to education and other basic social services and few opportunities for employment and income generation. Children, often with the encouragement of parents and the incitement of armed actors, become combatants in the hope that they will be well fed, housed and protected.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Partnering with and building the capacity of local child protection systems requires a situation analysis of each country in order to identify the strengths of and gaps in child protection systems at both the national and community levels. Community-based child protection mechanisms have been found to be a highly diverse and adaptable approach to child protection in different contexts. In some situations, child protection mechanisms have sprung out of women’s associations and have been engaged in collecting information on violations of children’s rights and in protecting children at particular risk of recruitment. Other community-led protection networks spring up spontaneously or are fostered by non-governmental organizations working with the community.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- A common challenge is the creation of linkages between local, community-based protection structures, on the one hand, and elements of the formal child protection system and Government services, on the other. Often, the existence of strong legal and policy frameworks notwithstanding, Government-led services are not filtering down to the communities. In extremely fragile contexts, the weakness of the State and its lack of control over all areas may be a factor accounting for gaps in Government services at the community level. In other contexts, it is a sign of insufficient priority and resources being accorded to the commitments made in the national framework. In the absence of formal mechanisms, community-led mechanisms often step in. These may include groups formed specifically for the purpose, such as child protection committees or community care coalitions, or they may simply consist of existing structures, such as women’s groups, faith-based organizations and other community associations that take on a role in protecting children. To be effective, these mechanisms need adequate funding, capacity and knowledge to deal with child protection issues.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- At the national level, effective investigations and prosecutions are potentially powerful prevention tools but are often hindered by lack of resources and capacity. The failure to investigate grave violations against children or to sanction those responsible is often linked to broader accountability issues. Short of systematic prosecution, a system for deterrence should be built through the prosecution of the most persistent violators. In addition, practical measures can be implemented by Governments to prevent underage recruitment, such as free birth registration or alternative mechanisms for age verification, in addition to conscription policies and mandatory vetting procedures to monitor child recruitment by national armies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Recognizing that sustainable, long-term social and economic reintegration is the cornerstone for the durable separation of children from parties to armed conflict, the Special Representative urges donors to provide sustained and long-term support to reintegration in line with the Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups, including in the areas of education, vocational training and income-generating activities, as appropriate, and to support the financial aspects of the implementation of actions plans to end the recruitment and use, killing and maiming of and sexual violence against children, as well as attacks on schools and hospitals.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, extreme violence rose to an unprecedented level. The impact on children has multiplied in a number of countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and the Syrian Arab Republic. Children were victims of grave violations and were often forced to witness or take part in beheadings, immolations and summary executions. They were also indoctrinated, recruited and forced to be suicide bombers or human shields. Girls were subjected to additional abuses, including sexual slavery, abduction and forced marriage. The violations often took place in the context of mass abductions. Such brutal tactics had severe repercussions on children, which will have lasting effects for generations to come.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Extremist groups have benefited from advances in technology, which have facilitated their rapid growth and led to the expansion of their territorial control, often across national borders. The military response to the threat has also raised protection challenges for children. Children caught in the middle of counter-terrorism operations have been killed and maimed and their homes and schools destroyed. In some cases, State-allied militias have been mobilized, resulting in boys and sometimes girls being used in support roles and even as combatants. Despite international calls for due process and respect for the rule of law, counter-terrorism operations often lack those elements. The Special Representative recalls that efforts to counteract extremist groups must be carried out in full compliance with international humanitarian, refugee and human rights law and must ensure that children are treated primarily as victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty by the General Assembly in its resolution 67/234 B in April constitutes an important opportunity for child protection. There is long-standing awareness of the link between the global trade in conventional weapons, including small arms and light weapons, and grave violations committed against children in conflict situations. