Human Rights Council Session: SRSG Santos Pais calls for sustainable and effective action to address violence against children

Geneva, 9 March 2015 -  "The elimination of violence against children cannnot be a dream of a few, it needs to be a cause for all", SRSG Santos Pais urged the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

SRSG Santos Pais presented in Geneva her annual report to the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council and participated in various debates and events taking place during this week, particularly focused on children’s rights and their protection from violence.

Santos Pais called governments and partners to:

Urgently address the many persisting violations of children’s rights to protection from violence including by capitalizing upon the progress achieved in many countries (see the Global Survey Toward a world free from violence against Children);
Ensure that Violence against Children remains a distinct priority and a cross-cutting concern in the Post-2015 Global development agenda;
Support the development of a safe, inclusive and empowering digital agenda for children;
Prevent and eliminate violence against children in contact with the justice system and pay particular attention to the situation of girls within the criminal justice system.

The Human Rights Council session included several important debates:

A debate with SRSG Marta Santos Pais following her presentation of her annual report (see report and webcast of the event)

A debate with Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, following the presentation of his report particularly focusing on torture and ill-treatment of children deprived of liberty (see report and webcast)

A debate with the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict following presentation of her annual report (link to report and webcast)

The annual full-day meeting on the Rights of the Child, this year devoted to the theme “Towards better investment in the rights of the child” (link to programme and webcast)

The “Children’s Rights week” in Geneva is also the opportunity to have informal discussions with experts and partners on priority themes through the organization of side-events. SRSG Santos Pais was a panelist in the following events:

“A call for a safe, inclusive and empowering on-line environment for children”, jointly organised by the SRSG on Violence against Children and the Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Exploitation and Child Pornography;

“Children deprived of Liberty, a global perspective”, organised by the NGO Panel for the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty;

 “Investing in Prevention to End Violence against Children: An Imperative for Post-2015 Sustainable Development” , organised by Child Rights Connect, Working Group on Children and Violence

 In Geneva, Santos Pais met the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, chaired the UN Inter Agency working group on Violence against Children,  held meetings with member States as well as with NGOs, including the International NGO Council and the NGO Working group on children and violence of Child Rights Connect.