Actualités

New York, 27 June 2018 -  Warm thanks to each and every one of you for your strong support and critical commitment to create a world free from all forms of violence for all children in all settings. While there is still much work to be done, we are seeing important progress to better protect children in countries around the world. A few examples follow:

New York, 13 June 2018 - “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development promises to leave no one behind. International Albinism Awareness Day is an opportunity to declare solidarity with people with albinism and strive together so those who are often left furthest behind are able to live free from discrimination and fear, and empowered to enjoy their full human rights,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.  

Malta, 6 June 2018 -  High-level delegations from all regions of the world met in Malta to enhance efforts towards the prevention and elimination of the corporal punishment of children.

Convened under the patronage of the President of Malta, the High-Level Global Conference on the Universal Prohibition of Corporal Punishment was the third in a series of Ministerial meetings aimed at supporting governments in their efforts to put an end to this widespread form of violence. * 

New York, 1 June 2018 - SRSG Santos Pais congratulated the Government of Lao PDR for the launch of the findings of the Survey on Violence against Children and the multi-sectoral response plan identifying priority actions to address violence against children. The Survey findings and the Action Plan were launched by the Deputy Prime Minister, Sonxay Siphandone in Vientiane, on 1 June.

Jakarta, Indonesia 28 March 2018 - In her annual dialogue in Jakarta with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and of Children (ACWC), SRSG Santos Pais acknowledged progress made in implementation of the Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence against Children (RPA/EVAC), and the Development of the Baseline Study on national action undertaken to strengthen children’s protection from violence. 

Geneva, 9 March 2018 - “A child who has been accused of witchcraft, experiences psychological violence which can be devastating in itself,” said Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais. “But such accusations are also often associated with other forms of violence, including serious abuse tantamount to torture, sometimes leading to life-long injuries and even death.”

New York, 3 March 2018 - The gender parity threshold has been reached among United Nations senior leaders. This is historic! ” said UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais. 

“Gender parity within the UN Senior Management Group bringing together leaders of United Nations departments, offices, funds and programmes, tangibly represents the UN’s commitment to genderequality and women’s empowerment across its work and priority agenda." 

New York, 6 February 2018 - Today is an important day in our collective work and efforts to create a world free from violence for all children: 6 February 2018 marks both 'Safer Internet Day' and the ‘International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)’.

New York, 18 December 2017 - “Through my work I have had the opportunity to listen to the ordeals of so many migrant and refugee children forced to flee their homes and countries due to violence,” says Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children (SRSG-VAC). “Sadly, in too many cases, the violence they are trying to escape often accompanies them in different forms throughout their travels in search of safety.”

New York, 10 December 2017 - It is essential that human rights standards guide action, especially when children are at risk and when situations of violence can undermine their wellbeing and development. By investing in children’s rights, social progress and peace are within reach for all, stresses SRSG Santos Pais marking Human Rights Day. 

New York, 24 November 2017 - “The focus on violence against children in this year’s resolution is an encouraging reaffirmation of States’ solemn commitment to the protection of children’s rights” said SRSG Santos Pais in welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly of the 2017 resolution on the Rights of the Child. “The resolution calls for all necessary measures to prevent and address violence against children in all its forms to be put in place, and recognizes the detrimental impact it has on the enjoyment of children’s rights.

Athens (Greece) 14 November 2017 - On a three-day visit to Greece, Special Representative Santos Pais met with children living in a refugee camp in Athens, from whom she heard painful as well as inspiring stories of courage and resilience. The visit was organized in the framework of a meeting of European Independent Children’s Rights Institutions, held in Athens to identify challenges and provide recommendations for future action to ensure the safeguard of refugee and migrant children across Europe.

New York, 3 November 2017 - The new UNICEF report, “A Familiar Face: Violence in the lives of children and adolescents” makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of the root causes, scale and impact of violence in children’s lives.

New York, 11 October 2017 - A new book to honour all those who are committed to building a world free from violence, where children can grow up happy, safe, confident, cherished, nurtured and respected was launched by SRSG Santos Pais on Tuesday during the UN General Assembly segment devoted to the promotion and protection of the rights of children.

New York, 9 October 2017 - SRSG Santos Pais shared alarming data on violence against children at the presentation of her annual report to the 72nd Session of United Nations General Assembly on Monday revealing the hidden face of these violations of children’s rights  across regions.

New York, 2 October 2017 - SRSG Santos Pais warmly welcomes the ratification by a growing number of countries of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure. 36 countries have now ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol, and 51 have signed it.