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that the widespread availability of small arms and light weapons, fostered by the inadequate regulation of the global arms trade, exacerbates conflicts and disproportionately affects children. Solid evidence also exists of the correlation between the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the widespread practice of recruitment and use of children in conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Significantly, the Treaty recognizes the link between the arms trade and the effects of conflict on children. Small arms and light weapons fall under the scope of the Treaty, and ammunition/munitions and parts and components are covered by its prohibition and export assessment provisions. The entry into force of the Treaty has the potential to generate a positive long-term impact on the situation of children in conflict. It forbids the transfer of arms that could be used in the commission of attacks directed against civilians, including children, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and war crimes defined by international agreements to which a State is a party, such as the crime of child recruitment under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Furthermore, under the Treaty's export assessment provisions, exporting States are requested to assess whether arms transfers would directly or indirectly lead to serious acts of violence against women and children, including killing and maiming, but also recruitment and use and, if an overriding risk is identified, to refrain from them.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- The Arms Trade Treaty, if duly enforced, has the potential to curb the recruitment and use of children in conflict through the prohibition of arms sales to States parties that engage in child recruitment, falling in line with the long-standing interpretation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child of States parties' obligations to do so under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. The Treaty's contribution to reducing the plight of children in conflict can thus be understood as being twofold: seeking to curb both armed violence against children and the recruitment and use of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution 2225 (2015), the Security Council also encouraged Member States to take concrete measures to deter the military use of schools by armed forces and armed groups. In that regard, the Special Representative welcomes the adoption by 37 countries of the Safe Schools Declaration on 29 May 2015, which endorsed the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. An additional 10 countries have adopted the Declaration since its launch. Although the Guidelines are not legally binding, they highlight good practice for all parties to conflict and aim to provide guidance to reduce the impact of armed conflict on education, particularly in relation to military use.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Access to justice by survivors of sexual violence remains a challenge in most conflict situations, with social stigma and fear of reprisal being contributing factors. The challenge of accessing justice in areas where instability prevails and State authority is weak or absent is an additional constraint. Inappropriate legislation or administrative obstacles also exist. In some cases, criminal codes do not have a definition of the rape, which may lead to inconsistent application of the law by the police and judicial authorities. In other cases, corruption - for example, the false requirement to present costly medical certificates - may prevent victims from filing complaints. Another major impediment to accessing justice is the often inadequate compensation provided to survivors, as well as lengthy and costly procedures before the courts, which may lead a victim's family to reach an amicable settlement with the perpetrators, rather than bring the case to justice.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution S-23/1 on atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram and its effects on human rights in the affected States, the Human Rights Council expressed deep concern regarding the recruitment and use of children and other grave violations by Boko Haram. In January 2015, following the listing of Boko Haram as a party in conflict that kills and maims children and that engages in attacks on schools and hospitals (see A/68/878-S/2014/339, annex II), the Special Representative travelled to Nigeria. During that visit, she assessed the impact of the conflict in north-eastern Nigeria on children, supported the roll-out of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and engaged with the Nigerian authorities. The Government of Nigeria agreed to enter into a formal collaboration with the United Nations on children and armed conflict through an interministerial committee based in Abuja and decentralized committees in the three conflict-affected states, and through the appointment of focal points at the federal and state levels. In her meetings with government and military officials, the Special Representative raised concerns relating to allegations of violations committed by the Nigerian defence and security forces, the Civilian Joint Task Force and other vigilante groups in the course of their operations against Boko Haram. In November 2015, on the margins of the International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, held in Dakar, the Special Representative met with the newly appointed National Security Adviser of Nigeria, who expressed interest in working to improve the protection of children separated from Boko Haram. At the same event, the Special Representative also met with the Force Commander of the multinational joint task force and advocated for enhanced protection of children in its operations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the recent ratifications of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and reiterates her urgent call upon States who have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Convention and its Protocols; to enact legislation to explicitly prohibit and criminalize the recruitment of children into armed forces or groups and the use of children in hostilities; and to establish the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into the armed forces at 18 years, when depositing their binding declaration (under article 3) upon ratification of the Optional Protocol.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- The mandate of the Special Representative builds upon developments in public health and child protection and envisages the protection of children from violence as a human rights imperative. Indeed, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international human rights instruments provide a firm normative foundation for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. They are an indicator of genuine national commitment to respecting the human dignity of the child at all times; addressing risk factors that compromise children's development and citizenship; investing in the social inclusion of the most vulnerable; and promoting actions that build upon children's best interests, perspectives and experiences. International human rights standards also provide a sound framework for mainstreaming the protection of children from violence in the national policy agenda, helping to avoid fragmented, diluted or simply reactive solutions and influencing lasting change through national implementation informed by good practices and lessons learned.