IACHR Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Children and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children Strengthen Strategic Cooperation in the Americas

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.

In a meeting that took place June 18-19 in the IACHR headquarters, the Rapporteur and the Special Representative identified mechanisms to work jointly and complement each other in the fulfilment of their respective mandates to safeguard the right of the child to a life free of violence.

“It was a highly productive meeting in many senses. Specifically, we took significant steps to agree on cooperation and synergic mechanisms regarding our mandates, so as to make our support more effective to States in the strengthening of the systems of promotion and protection of the rights of children and adolescents in the region,” said Rapporteur Rosa María Ortiz.

“We adopted a common agenda that includes technical assistance to States and coordinated strategies of activities, joint visits, public statements about situations that might arise, and collaboration in the elaboration and dissemination of thematic reports,” indicated the Rapporteur.

In the meeting, the Rapporteur and the Special Representative welcomed the progress promoted by the countries of the region to implement the recommendations of the Global report on Violence against Children and the political declarations and regional roadmaps of South America, Central America and the Caribbean, developed in alliance with the mandate of the Special Representative.

"We encourage States to implement these instruments for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children, and to adopt urgent measures in order to respond to the magnitude and gravity of the phenomenon", said the Special Representative, Marta Santos Pais.

In addition, the Rapporteur and the Special Representative welcomed the efforts of civil society organizations, particularly those dedicated to defend the rights of children and adolescents, whose role has been crucial in the advances that have taken place; and recognized the key role of children and adolescents' organizations in the promotion of a life free of violence.

Both mandate holders participated in an expert meeting which included experts in armed violence and the rights of children and adolescents. The meeting will be a contribution to a forthcoming joint report on the protection of children from organized violence, the first activity to result from the cooperation between both mandates. The report will build on previous collaboration between the IACHR and United Nations, such as the Report on Corporal Punishment and Human Rights of Children and Adolescents and the Report on Juvenile Justice and Human Rights.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children is a global independent advocate for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. Her mandate is framed by the UN General Assembly Resolution A/62/141 and the World Report on Violence against Children. 

(Source OAS website)

Organization of American States - IACHR section website