New York, 26 September 2017 - The launch of the new Global Report 2017 Ending Violence in Childhood, issued on September 26 by the international learning initiative Know Violence in Childhood is an important contribution to our understanding of the scale and impact of violence in childhood based on a critical review of research and data from across regions.

Warsaw (Poland) 19 September 2017 - SRSG Santos Pais joined the 8th International Janus Korczak Child Rights Congress in Warsaw as keynote speaker on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the last road of Janusz Korczak and children from the Orphans Home in Warsaw. 
 
The session was hosted by the University Maria Grzegorzewska in cooperation with the Office of the Ombudsman for Children in Poland, and brought together child rights experts and academia from around the world.
 

New York, 8 September 2017 - To promote the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, the President of the General Assembly hosted a High Level Forum “Sowing the Seeds of the Culture of Peace: Early Childhood Development is the Beginning”, at UN Headquarters, New York.

New York, 21 July 2017 - SRSG Santos Pais welcomes the greater visibility given to the promotion and protection of children’s rights, including their right to freedom from all forms of violence, in the Ministerial Declaration of the 2017 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

New York, 16 June 2017 - The Special Representative welcomes the 2017 theme for the Day of the African Child (DAC) on accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunities for all children in Africa by 2030.

New York, 13 June 2017 - Attacks against children with albinism are not limited by geographic borders. In many countries, particularly in Africa, children with albinism are often perceived as ghosts, a curse, a cause of shame to the family, and a misfortune to the community. Social and structural discrimination condemns these children to a position of extreme vulnerability and to tolerance of violence against them simply because they look different.

New York, 24 May 2017 - SRSG Santos Pais joined partners in the launch of a new study, the first of its kind to review Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations to end violence against children. The report Counting Pennies highlights that in 2015, total ODA spending to address violence against children amounts to less than US$1.1 billion – or 0.6 per cent of total ODA.

New York, 18 May 2017 -  I am delighted to add my support to the Panama Declaration on Ending Violence against Children adopted by over five hundred faith leaders from 70 countries at the 5th Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC).
 

New York, 18 April 2017 - SRSG Santos Pais welcomes the passing in Malaysia of the Sexual Offences against Children Bill 2017 - The new law provides for stronger legal protection for children from sexual abuse and exploitation, including a clause that criminalises the grooming of children and significant provisions concerning child sexual abuse material. The new legislation also acknowledges children as competent witnesses in sexual crime cases.

São Paulo, Brazil 4 April 2017 – SRSG Santos Pais joined leaders from business, government, civil society and academia at the 9th Global Child Forum in São Paulo Brazil. The Forum was devoted to the theme “investing in every child” aimed at identifying and sharing good practices to address some of the most pressing challenges facing children in the South American region.

SRSG Santos Pais called on the private sector to promote innovation and creativity in the protection of children’s rights.

Vatican City, 18 March 2017 – In a private audience at the Apostolic Palace, SRSG Santos Pais met with Pope Francis to enhance cooperation in children's protection from violence.

Geneva, 11 March 2011 - At a special event held during the current meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today, UN experts called for better data and research on violence against children in order to strengthen government action for prevention and response to violence, including legislative reform to prohibit it in all its forms.

Jakarta (Indonesia) 1 March 2017 - Meeting with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children (ACWC), SRSG Santos Pais noted the important foundation provided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action to End Violence against Children, adopted at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015 for translating into reality the ambitious goal of building a world free from fear and from violence for all children.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), 25 February, 2017 – SRSG Santos Pais has concluded a three day visit to Malaysia with her participation as key note speaker in the national Forum on Violence-free Early Childhood. The Forum was organized by the Early Childhood Care and Education Council of Malaysia and UNICEF and brought together more than 150 policy makers, early childhood educators, academia, parents, caregivers and other key stakeholders in Malaysia to discuss strategies for creating a violence-free environment for young children.

New York, 27 January 2017 - The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises children as essential agents of change who will channel their infinite capacities for the creation of a better and more inclusive world, a world in which every child grows up free from fear and from violence. Investment in children is crucial to sustain peace and development, and build peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

New York, 13 January 2017 - Children’s protection from violence is a legal and ethical imperative and it is also a distinct priority in the global sustainable development agenda. Ensuring progress in implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda targets on violence against children needs to be at the heart of the policy agenda of every nation. But to achieve this goal, leadership and accountability are of the essence and in all actions it is vital to honour the pledge of leaving no child behind.

New York, 28 December 2016 - SRSG Santos Pais commends the French parliament for passing the Equality and Citizenship bill which promotes the ending of violence against children including corporal punishment.