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The development of close collaboration with human rights bodies and mechanisms is an essential component of the Special Representative's agenda. This cooperation is critical in pursuing an integrated approach to children's protection from violence and capitalizing on synergies across mandates, in the overall framework of the implementation of children's rights standards and commitments to children, including those undertaken at the Millennium Summit, the Special Session on Children and, more recently, the Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents. The call for action issued as part of the Congress highlights the importance of close cooperation between mandate holders, and its agenda provides a valuable framework for mutually supportive actions and accelerated progress towards the achievement of the time-bound targets agreed upon at the Congress; these targets are also of strategic relevance to the process of follow-up to the study's recommendations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Against this background, the Special Representative's cooperation with the Committee on the Rights of the Child gains crucial relevance. The United Nations study was developed at the request of the Committee and is very strongly grounded in its work and jurisprudence on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee has devoted special attention to violence against children, including in thematic debates, general comments and during the consideration of States parties' reports. At present, all concluding observations include a specific section on the follow-up to the study's recommendations and on cooperation with the Special Representative.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- The Congress followed an important regional meeting on the role of parliamentarians to prevent and eliminate violence against children, hosted by the National Assembly of Costa Rica and supported by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNICEF. Representatives from national parliaments adopted strong recommendations for national follow-up to the United Nations study, including by holding parliamentarian sessions to monitor and advance follow-up to the study's recommendations, promoting law reform to introduce an explicit ban on all forms of violence against children, and ensuring adequate resource allocation for child-related public policies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- As noted in the sections above, during the initial period of her mandate, the Special Representative has reached out to children and young people in a number of meetings and discussions held at global, regional and national levels. Across the regions, children express strong concern at the incidence of violence; they inspire a deep sense of urgency, and their views and recommendations help to refine the effectiveness of actions taken, including by helping to improve understanding of the hidden face of violence, raise awareness and promote advocacy on positive initiatives, and support the development of child-sensitive policies and mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Framed by the priority agenda identified above, during the initial months of her mandate, between early September 2009 and the submission of the present report, the Special Representative devoted particular attention to: - Global advocacy initiatives to promote the further dissemination of the study and encourage follow-up to its recommendations at the international, regional and national levels - The consolidation of strategic partnerships, including through the Special Representative's contribution to high-level meetings with key actors, and the strengthening of institutional collaboration with international and regional organizations - The adoption of measures for the establishment of her Office in support of her mandate
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Building on this foundation, the two Special Representatives organized a commemorative event to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Protocols and launch a global campaign aiming at the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols by 2012, the year of the tenth anniversary of their entry into force. The campaign was launched on 25 May 2010 in New York, with the Secretary-General, and is promoted in close cooperation with UNICEF, OHCHR, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The goal of universal ratification has been widely endorsed by high-level international conferences, including the Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (Rio de Janeiro, 2008), and is supported by international human rights bodies and a wide network of civil society organizations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The widely participatory regional consultations organized in support of the study and the preparations for the Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children in Brazil were instrumental in generating interest in and commitment to the elimination of violence in its many forms. In some regions, a regional follow-up mechanism was set up to facilitate coordination of efforts and help to advance implementation of the study's recommendations. Building upon these significant developments, the Special Representative gave particular attention to strengthening institutional collaboration with regional forums, helping promote information-sharing and cross-fertilization of experiences, scale up positive initiatives, encourage evidence-based approaches to overcome prevailing challenges and influence progress within and across regions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The Congress was a strategic forum to promote and review progress in the Americas on follow-up to the recommendations of the study, and to launch the report on corporal punishment and human rights of children and adolescents, recently issued by the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child of the Inter-American Commission. This important report builds upon the United Nations study and calls on member States of the Organization of American States to place explicit and absolute legal bans on the use of corporal punishment in all settings; adopt preventive, educational, and other measures to ensure the eradication of this form of violence and promote positive and non-violent alternatives; and make the Americas a region free of child corporal punishment by 2011.