Save the Children Alliance
Global Workshop on Corporal Punishment
Cairo, Egypt, 2-6 February, 2003
Session on UN study on Violence Against Children
Background:
Following its two general discussion days in 2000 and 2001 on violence against children the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has recommended an in-depth study on this theme.
The General Assembly has therefore requested the UN Secretary General to conduct such a study. The aim of the study is to advocate and end to all forms of psychical and mental violence against children. This study is expected to become at least as ambitious in its scope as the UN Study on Children in Armed Conflict in 1996. Proposed time frame of the study is 2 years.
Save the Children Alliance has agreed upon to give high priority to the study. An Alliance
Task Group has been formed comprising SC-N, SC-C, SCFUK and SC-S, with SC-S as the lead agency. The aim of this Task Group is to work solely with influencing this study on identified critical issues based on the Save the Children experiences.
The SC Alliance Task Group for the UN Study on Violence against Children would like to invite you to participate in the first formal International Alliance Workshop, following the Global Workshop on Corporal Punishment organised by the SC Alliance Task Group on Corporal Punishment, on the 6th of February 2003. Objectives and output of this workshop are outlined below.
Tentative Objectives of the Workshop day:
- Presentation of the UN study
- Discuss the establishment of an Alliance Network for co-operation/coordination, information sharing and joint advocacy campaigns within the Alliance
- Identification of areas/critical issues to be addressed within the framework of the study in addition to corporal punishment and the work/ contributions from Save the Children
- Agree on a methodology for mapping of recent and ongoing Alliance activities related to the study
Output:
- Methodology on formation of Alliance network has been established
- Possible areas of contributions by different organisations within the Alliance have been outlined
Please attached find the NGO Position Paper for this study.
We look forward to working with you on this important project.
UN Study on Violence Against Children
NGO Position Paper
April 2002
Child rights NGOs welcome the General Assembly’s request (A/Res56/138) that the Secretary General conduct an in-depth study of violence against children and view it as a unique opportunity to expose the extent of the problem and identify safeguards to better ensure protection of children from violence. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child proposed the study following its two general discussion days on violence against children in 2000 and 2001.
Child rights NGOs strongly support the Committee recommendations that the study should document as comprehensively as possible different types of violence against children - this refers to the ‘different types’ causes and impact on children, adults and societies. We agree that the study’s aim should be to make violence to children visible as an essential step towards reducing and ending it, and that it should include the development of strategies to effectively prevent and combat all forms of violence against children.
In its recommendation to the GA, the Committee states that the study “should be as thorough and influential as the report of the expert of the Secretary-General, Mrs. Graça Machel, on the impact of armed conflict on children (see A/51/306).”
In order to achieve this, we believe certain factors are critical:
1. The study should be based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international standards; and its mandate and scope should be in accordance with the Committee’s recommendations following its two general discussion days.
2. The appointment of an independent expert to lead the study – a person with a strong record in children’s rights who is well respected and able to serve as a public advocate for the study, and for children affected by violence.
3. The establishment of a separate secretariat for the study led by the independent expert and sufficiently funded to carry out its task. An independent secretariat would facilitate the contributions of partners and provide a single focal point for experts and NGOs.
4. The meaningful involvement of children in the study and in strategising and promoting actions to challenge violence against children. The Committee has stressed that in conceptualising violence, the critical starting point and frame of reference must be the experience of children themselves.
5. Clear avenues for NGO participation in the study, in order to draw on our considerable experience and knowledge relating to violence against children, through a formal advisory group.
We recognize and warmly welcome the support for the study from UNICEF, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, and other UN bodies. Each will be an essential contributor to the study and their active involvement and support will be key to the study’s success. As the UN’s lead agency for children, UNICEF will have a particularly important role to play.
The undersigned non-governmental organizations are members of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child and/or of the Caucus on violence against children – created in response to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children. We believe the study has the potential to bring about real improvements in the ways children are treated and we wholeheartedly offer our assistance to it.
Anti-Slavery International
Casa Alianza
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
Consortium for Street Children
Covenant House
Defence for Children International
European Association for Children in Hospital (EACH)
Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment
Human Rights Watch
International Alliance of Women
International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE)
International Council of Women
International Federation of Social Workers
International Federation Terre des Hommes
International Save the Children Alliance
International School Psychology Association (ISPA)
International Social Service
Women's World Summit Foundation
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations
World Vision International
Young Women Christian Association
Save the Children Alliance
Global Workshop on Corporal Punishment
Cairo, Egypt, 2-6 February, 2003
Session on UN study on Violence Against Children
Background:
Following its two general discussion days in 2000 and 2001 on violence against children the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has recommended an in-depth study on this theme.
The General Assembly has therefore requested the UN Secretary General to conduct such a study. The aim of the study is to advocate and end to all forms of psychical and mental violence against children. This study is expected to become at least as ambitious in its scope as the UN Study on Children in Armed Conflict in 1996. Proposed time frame of the study is 2 years.
Save the Children Alliance has agreed upon to give high priority to the study. An Alliance
Task Group has been formed comprising SC-N, SC-C, SCFUK and SC-S, with SC-S as the lead agency. The aim of this Task Group is to work solely with influencing this study on identified critical issues based on the Save the Children experiences.
