violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

“This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of violence on children.It is clear that protection of children is everyone’s responsibility.”Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director, UNICEF18An end to violence against childrentional functions. Some recommendations aredirected at the role of other partners and sectorsof society, such as civil society organisations,which are also of critical importance.Overarching recommendations1. Strengthen national and local commitmentand actionI recommend that all States develop amulti-faceted and systematic frameworkto respond to violence against childrenwhich is integrated into national planningprocesses. A national strategy, policyor plan of action on violence againstchildren with realistic and time-boundtargets, coordinated by an agency withthe capacity to involve multiple sectorsin a broad-based implementation strategy,should be formulated. Nationallaws, policies, plans and programmesshould fully comply with internationalhuman rights and current scientificknowledge. The implementation of thenational strategy, policy or plan shouldbe systematically evaluated according toestablished targets and timetables, andprovided with adequate human andfinancial resources to support its implementation.An integrated and systematic framework totackle violence against children should includecomponents to address the prevention of violencein all settings, care and rehabilitation forchild victims, awareness-raising and capacitybuilding, and research and data collection.2. Prohibit all violence against childrenI urge States to ensure that no personbelow 18 years of age should be subjectedto the death penalty and sentencesof life imprisonment without possibilityof release. I recommend that Statestake all necessary measures to immediatelysuspend the execution of all deathpenalties imposed on persons for havingcommitted a crime before the age of 18,and take the appropriate legal measuresto convert them into penalties in conformitywith international human rightsstandards. Death penalty as a sentenceimposed on persons for crimes committedbefore the age of 18 should be abolishedas a matter of highest priority.I urge States to prohibit all forms of violenceagainst children, in all settings,including all corporal punishment, harmfultraditional practices, such as early andforced marriages, female genital mutilationand so-called honour crimes, sexualviolence, torture and other cruel, inhumanor degrading punishment and treatment,as required by international treaties,including the Convention againstTorture and Other Cruel, Inhuman orDegrading Treatment or Punishmentand the Convention on the Rights of theChild. I draw attention to General CommentNo. 8 (2006) of the Committee onthe Rights of the Child on the right of thechild to protection from corporal punishmentand other cruel or degrading formsof punishment (articles 19. 28, para 2and 37, inter alia) (CRC/C/GC/8).