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- As highlighted by the Special Representative in her address, violence and child labour are closely interrelated. Violence in the home, in schools and in institutions, is a factor that pushes children into child labour, particularly its worst forms; violence is also a means to coerce children to work, and to keep them in exploitation and servitude. At the same time, violence and child labour can be prevented and effectively addressed, through the development of national action plans, the adoption of sound legislation and the strengthening of data and research. These actions figure prominently in the Road map, which also constitutes a key instrument in the elimination of violence against children in work-related situations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The situation of those children remains hidden and surrounded by stigma, and is seldom envisaged as a priority in the policy agenda. There is scarce information on the numbers of children deprived of liberty and on the reasons that lead to their placement in justice and care institutions; independent monitoring mechanisms are rarely available to safeguard their rights and address their complaints; and sensationalistic information, combined with ill perception of growing juvenile delinquency, fuel social pressure for the criminalization of children and adolescents, and for the introduction of increasingly lower ages of criminal responsibility and longer measures of deprivation of liberty. This is a pattern that helps to create a culture of tolerance of violence against children, and which often contributes to the stigmatization of children belonging to poor and disadvantaged groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Without reliable data, national planning is compromised, effective policymaking and resource mobilization are hampered and targeted interventions limited in their ability to prevent and combat violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- This is an area where urgent action is required and to which the Special Representative pays priority attention. Existing data sets on children provide a basis to build upon, but they need to be integrated beyond sectors and individual disciplines, to promote a holistic consideration of the child. Gaps in child protection areas need to be addressed and monitoring tools and indicators expanded to cover boys and girls of all ages and in all settings, and to identify those at greatest risk. Moreover, these efforts need to incorporate children's views and perspectives, and capture their experience, and dynamic and evolving agency. This is crucial to understand the hidden face of violence and to address its root causes effectively.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- During the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, the Special Representative hosted a panel discussion on the role of data and research in overcoming the hidden nature of violence, in raising awareness of its serious impact on children, and in supporting the development of evidence-based legislation, policies and actions for violence prevention and response, and for the protection of child victims. The panel was co-organized with OHCHR and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and supported by the Governments of Sweden and Brazil. The meeting provided an important platform to reflect on strategic lessons from national experiences and to present the preliminary findings of the UNICEF report entitled "Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low and Middle-Income Countries".
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- This is a significant initiative that the Special Representative will continue to follow closely and which is expected to lead to important results.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The cooperation with the Committee on the Rights of the Child helps to inform advocacy initiatives, assess progress on the protection of children from all forms of violence and support countries in their efforts. For this reason, the Special Representative met the Committee soon after her appointment and has developed very fruitful collaboration through regular meetings and exchange of information, and through joint participation in strategic events and initiatives, at the global, regional and national levels. This strategic partnership has gained a renewed emphasis with the launch of the joint campaign for the universal ratification of the Protocols to the Convention, and the collaboration in support of the development of the report on child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- As a cross-cutting issue, working to eliminate violence against children opens up avenues for developing partnerships across mandates, including child-related mandates, in particular with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, with whom collaboration has been steadily strengthened and, as mentioned above (see para. 50), a joint report is being developed on child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms. Cooperation is also valuable with violence-related mandates, including violence against women and torture; with economic, social and cultural rights-related mandates to help address the root causes of violence; as well as with mandates on the rights to education, freedom of opinion and expression to enhance violence prevention, consolidate a culture of respect for children's rights and empower children and young people.