The SC Alliance Task Group for the UN Study on Violence against Children would like to invite you to participate in the first formal International Alliance Workshop, following the Global Workshop on Corporal Punishment organised by the SC Alliance Task Group on Corporal Punishment, on the 6th of February 2003. Objectives and output of this workshop are outlined below.
Tentative Objectives of the Workshop day:
- Presentation of the UN study
- Discuss the establishment of an Alliance Network for co-operation/coordination, information sharing and joint advocacy campaigns within the Alliance
- Identification of areas/critical issues to be addressed within the framework of the study in addition to corporal punishment and the work/ contributions from Save the Children
- Agree on a methodology for mapping of recent and ongoing Alliance activities related to the study
Output:
- Methodology on formation of Alliance network has been established
- Possible areas of contributions by different organisations within the Alliance have been outlined
Please attached find the NGO Position Paper for this study.
We look forward to working with you on this important project.
UN Study on Violence Against Children
NGO Position Paper
April 2002
Child rights NGOs welcome the General Assembly’s request (A/Res56/138) that the Secretary General conduct an in-depth study of violence against children and view it as a unique opportunity to expose the extent of the problem and identify safeguards to better ensure protection of children from violence. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child proposed the study following its two general discussion days on violence against children in 2000 and 2001.
Child rights NGOs strongly support the Committee recommendations that the study should document as comprehensively as possible different types of violence against children - this refers to the ‘different types’ causes and impact on children, adults and societies. We agree that the study’s aim should be to make violence to children visible as an essential step towards reducing and ending it, and that it should include the development of strategies to effectively prevent and combat all forms of violence against children.
In its recommendation to the GA, the Committee states that the study “should be as thorough and influential as the report of the expert of the Secretary-General, Mrs. Graça Machel, on the impact of armed conflict on children (see A/51/306).”
In order to achieve this, we believe certain factors are critical:
6. The study should be based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international standards; and its mandate and scope should be in accordance with the Committee’s recommendations following its two general discussion days.
7. The appointment of an independent expert to lead the study – a person with a strong record in children’s rights who is well respected and able to serve as a public advocate for the study, and for children affected by violence.
8. The establishment of a separate secretariat for the study led by the independent expert and sufficiently funded to carry out its task. An independent secretariat would facilitate the contributions of partners and provide a single focal point for experts and NGOs.
9. The meaningful involvement of children in the study and in strategising and promoting actions to challenge violence against children. The Committee has stressed that in conceptualising violence, the critical starting point and frame of reference must be the experience of children themselves.
10. Clear avenues for NGO participation in the study, in order to draw on our considerable experience and knowledge relating to violence against children, through a formal advisory group.
We recognize and warmly welcome the support for the study from UNICEF, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, and other UN bodies. Each will be an essential contributor to the study and their active involvement and support will be key to the study’s success. As the UN’s lead agency for children, UNICEF will have a particularly important role to play.
The undersigned non-governmental organizations are members of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child and/or of the Caucus on violence against children – created in response to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children. We believe the study has the potential to bring about real improvements in the ways children are treated and we wholeheartedly offer our assistance to it.
Anti-Slavery International
Casa Alianza
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
Consortium for Street Children
Covenant House
Defence for Children International
European Association for Children in Hospital (EACH)
Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment
Human Rights Watch
International Alliance of Women
International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE)
International Council of Women
International Federation of Social Workers
International Federation Terre des Hommes
International Save the Children Alliance
International School Psychology Association (ISPA)
International Social Service
Women's World Summit Foundation
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations
World Vision International
Young Women Christian Association
Update: UN Study on Violence Against Children
December 10, 2002
- Independent Expert
- NGO Advisory Panel
- Resource list/Bibliography in formation
- Minutes from the NGO Group on the CRC Subgroup on Children and Violence
- New York meeting December 12 for NGOs interested in the Study
Independent expert:
The independent expert still has not been announced, although it has now been over six weeks since the UN agencies supporting the study (UNICEF, WHO, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) have submitted their recommendation on the appointment to the office of the Secretary General. At this point, we do not know when an announcement might be made.
NGO Advisory Panel:
Many of you have asked about the status of the NGO Advisory Panel. The selection is nearly complete, although it has taken much longer than expected. Despite a very positive response to the call for nominations, additional time was needed to seek additional nominations for some underrepresented regions and particular areas of expertise. In addition, the selection panel has agreed that the panel should only be publicly announced once the expert has been named and consulted about the panel. Thank you for your patience.
Input requested for Resource list/Bibliography:
We would like to begin identifying existing research that is relevant to the UN Study on Violence Against Children, particularly material produced by NGOs based on their work. We propose to create a resource list or bibliography of material that may be useful to the study’s expert and secretariat, as well as to NGOs that work on issues of violence against children. Eventually, we hope to have it posted on the web, with links to many of the resources listed.
We invite you to submit information on the resources from your organization that should be listed. Attached, please find an outline and instructions for how to send us information.
Subgroup on Children and Violence: