SRSG VAC organizes international conference on crime prevention and reintegration of children in contact with the law: contributions to the UN Global Study on children deprived of liberty

Santiago, Chile 29 November 2016 - From November 28-29, in Santiago de Chile, the “International Conference on Crime Prevention and Reintegration of Children in contact with the Law ” took place. This event was co-organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the National Council for Children of the Government of Chile; the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (SRSG VAC) and UNICEF Chile.

This event was sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) and it was designed as a concrete contribution to the elaboration of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, particularly in identifying innovative practices and policies that aim at avoiding the deprivation of children’s liberty. 

The conference was informed by national experiences on crime prevention and reintegration from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Brazil, México, Jamaica, Panamá and Uruguay. It also benefited from the contributions of leading academic and professional experts from around the world, including, Prof. Barry Goldson (University of Liverpool); Ms. Anna Giudice, United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC); Mr. Robert Muggah (Igarapé Institute, Rio de Janeiro); Ms. Esther De la Rosa (International Network of Journalists with a Gender Perspective, New York); Prof. Ton Lieffard (Leiden University); Prof. Susan McVie (University of Edinburgh); Mr. Cédric Foussard (International Juvenile Justice Observatory-IJJO); Prof. Kevin Haines (Swansea University) and; the SRSG VAC, Ms. Marta Santos Pais, among many others. 

The presentations, main conclusions and recommendations of this conference will be made available in 2017 in a publication edited by UNICEF and the Office of the SRSG VAC.

More information on this conference can be found here: justiciaadolescente.unicef.cl

SRSG VAC holds several meetings with key partners: President Michelle Bachelet joins the High Time Initiative

During her visit to Chile, the Special Representative met with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. Both Ms Santos Pais and Ms Bachelet held a conversation with boys and girls from San Joaquin, in Santiago de Chile. Children shared their views, fears and hopes about a society free from the fear of violence. After this exchange, President Bachelet, the SRSG VAC and a group of children reaffirmed their commitment towards the High Time to End Violence against children initiative.

Ms. Santos Pais was also invited to participate as the main speaker at the inauguration of the XIX Course on the Legal Protection of the Rights of the Child that is organized every year by UNICEF and Diego Portales University. On this ocassion, 64 prosecutors, defendants and lawyers from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela and Chile participated in the Course. The SRSG VAC gave a presentation on the main challenges to preventing and eradicating violence against children in the field of criminal justice.

The SRSG VAC´s visit to Chile was also an opportunity to take part in a forum with key representatives of the corporate world in the country. Ms. Santos Pais was invited to debate and discuss some of the main challenges currently faced by the Group of Companies united for children (Grupo de Empresas Unidas por la Infancia –UPPI), in the specific field of prevention of child labour and violence against children.