SRSG Santos Pais welcomes the designation of Manfred Nowak to lead the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty

New York, 25 October 2016 - “I want to express my strong commitment to work closely with the Independent Expert to prevent children’s deprivation of liberty and to safeguard their rights and ensure the effective reintegration of those placed in detention. I am confident that the work promoted by Mr. Nowak will be key to mobilize all stakeholders in advancing measures on crime prevention and on building evidence to prevent children's criminalization and deprivation of liberty, as well as on the protection of children from violence, on the enhancement of their access to justice, and on establishing and reinforcing child-friendly proceedings and institutions in the criminal justice system” said Ms. Santos Pais.

Special Representative Santos Pais, who chairs the UN Task Force on the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty to support the preparation of the Global Study reiterates the full support of the UN Task force to Mr. Nowak and calls on all stakeholders to join this critical endeavour.

Mr. Nowak is a professor of international law and human rights at the University of Vienna and Secretary-General of the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation in Venice. He was previously the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and a member of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances."

UN Secretary-General press release:

https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sg2234.doc.htm