On Thursday, 22 December, a final vote was taken on Article 68 of the “Egalité et Citoyenneté” (Equality and Citizenship) bill, which states that the exercise of parental authority must exclude "any cruel, degrading or humiliating treatment, including corporal punishment".

New York, 6 December 2016 - SRSG Santos Pais welcomes the release of the first national survey on violence against children by the Philippine Council for the Welfare of Children and UNICEF. Though deeply saddened by the details of the data, which reveals that 8 in 10 children in the Philippines suffer some form of violence in childhood, the SRSG commends the Government for conducting this ground-breaking survey and committing to a policy response.

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.

New York, 18 November 2016 - On the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, SRSG Santos Pais highlighted the central role of States, as well as families, teachers, law enforcement officials and other community members to raise awareness and mobilize action to end the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

New York, 15 November 2016 - SRSG Santos Pais welcomes the Call to Action to End Crimes and Extreme Violence against Children adopted by the International Policy Conference on the Rights of the Child, organized by the African Child Policy Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

New York, 2 November 2016 - SRSG Santos Pais met with a delegation from the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to exchange information on their respective priorities and to identify opportunities for enhancing collaboration.

Malawi, 28 October 2016 - On her second visit to Malawi, the Special Representative met senior government officials, traditional leaders, and representatives from civil society and development agencies to support national efforts to end violence against children, including harmful practices. The visit provided a strategic opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the policy agenda developed by the Government in response to the findings of the survey on violence against children launched last year.

New York, 24 October 2016 - Armed violence in the community compromises children’s rights and is associated with serious risks for their development and safety, causing children to be injured, disabled, traumatized, exploited, orphaned, imprisoned and at times killed.

On 19 October, SRSG Santos Pais, launched her new report on Protecting children from Armed Violence in the Community on the occasion of Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development held in Quito.

New York, 12 October 2016 - Speaking today at the presentation of the recently published Secretary-General’s report on the protection of children from bullying to the General Assembly, SRSG Santos Pais outlines both the progress that has been made at a global level in tackling this form of violence against children and the substantial challenges that remain.

Geneva, 29 September 2016 - The Special Representative joined the Working Group on Children and Violence of Child Rights Connect, a wide group of civil society organizations, and the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children in a panel discussion to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the UN Study on Violence against Children on the margins of the 33rd Session of the Human Rights Council on 27 September in Geneva. The event was co-sponsored by the Governments of Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden and Uruguay.

New York, 21 Septmeber 2016 - A new Global Alliance to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour was launched today at a side event of the 71st UN General Assembly in New York. SDG Alliance 8.7 builds on the momentum created by the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and brings together all key stakeholders to focus efforts on the eradication of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of all forms of child labour.

New York, 8 September 2016 - Progress in implementation of the Agenda 2030 targets on violence against children needs to be at the heart of the policy agenda of every nation, urges SRSG Santos Pais 

New York, 8 August 2016 - On the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, SRSG Santos Pais welcomes this year’s focus on the right to education.

Luxembourg, 15 July 2016 - SRSG Santos Pais joined the launch of the Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, an initiative promoted by ECPAT Luxembourg and ECPAT International.

Ha Noi (Viet Nam), 22 June 2016 – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, has concluded a three day visit to Viet Nam, welcoming significant developments and calling on the government, civil society and all stakeholders for strong collaboration and action to eliminate violence against children.

New York, 16 June 2016 -Conflict and crisis in Africa have a devastating impact on children’s right to life, the right to live in a family environment, the right to protection from violence, the right to health and education and the right to survival and development.

Regardless of whether in times of conflict or in times of peace, children have the right to protection from violence wherever they may be and to grow up in a safe and supportive environment in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.

Vienna (Austria) 4 June 2016 - Governments from over 70 countries, many represented at ministerial level, met last week in Vienna to reflect on strategies to prevent and eliminate the corporal punishment of children.

Joint statement by the Special Representative of Children and Armed Conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children and the Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

New York/Geneva, 25 May 2016 –Universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC) and on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC) is closer than ever, UN experts have said.

Buenos Aires (Argentina) 20 May 2016 - On 19 and 20 May the International Seminar "Monitoring and supervision of centres of deprivation of liberty for children" was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This activity was co-organized by UNICEF Argentina and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children (SRSG VAC) as a contribution to the preparation of the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty requested by the UN Secretary General.

Florence 10 May 2016 - SRSG Santos Pais convened a consultation with experts from around the world on the prevention and elimination of bullying and cyberbullying in preparation of the Report of the Secretary-General on Protecting Children from Bullying, called for by General Assembly resolution 69/158. Hosted with UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, the consultation took place in Florence on 9-10 May.

New York, 14 April 2016 - Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, welcomes the recent accession by the United Arab Emirates to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.    

New York, 18 March 2016 - The adoption of these two new laws is critical to secure children’s rights and very especially children’s right to protection from all forms of violence in all settings, including corporal punishment within the family. This is a significant step for Mongolia and constitutes an important reference for developments in other nations in the Eastern and South Eastern Asia region" stressed SRSG Santos Pais.   

Geneva, 9 March 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon supported the launch of the High Time to End Violence against Children Initiative on Wednesday 9 March. In his message to the participants, the Secretary-General stressed that every child has the right to freedom from all forms of violence.

Geneva, 8 March 2016 -SRSG Santos Pais presented her annual report to the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, 8 March 2016.

In her presentation, SRSG Santos Pais celebrated progress in the promotion of children’s protection from violence through legislation highlighting that the number of countries across regions with a comprehensive legal ban on violence had more than tripling.

New York, 2 March 2016 -The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais welcomes the coming into effect on 1 March 2016 of the new Anti-Family Violence Law of the People’s Republic of China. The new law is a significant milestone in the recognition, prevention and response to violence against children, including within the family.

Jakarta, Indonesia 19 February 2016 - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais has completed a mission to Indonesia during which she met Vice-President Jusuf Kalla and other senior officials of the Government of Indonesia, including Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Yohana Yembise, and Education Minister Anies Baswedan to discuss efforts towards protecting children from all forms of violence.

New York 9 February 2016 - Speaking on the occasion of Safer Internet Day, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, renewed her call to ensure that the empowerment of children is at the heart of building a safer and more inclusive Internet:

New York, 4 February 2016 - "I warmly welcome today's ratification by Italy of this important child rights treaty. With this significant step, 25 countries have now ratified the the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure and 50 have signed it." said Marta Santos Pais at the signing ceremony.

 The Protocol allows children to bring complaints to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on violations of their rights.  

New York, 10 December 2015 - SRSG Santos Pais warmly welcomes the adoption by the National Congress of Peru of a new law to secure children’s protection from violence on the occasion of the celebration of International Human Rights Day (December 10, 2015).

New York, 20 November 2015 - The Universal Children’s Day is dedicated to promoting the well-being and human rights of the world’s children, especially those suffering the impacts of poverty, armed conflict, discrimination and exploitation.  The date of the observance -- 20 November -- marks the day on which, in 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

New York, 11 November 2015 - “Today, Ireland has taken a decisive step towards the elimination of all forms of violence against children. By abolishing the common law defence of reasonable chastisement, the Houses of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) have made an unequivocal statement: children’s dignity and physical integrity enjoy the effective protection of the law.

Buenos Aires, 5 November 2015 - During a three-day visit to Argentina, SRSG Santos Pais met with Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, 1980 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President of the Association Peace and Justice Service. 

At the meeting, SRSG Santos Pais and Mr. Pérez Esquivel discussed the promotion of Human Rights and protection of children from violence, namely of children and young people involved with the criminal justice system in the Latin America Region.

New York 16 October 2015 - In a high-level panel discussion, co-organized with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Governments of Austria, Chile, Norway and Thailand, SRSG Santos Pais launched a new study on the critical role of criminal justice systems to prevent incidents of violence against girls, bring perpetrators to justice, and ensure recovery and social reintegration for victims.

New York, 8 October 2015 -In the course of the annual meeting of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC), SRSG Marta Santos Pais and ENOC further enhanced their strategic collaboration to prevent and address all forms of violence against children.

New York, 25 September 2015 - As from today, ending violence against children is part of the 2030 sustainable development agenda! We want to celebrate this historic moment with governments, organisations and individuals that have made this possible and call on each and every one of them to keep this commitment at the heart of their work, and to translate it into tangible change for children the world over.

New York, 11 September 2015 - The 2015 annual report of the SRSG-VAC to the UN General Assembly highlights the continuing toll that violence takes on the lives of children around the world and calls for urgent and enhanced efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against children.

New York, 2 September 2015 - SRSG Santos Pais joins UNICEF and UN Women in welcoming the decision made by Senior Chief Kachindamoto to annul 330 child marriages in Malawi.

Geneva/New York, 5 August 2015 – The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children have condemned the execution in Pakistan of Shafqat Hussein, who was reportedly 14 years old when he was convicted of murder.

“The execution of Shafqat Hussein is regrettable and in flagrant contravention of Pakistan’s national and international obligations,” said Committee Chair Benyam Dawit Mezmur.

Addis Ababa, 13 July 2015 - SRSG Santos Pais co-hosted with Unicef an event at the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where a Global Partnership and associated Fund to end violence against children was announced. This new initiative seeks to mobilize the resources needed to deliver on Target 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Agenda (SDG) to “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.”