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations study was developed with strong support from civil society organizations and from children and young people, and they remain active partners in the process of implementation of the study's recommendations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The West Africa Youth Forum on Violence against Children illustrates the above point well. The Forum held an important meeting in Accra, in September 2010, in which the Special Representative participated. Attended by young people from countries across the region, it provided an excellent platform for sharing experiences, reflecting on critical factors hampering progress and reaffirming a shared commitment to promote change and enhanced collaboration in the prevention and elimination of violence. Discussions with children yielded first-hand accounts of their experience and perspectives on violence, as well as information on significant initiatives conducted in the region and on opportunities for enhancing child participation in the follow-up to the United Nations study.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Reiterating its determination to "Say no to violence against children", the Forum made significant recommendations, including on the essential role of education in violence prevention and for the abandonment of cultural practices that help to perpetuate violence; on the need to secure effective legal protection from violence to fight impunity and punish perpetrators; and on the urgency of strong legislation to prohibit all forms of violence and give confidence to children to report incidents of violence whenever they occur. The participants also called on the Special Representative to urge the United Nations and all leaders and Governments to express their commitment to and support for every campaign to end all forms of violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 58a
- Paragraph text
- [This whole-school ethos informed the significant experiences shared at the Oslo meeting, including experiences with initiatives designed to prevent bullying in schools. The success of such initiatives has been closely associated with the engagement of teachers, staff and students, as well as parents and other members of the community. Reductions in the number of incidents of bullying have also been achieved as a result of a strong commitment, a clear plan and a strategic combination of efforts, namely:] A sincere and widely shared commitment to address this phenomenon, with the formal adoption and wide dissemination of anti-bullying rules, and their launching at an official school event;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 58c
- Paragraph text
- [This whole-school ethos informed the significant experiences shared at the Oslo meeting, including experiences with initiatives designed to prevent bullying in schools. The success of such initiatives has been closely associated with the engagement of teachers, staff and students, as well as parents and other members of the community. Reductions in the number of incidents of bullying have also been achieved as a result of a strong commitment, a clear plan and a strategic combination of efforts, namely:] The development of a monitoring system, with the periodic review of incidents and issues of concern;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Across regions, violence against children is generating growing concern and attention, in many cases supported by a wide process of social mobilization in which children themselves are playing an indispensable role. At the same time, however, violence continues to affect the life of millions of children. Hidden and socially accepted, and still too often perceived as a necessary form of discipline, violence remains surrounded by passivity and indifference, and is associated with weak reporting, and fragmented and short-term interventions. As a result, it is seldom considered beyond the periphery of the policy agenda. In this ambivalent context, children find themselves overwhelmed by fear, trauma, isolation and helplessness.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Teachers and other school staff are decisive actors in preventing and responding to violence. It is therefore essential to provide them with the necessary skills, support and resources. Raising awareness and providing information about violence against children is indispensable in this process. It helps to equip staff to use constructive-discipline techniques and methods in school, to partner with students in violence prevention, to serve as positive role models, to learn about peaceful conflict mediation and resolution, and to promote school-safety mechanisms such as codes of conduct and student-friendly reporting mechanisms. Equally important is the provision of clear guidance on addressing incidents of violence, mandatory reporting and providing assistance to child victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- These two approaches, comprehensive and specific, are therefore needed and are indeed mutually supportive.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- At the request of the Human Rights Council, the Special Representative joined the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography in the preparation of a report on effective and child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms to address incidents of violence, including sexual violence (A/HRC/16/56). The Council has urged States to ensure that such mechanisms are confidential, age-appropriate, gender-sensitive, disability-sensitive, safe, well publicized and accessible to all children. A similar recommendation was made in the United Nations study on violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- To accelerate progress, in May 2011 the Special Representative, in collaboration with strategic partners, hosted a treaty event in New York, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the launch of the campaign, and supported a regional event hosted by the African Union with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), UNICEF and OHCHR, in Addis Ababa. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Australia in October 2011 called on members to become parties to all major human rights instruments. In these and other high level meetings, the campaign received strong support from Governments, United Nations agencies, as well as parliamentarians, Ombuds for children, faith-based organizations and civil society organizations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- For the families of children with disabilities, heavy demands and high stress, lack of support and services, and a deep sense of isolation aggravate the risk of violence within the household. Some families respond with neglect rather than with active violence. Others shield the child from contact with the outside world, including to protect him or her from abuse and stigmatization, sometimes in appalling conditions (such as windowless rooms or hot courtyards). Still others arrange for a "mercy killing" to put an end to the child's perceived suffering, at times as a result of pressure from or upon the advice of other family members or influential actors in the community.