Centro-American Governments adopt a regional political declaration to prevent and address violence against children

Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) 2 December 2011 - Authorities from Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Dominican Republic, gathered  in Santo Domingo in a regional follow-up meeting to the UN Study on Violence against Children, adopted a strategic declaration to promote progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Study.

As highlighted by the Santo Domingo Declaration, “the elimination of violence against children constitutes a major challenge requiring a sustained, continuous and coordinated effort from all stakeholders including Governmental institutions, Legislative bodies, civil society, international organizations, independent institutions of Human Rights and children and adolescents”.

The Santo Domingo Declaration will be complemented by a regional roadmap which will frame the development of national strategies to prevent and address violence against children.

Participating in the closing session, children called for the protection of children from violence and for the prevention of the criminalization of children and adolescents.

The regional meeting was hosted by the Government of the Dominican Republic and organized with the support of the Global Movement for Children, in collaboration with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations on Violence against Children.

It counted on the active participation of representatives of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, international and regional organizations, and national institutions, representatives of civil society as well as children and adolescents from participating countries.