Tegucigalpa (Honduras), 8 July 2015 - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, in cooperation with UNICEF and the Government of Honduras, convened an International Expert Consultation on Children’s Right to Protection from Armed Violence in the Community. Held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the meeting gathered representatives from national governments, UN agencies, regional organizations, research institutions and civil society; as well as children and young people.

New York 16 June 2015 - 25 years after the adoption of the African Children’s Charter, millions of children, particularly girls, continue to suffer from many forms of violence, including harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage. As we all know, this practice has devastating consequences on the child’s life, health, development, education and protection.

New York/Geneva, 22 May 2015 – On Monday, 25th May, the world celebrates the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC) and on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC).

Nadi, Fiji 20 May 2015 – SRSG Santos Pais praised Pacific leaders for their strong commitment to reduce the high rates of violence against children reported in the region.

During a three-day conference in Fiji that brought policy makers, civil society groups and government leaders from 13 Pacific countries together to discuss more effective ways to address violence against children in the region, Special Representative Santos Pais outlined an agenda to reverse a global, widespread, hidden and in many cases socially condoned pattern.

New York / Geneva 13 May 2015 –Speaking ahead of the International Dayagainst Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, a group of United Nations and international human rights experts* call for an end to discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex young people and children.

Santiago (Chile) 1 May 2015 - SRSG Santos Pais participated in Chile in High level Meetings for the development of comprehensive legislation for the protection of children's rights, including a legal prohibition of all forms of violence against children. The legislation will be supported by a national policy framework to advance effective implementation.

New York, 2 April 2015 - The National Institute of Human Rights of Chile, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the Regional Office for South America of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNICEF welcome the decision by the Senate of Chile to unanimously approve the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which will soon enter into force.

Geneva 10 March 2015 - On the occasion of the Human Rights Council session, the SRSG joined a side event with the theme "2015 : towards better investment in the rights of the child" organised by the Working Group on Violence Against Children of Child Rights Connect.

The event aimed at stressing the importance of ensuring that prevention, protection and action to end violence against children becomes a priority in the post-2015 development agenda. 

Geneva 9 March 2015 - Jointly organised by the SRSG on violence against children and the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution, the event explored children’s engagement with ICTs and the opportunities and risks that this represents for children’s rights. Sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, the event focused on ICTs and violence against children, in particular on-line sexual exploitation.

Jakarta, Indonesia 27 February 2015 - During her visit this week to Jakarta, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Ms Marta Santos Pais, congratulated the Government of Indonesia for addressing violence against children in its new National Medium Term Development Plan (2015 – 2019).

“Violence against children is a global phenomenon. It happens in all countries and in all groups of society - including in Indonesia. It’s often hidden in plain sight, and in many cases socially condoned,” Ms. Santos Pais said. 

Geneva, 28 January 2015 -"Restorative justice represents a paradigm shift in the way we envisage the justice system and its role in the safeguard of children's rights. Guided by the child's dignity and best interests, based on dialogue, negotiation and problem solving, restorative justice moves away from retributive and punitive approaches and focus on reparation and children's reintegration," stressed the SRSG in her statement to the Congress.

Brasília, 12 December 2014 – Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children Marta Santos Pais joined in Brasilia the XXI Pan American Congress on Children and Adolescents, devoted to “Childhood and Adolescence: Building environments of peace.”

New York, 20 November 2014 - Today as the world celebrates the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we reflect on its continuing relevance and how far its solemn promises are being kept. In 1989, a compelling vision for a better world for children was carefully and comprehensively set out in the Convention’s 54 articles and embraced by the international community. The world has changed immensely since 1989 but the ethos of the Convention endures.

Warsaw, Poland 11 November 2014 -The Special Representative of the Secretary General on violence against children Marta Santos Pais joined this week the commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Poland.  

Vientiane, 23 October 2014 – During her visit to Lao PDR, SRSG Santos Pais met with H. E. Pany Yathotou, President of the National Assembly, to discuss the important work taking place on the development of a new Law on Violence against Women and Children in Lao PDR.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 22 October 2014 - SRSG Santos Pais initiated today a three-day visit to Cambodia to participate in the launch of the findings of a survey conducted in 2013 on violence against children across the country. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 22th, in Phnom Penh.

New York, 16 October 2014 - More than 800.000 children were involved in the numerous consultations held across the world on the future sustainable development goals. The report just launched by SRSG Santos Pais in New York captures the richness of children’s opinions and their recommendations for the future. “The message from the children involved in the consultations has been clear and unambiguous: violence is a major obstacle to child development and it urgently needs to be brought to an end!” - she said.