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The global survey also builds upon the significant analytical reviews conducted at the regional level, including by the League of Arab States, SAIEVAC, MERCOSUR and Central American countries. It draws upon United Nations and international monitoring processes, including the universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council, reporting to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other treaty bodies, and the follow-up to the World Congresses against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents and the Roadmap for Achieving the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2016, adopted by The Hague Global Child Labour Conference in 2010.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Education has a unique potential to generate an environment where attitudes condoning violence can be changed and non-violent behaviour can be learned. Schools are well placed to break patterns of violence and provide skills to communicate, to negotiate and support peaceful solutions to conflicts. However, this potential is in marked contrast with the daily reality of millions of children. Within and around educational settings, both girls and boys continue to be exposed to violence, including verbal abuse, intimidation, physical aggression, and in some cases sexual abuse. At times they are also victims of gang violence and assault.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Recognizing the crucial importance of education in safeguarding children's rights, and of violent-free schools as catalysts for non-violence in the communities that they serve, the Special Representative, in cooperation with the Government of Norway and the Council of Europe, organized in June 2011 in Oslo, an expert consultation with the participation of policy makers, education and child rights experts, civil society organizations and academics from different regions of the world, as well as United Nations agencies. The lessons and recommendations from the meeting will be addressed in the Special Representative's forthcoming publication entitled Tackling Violence in Schools: a global perspective.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- The periodic meetings of the Inter-Agency Working Group are an important forum for consultation, policy formulation and mainstreaming within the United Nations agenda on violence against children. This strategic cooperation has led to significant initiatives, including the advancement of the campaign for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the promotion of better data and research in order to put an end to the invisibility and social acceptance of violence and to support strategic advocacy, policy development and resource mobilization.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- In 2011, in order to further mainstream into the United Nations agenda the protection of children from violence, the Special Representative has promoted a number of high-level policy discussions. These have taken place in such forums as the Human Rights Council, in discussions on the rights of street children and on child-sensitive mechanisms for addressing incidents of violence; the Commission for Social Development, in discussions on extreme poverty and violence against children; the Commission on the Status of Women, in discussions on tackling violence, including sexual violence, against girls and on quality education and gender discrimination; and in the lead-up to the General Assembly, in discussions on the rights of children with disabilities. In addition, strategic cooperation has been promoted with United Nations partners to curb violence in communities and minimize the impacts of situations of armed and gang violence on children, including through policies that help to reduce the availability of and access to small arms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The consultation was framed by an analytical regional mapping of national implementation measures for children's protection from violence. The discussions addressed national experiences and positive developments, critical challenges and emerging concerns, and anticipated areas where further progress is required. In view of its particular relevance for the region, special emphasis was placed on children's protection from violence in the criminal justice system, and on children's vulnerability as a result of trafficking and migration. The Santo Domingo Declaration adopted by the meeting reaffirms the commitment to pursue implementation of the Study recommendations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative remains strongly committed to further strengthening strategic alliances for the protection of children from all forms of violence, within and beyond the United Nations system.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- In accordance with General Assembly resolution 62/141, the Special Representative cooperates closely with the United Nations system, including funds and programmes and specialized agencies, and human rights treaty bodies and mechanisms with responsibilities in the prevention and elimination of violence against children. Although with distinct but mutually supportive mandates, associating normative and operational agencies, all partners are united in a common human rights foundation and determined to build a world free from violence. This institutional collaboration has been crucial to raise awareness and broaden global support for children's protection from violence, to promote the mainstreaming of this topic in United Nations activities, and to inform the policy agenda through the organization of strategic panel discussions with key partners.