Human Rights Council Thematic Debate on "Children and the Administration of Justice"

Geneva, 8 March 2012 - SRSG Santos Pais participated in the Thematic Debate on:"Children and the Administration of Justice" in the afternoon panel: "Children deprived of liberty and children of incarcerated parents: protection and realization of their rights".

The meeting contributed to take stock of the implementation of the Convention to achieve a better understanding of the situation of children in conflict and in contact with the law, identifying main challenges and recommendations to move forward in accordance with international standards.

The panel discussion was chaired by H.E Ms. Laura Dupuy Lasserre, President of the Human Rights Council, moderated by Mr. Sandeep Chawla, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC and counted on the participation of the following presentations and panelists: "Prevention of/and responses to violence against children within the justice system", Ms. Marta Santos Pais, UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children ; "Children of incarcerated parents in developing countries, Ms. Rani Shankardass, Secretary-General of Penal Reform and Justice Association (PRAJA), India; "Conditions of detention", Mr. Luis Pedernera, NGO - REDLAMYC (Latin American and Caribbean Network for the Defense of the Rights of the Boys, Girls and Adolescents); "Right to health in detention; mental health", Mr. Dainius Puras, Head and Professor of the Centre of Child Psychiatry and Social Pediatrics at Vilnius University, Lithuania, former member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; "Rehabilitation and reintegration into society", Mr. Abdul Manaff Kemokai, Executive Director of Defence for Children International (DCI) Sierra Leone.