New York 15 October 2014 - SRSG Santos Pais presented her annual report in an interactive dialogue with the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.

"25 years after its adoption, the CRC is as relevant as it was in 1989. Despite important progress achieved in many regards, fear and pain continue to haunt the lives of millions of children. For these children, the convention is a broken promise." - she said.

Kingston, 1 July 2014 - Acting as a bridge-builder between regions, the SRSG convenes each year a Cross-Regional Round Table on violence against children. This important annual forum enables regional organizations and institutions to assess progress achieved, reflect on trends and common concerns, share planned initiatives and identify opportunities for cross-regional cooperation.

This year and for the first time, the Round Table also addressed a priority area of common concern: the prevention and elimination of violence in early childhood.

New York, 26 June 2014 - SRSG Santos Pais welcomes the enactment by President Dilma Rousseff of Law 13.010 which recognizes the right of the child to be cared for and educated without any form of corporal punishment or degrading treatment. The new law was enacted enters into force on 26 June 2014.

New York, 5 June 2014 - The Brazilian Senate approved a new law prohibiting all forms of corporal punishment against children.

Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) 23 May 2014 -  Participating in the Commission on Security of the Central American Integration System (SICA), SRSG Santos Pais welcomed progress achieved in many Central American countries in ensuring the protection of children from violence through legislative reforms, the adoption of national integrated policy frameworks, the strengthening of institutions and a process of public information, communication and social mobilization.

New York, 17 April 2014 - The declaration, adopted during the last session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, urges “Member States to combat child marriage through setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 years for both girls and boys without exception, including establishing an effective mechanism for registration of birth, marriage and termination of marriage”. 

Trebnje (Slovenia) 8 April 2014 - SRSG Santos Pais joined the celebration of the International Roma Day participating in an event organized with the Roma community in Trebnje, in Slovenia.

The event in which Roma young children and their families took active part, marked the launch of the process of regularization of housing for the members of this community.

New York, 19 March 2014 - The Office of the Special Representative on Violence against Children is developing a web tool for children to provide a platform for children to share and access resources for/by children about ending and preventing violence (a sort of ‘clearinghouse’ of resources). An online survey for children has been developed to help  gain a better understanding of how children currently use and access resources and what kind of online tool could be most useful to them.

New York, 14 January 2014 -  The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Ms. Marta Santos Pais welcomes the ratification by Costa Rica1 of the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure which paves the way to the historic entry into force of the Protocol on 14 April 2014.

Brasilia (Brazil) 13 December 2013 - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Ms. Marta Santos Pais, addressed the World Forum on Human Rights in which more than 9000 participants from around the world took part. The World Forum was convened by the Government of Brazil to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

New Delhi (India) 25 October 2013 - We, the delegations of the governments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vietnam committed to the promotion of child rights in our South-South cooperation agenda; the development of

New York, 11 October 2013 - The III Global Conference on Child Labour, held in Brasilia from 8 to 10 October, took stock of the progress made since The Hague Global Child Labour Conference 2010, assessed remaining obstacles and agreed on measures to strengthen actions to eliminate the worst forms of child labour by 2016, as well as to eradicate all forms of child labour.

New York, 23 Septemeber 2013 - The SRSG annual report to the General Assembly marks the start of a new phase.

San José (Costa Rica) 11 September 2013 - Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children Ms. Marta Santos Pais joined a Global Youth Summit on the use of new technologies, in which more than 700 youth leaders from different parts of the world and over 3000 online participants took part. Held from 9 to 11 September, 2013, the Summit was convened by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and hosted in San Jose by the Government of Costa Rica.

New Yor, 8 July 2013 - "Across the world, violence affects millions of children who are working, both legally and illegally. Violence against children and child labour are closely related. Violence in the home, at school or in institutions can push children into child labour. For them, work becomes a way to survive, even if it is hazardous or exploitative.

Washington DC 21 June 2013 -  The Rapporteur on the Rights of Children of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Rosa María Ortiz, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos País, agreed to strengthen their cooperation and to develop joint activities to prevent and eradicate violence against children and adolescents.

San Salvador (El Salvador) 14 June 2013 - On June 2013, the Special Representative held a high-level meeting with SICA, the Central America Integration System, in El Salvador, to discuss strategic areas of cooperation on children’s protection from violence, and to promote the mainstreaming of this concern in SICA´s agenda. The promotion of the rule of law, restorative juvenile justice programs, and public policies for violence prevention were identified as key priority areas of collaboration between the two entities.

New York, 12 June 2013 - On World Day against Child Labour, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, called on all governments, civil society and the public to join efforts in the fight against child domestic labour.