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative hosted high-level policy discussions to promote the consideration of violence against children as a cross-cutting concern within the United Nations agenda, including on extreme poverty and violence, during the Commission on Social Development; on gender-based violence and girls' victimization on the occasion of the Commission on the Status of Women; and on violence against children with disabilities during the General Assembly and the meeting of States Parties of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Strategic cooperation was also promoted with United Nations partners to curb violence in the community and minimize the impact of situations of armed and gang violence on children, including through policies that help to reduce availability of and access to small arms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- At the special event convened in the lead-up to the General Assembly thematic debate on the rights of children with disabilities, the high risks of physical, emotional and sexual violence endured by these children were given special attention. The debate reaffirmed the following priorities: - All countries need to enact legislation banning all forms of violence against all children, including those with disabilities; - It is urgent to establish in all countries effective and well-resourced child and disability sensitive counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms to prevent and address incidents of violence; - It is essential to invest in awareness and information to break the silence around violence against children with disabilities, and develop sound data system and research on child disability and the forms and prevalence of violence to safeguard children's enjoyment of their rights.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- The collaboration with human rights treaty bodies and mechanisms continued to feature highly on the Special Representative's agenda to capitalize on synergies across mandates and to mainstream concerns on violence against children in all relevant mandates. Periodic discussions and joint initiatives have been pursued with the Committee on the Rights of the Child, opening avenues to contribute to and build upon the Committee's concluding observations, thematic debates and general comments. Collaboration in the development of general comment No. 13 on the right to freedom from violence, and the drafting process of the new optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child are illustrations of this critical partnership.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- In this process, special emphasis was placed on: a) Widening the human rights foundation of the protection of children from violence; b) Enhancing awareness and consolidating knowledge for the prevention and elimination of violence against children; c) Reinforcing regional processes and governance mechanisms to support implementation efforts; d) Strengthening strategic alliances, within and beyond the United Nations system, to build a world where children enjoy freedom from violence. The active and ethical participation of children in achieving progress on the mandate's goals has remained a priority, supported through the development of child-friendly resources and the promotion of national, regional and international networks and platforms for information sharing and learning.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- To take stock and reflect upon the significant process of change promoted by these regional initiatives and mechanisms, and strengthen cross-regional cooperation, the Special Representative hosted a High-Level Round Table in October 2011, in New York, on the occasion of the General Assembly debate on the rights of the child. The meeting was organized in collaboration with the League of Arab States, SAIEVAC, the MERCOSUR Pro-Tempore Permanent Commission of Nin@Sur, the Council of Europe, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and UNICEF. The Special Representative launched on this occasion the publication Political Commitments by Regional Organizations and Institutions to prevent and Address Violence against Children, containing the most significant political declarations and strategies adopted across regions to protect children from all forms of violence. In some cases they establish a navigation chart for achieving progress and a monitoring mechanism to oversee implementation and galvanize efforts to overcome challenges.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 36b
- Paragraph text
- [To address these concerns, in 2012 the Special Representative organized an expert consultation and issued a joint report (A/HRC/21/25) with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and OHCHR, and highlighted the urgency of:]Introducing a legal prohibition of all forms of violence within the juvenile justice system, including as a form of punishment, treatment or sentencing and establishing by law safe and child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaints mechanisms to prevent and respond to incidents of violence; raising the age of criminal responsibility in line with international human rights standards; recognizing deprivation of liberty as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate time and putting in place an effective system of restorative justice and non-custodial options for children;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Second, the work conducted over the past three years has also helped to gain a better understanding of the multidimensional nature of violence and of the need to maintain a holistic view of the child when initiatives for the prevention and elimination of violence are pursued. It is critical to address the cumulative exposure of girls and boys to various manifestations of violence in different contexts, and throughout the child's life cycle. Indeed, for children at risk, violence in the home, in the school and in the community is a continuum, spilling over from one setting to another, and at times persisting across generations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 108
- Paragraph text
