violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

“Violence can be prevented... A wide range of positive strategies are available to help societies reduceviolence. These include: training and supporting new parents; helping children learn social skills;assisting communities to control the availability of alcohol; increasing incentives for young peopleto complete their studies; enhancing services for victims of violence; and strengthening policies thatpromote gender, social and economic equality.”The late Lee Jong-wook, Former Director-General, WHO, 20058Ending violence against children is a matter ofurgency. Children cannot afford for this Studyto be merely one more report that gathers duston shelves around the world. Action to implementthe recommendations must begin immediately.The core message of the Study is thatno violence against children is justifiable; allviolence against children is preventable. Thereshould be no more excuses or delays: the problemis out in the open, the obligations of Governmentsare clear, and the means to deal withit are known, affordable, and available.Governments are ultimately responsible forthe protection of children. It is therefore up toGovernments to act now, to fulfil their humanrights obligations and other commitments, toensure the protection of children from all formsof violence. But Governments cannot do thejob alone. All sectors of society, all individuals,share the responsibility of condemning and preventingviolence against children and respondingto the predicament of child victims.REFERENCES1 United Nations Secretary-General (2006). Report ofthe Independent Expert for the United Nations Study onViolence against Children. Promotion and protectionof the rights of children. United Nations GeneralAssembly, Sixty-first session. A/61/299.2 United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violenceagainst Children (2006). Outcome Report: Middle Eastand North Africa (MENA) Regional Consultation onViolence against Children: Follow-up Consultation. 25–28March 2006. Egypt, National Council for Motherhoodand Childhood.3 Council of Europe (2006). Building a Europe for andwith Children. Council of Europe. Available at: http://www.coe.int/t/transversalprojects/children/.quotesIUnited Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violenceagainst Children (2005). Statement by Childrenand Young People. Young People’s Forum, RegionalConsultation: South Asia, p 3. Available at: www.violencestudy.org/r27.355The way forward“We urge you to activate these recommendations and others made by children in previous consultationsand to involve us when designing actions on violence against girls and boys in each countryand region.”Children’s statement, Young People’s Forum, South Asia, 2005 I