Oslo (Norway) 26 May 2013 - From 23 to 27 of May the Special Representative conducted an official visit to Norway. The visit took place on the occasion of the Parliament’s review of the governmental White Paper on violence in the family and in close relations. The White Paper, developed by the Ministries for Children, Health and Justice provides a significant evidence base to inform more targeted and effective prevention and services to those affected by violence in the family and close relations, including vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

Malé (Maldives) 8 May 2013 - 

In a five-day visit to the Maldives, SRSG Marta Santos Pais expressed her support to national efforts to address concerns about a young girl of 15 years of age victim of sexual abuse and sentenced to flogging, whose case has received worldwide attention and whose protection remains a serious concern.

Vienna (Austria) 24 April 2013 - A side event on the crucial issue of violence against children in the criminal justice system took place during the 22nd Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Speakers view the UN's standard and norms in the area of crime prevention and criminal justice as offering strong support to children, but they also expressed fear that violence against children increases the likelihood of further violence.

New York, 25 March 2013 - SRSG Santos Pais joined high-level Government officials, UNICEF and civil society representatives in a strong call for the inclusion of children protection from violence as a key dimension in the post 2015 development agenda.

Geneva, 8 March 2013 - In the annual full day meeting on the rights of the child, the Human Rights Council focused on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health. The meeting included discussions on the challenges in achieving the full realization of the universal right to health and focused on strengthening the implementation of the right of the child to health and on accountability mechanisms that need to be in place to ensure that Member States comply with their human rights obligations.

New York, 28 February 2013 - SRSG Marta Santos Pais called for the rapid entry into force of the Protocol in her address at the event “Making Children’s Voices a Reality: Mobilizing States toward Ratification of the Third Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”.

Ankara (Turkey) 28 November 2012 - SRSG Santos Pais joined high-level governmental officials and leading child rights experts from across Europe in the conference “Stepping up Progress in Combating Violence against Children”, held in Ankara, Turkey.

The event was organized by the Government of Turkey, the Council of Europe and UNICEF, in collaboration with the SRSG on Violence against Children.

San José (Costa Rica) 1 November 2012 - SRSG Marta Santos Pais was a keynote speaker at the XVII Annual Session of the Iberoamerican Federation of Ombudsman held in San Jose, Costa Rica on October 24 and 25 with representatives of institutions from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

New York, 17 October, 2012 – SRSG Santos Pais welcomed the strong normative human rights foundation for safeguarding the rights of indigenous children at a side event co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Uruguay and European Union to the United Nations with the support of World Vision, Plan International and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

New York 11 October 2012 - As the world came together to commemorate the first International Day of the Girl Child, the Special Representative on Violence against Children, the Government of Angola and Plan International co-organized an interactive panel discussion on protecting children from harmful practices in plural legal systems, where national legislation is in place alongside customary and religious laws.

New York, 2 October 2012 - Forty States either signed or ratified international treaties on a range of issues, from protecting children from violence to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, during the annual high-level event that accompanies the opening of the United Nations General Assembly.

New York, 24 September 2012 - The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, welcomed today the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, by Indonesia, deposited by the Foreign Minister, Dr. Natalegawa. The event was hosted by Patricia O'Brien, Under Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the UN Legal Counsel.

Lima (Peru) 28 August 2012 - The question of violence against young children took center-stage at an expert consultation organized by the SRSG on Violence against Children, the Government of Peru, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, UNICEF and the Global Movement for Children of Latin America and the Caribbean. The consultation included the participation of leading policy and academic institutions, government representatives, international experts and children and adolescents from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.

New York, 9 August 2012 - The past years have been marked by a strengthening of the rights of indigenous peoples, including the rights of indigenous children. Together with other international standards, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols remain a crucial reference in this regard. The new third Optional Protocol to the Convention on a Communications Procedure will allow children to bring complaints to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

New York, 22 June 2011 - The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children warmly welcomes the adoption by the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) of a new international convention which will contribute to improving the working conditions of domestic workers worldwide, and which will protect children from fallin

Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) 14 June 2012 - Law Reform, community dialogue and social mobilization are key strategies to prevent and promote the abandonment of harmful practices against children these were crucial strategies identified by the International Expert Consultation held in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, hosted by the SRSG on Violence against Children and Plan International, and co-organized with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF, the NGO Council on Violence against Children and the Afri

Dublin (Ireland) 12 June 2012 - The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Marta Santos Pais left Dublin this evening at the end of a two day visit to participate in an international jury to oversee the design competition of a memorial to victims of childhood abuse in institutions in Ireland.  The commissioning of a memorial was recommended by the Ryan Report. The jury is expected to deliver its recommendations to the Minister for Education and Skills Mr Ruairi Quinn T.D. shortly.

Kingston (Jamaica) 15 May 2012 - Today, we the delegates present to you our declaration first because we would like to think of it as strategy to get you to listen to what we have to say before you formulate the plans you have for us. This would further concrete the reason as to why you are here to first ask us what we think as opposed to you planning and deciding and then asking. Therefore we would like to present our points and hope that our voices won’t be left in this conference room.

Vienna (Austria) 30 April 2012 - The SRSG on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, participated in the 21st Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice that took place in Vienna.

The SRSG emphasized the importance of a juvenile justice system based on the respect of the rights of the child for the prevention and elimination of incidents of violence against children.

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.

Geneva, 6 March 2012 - Within the framework of the debate on the Rights of the Child in the Human Rights Council, the Office of the SRSG, with the support of the Government of Norway and in cooperation with the Council of Europe, Plan International and Child Helpline International, organized a panel discussion on Protecting children from violence in school – Bridging the gap between standards and practice. The event took place at the Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Room XXVII, on 6 March at 1.00pm.

New York, 28 February 2012 - The SRSG welcomes the strong political support to the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on a Communications procedure expressed during the signing ceremony that took place today in Geneva.

This new Protocol will allow children to bring complaints to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

New York, 15 February 2012 - The strategy on the Rights of the Child 2012-15 proposes a vision for the Council of Europe’s role and action in this field, taking into account the progress achieved during the two previous policy cycles (the latest one referred to as the Stockholm Strategy), the needs expressed by governments and the challenges identified by the international community.

New York, 9 Feburary 2012 - The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure which was adopted at the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, will be open for signature at a signing ceremony to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28 February 2012 and thereafter at United Nations Headquarters.

Paris (France) 26 January 2012 - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children participated in an international colloquium on extreme poverty and violence, which was organized by the International Movement ATD Fourth World with support from UNESCO, in Paris, France.

Vienna (Austria) 24 January 2012 - UN partners based in Vienna, New York and Geneva convened an Expert Consultation on the prevention of and responses to violence against children within the juvenile justice system.

Bangkok (Thailand) 11 January 2011 - On her way to meet with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children’ in the Philippines, Ms Santos Pais visited the UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok to speak to colleagues from regional UN agencies, NGOs and interested embassy representatives about pressing child protection issues and childrens’ right to freedom from violence.

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.

New York, 19 October 2011 - Representatives of MERCOSUR, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and of the Government of the Dominican Republic, alongside the Latin America and the Caribbean Movement for Children (MMI LAC) gathered in New York in an event organized with the SRSG on Violence against Children on protection of children from violence.

New York, 26 September 2011 - The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, welcomes the recent ratifications by New Zealand and San Marino of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

New York, 2 August 2011 - The second annual report of the SRSG to the General Assembly is available.

Geneva, 7 July 2011 - On 6 and 7 July 2011, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children (SRSG), Ms. Marta Santos Pais, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the International NGO Advisory Council on Violence against Children, hosted an expert consultation on law reform in Geneva.

New York, 21 June 2011 -  "The adoption by the Human Rights Council of a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child is an historical and commendable decision.

The new protocol will enable children to challenge the violation of their human rights and will consolidate the international system of acountability for human rights.

New York, 9 June 2011 - In a joint statement with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children, UNICEF Pakistan today welcomed the Government of Pakistan’s move to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

New York 16 May 2011 - Representatives of Finland, Mauritius and Pakistan announced their countries' intention to ratify the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography in the near future.

New York, 12 April 2011 - Open Letter:

Across the world millions of street children face a daily struggle of abuse, hunger and exclusion as the international community fails to realise their rights.

In India alone there are an estimated 11 million children living on the streets with no access to the most basic of living conditions, whilst in Rwanda 93% of street girls surveyed are reported rape victims.

New York, 28 February 2011 - The Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Ms. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio joined forces with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children, Marta Santos Pais, at a UN panel discussion in New York.

Both high officials are avid campaigners for children’s rights. In her speech, Ms. de Boer-Buquicchio called for an urgent action to eliminate all forms of sexual violence against children.

Amman 21 December 2010 - Participants at an Arab conference on children’s rights today adopted a declaration calling for further action to protect children and promote their rights.

Kathmandu (Nepal) 10 November 2010 - The first meeting of the governing body of the South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC) was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the participation of the SRSG on Violence
against Children.

Marta Santos Pais congratulated the members of the Board for the historic step for South Asia’s commitment to prevent and address all forms of violence against children.