- Violence is a frequent dimension of children's lives. It occurs in various forms and contexts and has serious and long-lasting consequences on their well-being and development. Prevention and elimination efforts need to address those dynamics and invest in the social inclusion of girls and boys at special risk, for whom the multiple dimensions of deprivation go hand in hand with a cumulative exposure to violence. Enhancing families' capacity to protect and care for their children and preventing child abandonment and placement in residential care remain crucial dimensions of that process.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Economically advanced countries are also implementing severe cutbacks in social spending and are promoting budgetary austerity measures to reduce national debt and boost their economies. In some cases, cuts in child benefits in the area of education have hampered families' ability to buy schoolbooks and cover the cost of their children's meals and transportation, while child labour in the informal sector and in agriculture may be on the rise as a result of shrinking family income. As recently highlighted by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, increasingly difficult socioeconomic situations for families and high levels of stress and pressure can result in serious risks of domestic violence towards children and need to be carefully monitored.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms constitute another area lacking investment. Although some respondents mention the availability of helplines and police services, in most cases child-focused mechanisms either are not in place or are ill-resourced, lacking human and financial capacity to address children's concerns; in the majority of cases, national independent institutions are not available. Reporting on incidents of violence frequently remains a challenge, with very few States having issued guidance for professionals working for and with children, and only 25 per cent having clear provisions on mandatory reporting. The guiding principles and recommendations presented by the Special Representative in a previous report on this matter (A/HRC/16/56) remain fully relevant.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- [The Bali meeting adopted important policy recommendations, highlighting the following areas:] Training and guidance - Effective training should be assured to all relevant law enforcement and justice actors, including the police, prosecutors, the judiciary, probation officers, lawyers, social workers, facilitators and mediators. It should provide skills to promote dialogue, manage emotions and conflict, and secure safety of child participants; and address child rights and relevant legislation, as well as diversion, restorative justice processes and other alternative non-custodial measures. Guidelines and standard operational procedures should be developed for professionals involved in this process.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- [The Bali meeting adopted important policy recommendations, highlighting the following areas:] Coordination, adequate resources, data and research - Coordination between restorative justice service providers and justice actors should be institutionalized at the national and local levels, and close cooperation should be encouraged between relevant stakeholders. Availability of a sufficient number of well-trained professionals in the area of restorative justice should be secured. Data, research and evaluation of restorative justice programmes for children should be promoted as a critical dimension of this process to safeguard the best interests of the child at all times, promote the child's reintegration and prevent violence and recidivism.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The protection of children from enforced disappearances is a concern that was raised by the Special Representative in her field visits. To prevent and address this serious form of violence, it is critical to promote child-sensitive truth-seeking and redress measures, as well as comprehensive psychological care and support for the long-lasting reintegration of child victims. Moreover, child-friendly procedures need to be in place to secure children's genuine participation in proceedings, to support the child with information that he or she can fully understand and to prevent the risk of revictimization.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- These various concerns were given special attention in the field visits conducted by the Special Representative and will continue to be addressed in 2014.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The coordination of data sources remains challenging, with multiple institutions gathering and handling dispersed information, based on different definitions and indicators. When a central institution is in place, the information is often collected from limited sources, or only addresses some manifestations of violence or settings within which it occurs. Moreover, there is seldom regular periodicity of data-gathering efforts and lack of cooperation between statistical bodies and institutions responsible for the design and implementation of policies to protect children from violence. As a result, it is difficult to gain a holistic view of the incidence and cumulative impact of violence on children or enable the prevention of violence to have a genuine chance of succeeding.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- Economically advanced nations are also implementing severe cutbacks in social spending and promoting budgetary austerity measures to reduce national debt and strengthen their economies. In some cases, cuts in child benefits in the area of education have hampered families' ability to buy schoolbooks and cover the cost of their children's meals and transportation, while child labour in the informal sector and agriculture may be on the rise as a result of shrinking family income. As highlighted by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, increasingly difficult socioeconomic situations for families and high levels of stress and pressure can result in serious risks of domestic violence towards children and needs to be carefully monitored.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- The protection of the rights of children with disabilities was another important area of cooperation (see box VI).
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- Collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights treaty bodies and special procedures of the Human Rights Council continued to feature highly in the Special Representative's agenda. In this regard, the collaboration with the Committee on the Rights of the Child focused on the advancement of the global campaign for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child; follow-up to the Committee's concluding observations in the context of field visits; and support to the development and implementation of general comments, especially No. 15 (2013) on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health; No. 16 (2013) on State obligations regarding the impact of the business sector on children's rights; and No. 17 (2013) on the right of the child to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph