Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTENTS
Foreword
...................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction
...................................................................................................... 5
A.
Context ...................................................................................................... 5
B.
Objectives .................................................................................................... 6
C.
Methodology ................................................................................................. 6
D.
2. Current situation
...................................................................................................... 9
A.
B.
C.
Conclusions .................................................................................................. 21
B.
C.
Recommendations ....................................................................................... 22
Foreword
We
are
confident
that
the
findings,
recommendations and guiding principles of the
report will become a valuable reference for the
consolidation of the right of the child to freedom
from all forms of violence, including sexual
violence, everywhere and at all times.
Introduction
A. Context
and easily accessible services to investigate
reports of violence against children.
Over the past years, the promotion of childsensitive mechanisms has gained increasing
relevance, including as a result of the
recognition of the right to accessible and
effective remedies by international human rights
instruments and of the significant jurisprudence
of treaty-monitoring bodies in this area. The
Committee on the Rights of the Child has
addressed this question in its dialogue with
State parties and in several general comments,
including the most recent on the right of the child
4
to freedom from all forms of violence.
Significant political commitments have also been
made in this area. The declaration and call for
action agreed upon at the Third World Congress
against Sexual Exploitation of Children and
Adolescents calls upon States to establish, by
2013, an effective and accessible system for
reporting, follow-up and support for child victims
of sexual exploitation.
B. Objectives
With these concerns in mind, the report was
developed with the following objectives:
(a)
To provide an overview of available
models of accessible and child-sensitive
counselling,
complaint
and
reporting
mechanisms established at the governmental
level, and as developed by independent
institutions and civil-society and communitybased organizations;
(b)
To
draw
attention
to
positive
developments, as well as challenges, in the use
of such mechanisms, including in terms of
accessibility, confidentiality, child participation,
effectiveness, safeguard of privacy and
protection of victims of violence, including
sexual violence and exploitation;
(c)
To highlight legal obligations, roles and
responsibilities of State institutions and other
key stakeholders;
1. Conceptual framework
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
defines a child as a person under the age of 18.
The Convention recognizes childrens freedom
7
from violence in several of its provisions,
especially in article 19 on freedom from all forms
of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse,
neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or
exploitation, including sexual abuse while in the
care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other
person who has the care of the child.
C. Methodology
The report was developed with the following
methodological approach:
(a)
A
literature
documentation;
review
of
relevant
Current situation
1. Counselling mechanisms
B. Child-sensitive counselling,
complaint and reporting
mechanisms
2. Complaints mechanisms
At the national level, different bodies receive
complaints from children whose rights may have
been violated. They include judicial and
administrative
authorities,
and
national
independent human rights institutions, including
ombudspersons for children.
Complaints
mechanisms
serve
various
purposes, including ensuring the protection of
victims and the prevention of renewed acts of
violence. Some mechanisms are designed to
11
Administrative complaints
3. Reporting mechanisms
Mandatory reporting
Several
countries
produce
child-friendly
materials to help children submit complaints and
seek redress, including on available judicial or
non-judicial
complaint
mechanisms
and
applicable proceedings.
Voluntary reporting
Several countries contributing to the present
report mentioned the adoption of special
measures to encourage the reporting of violence
against children, including sexual violence
perpetrated by tourists. One country reported
that every citizen had an obligation to file a
complaint in cases of child rights violations;
another reported having in place legislation to
protect those who report child abuse. In some
countries, service providers in the child
protection system or schools are obliged to
signal a situation to the child welfare system,
setting in motion procedures in cases of child
abuse. In others, there are channels that allow
children themselves to report a risky situation,
through telephone hotlines established by such
entities as the ombudsman. Some countries
have special e-mail addresses or toll-free
15
4. Interdisciplinary teams
In
a
growing
number
of
countries,
interdisciplinary teams respond to complaints
and reports of violence against children. They
help maintain the credibility and reliability of the
childs testimony, while securing childrens wellbeing and safety throughout the case. They limit
the number of interviews the child may be
subject to, and the risks that may be associated
with this process. Some good practices are
described here.
6. Child Helplines
Dedicated telephone numbers that can be called
anonymously and at no cost to seek advice
about incidents of violence have been
established in many countries throughout the
world. Helplines can be used by victims, by
other persons who know of or suspect violence,
and even by persons who commit violence and
wish to seek help.
1. Mandate
Independent human rights institutions for
children (IHRICs) have a comprehensive child
rights mandate, conducting research and
awareness-raising campaigns, promoting law
and policy reforms, and assisting child victims.
Those with a mandate to receive individual
complaints address violence against children
committed by professionals working with
children, including teachers, staff of childrens
homes, police officers and other public servants.
These mechanisms are non-adversarial, based
on dialogue and mediation, and seek to find
negotiated solutions guided by the childs best
interests. Currently, only some IHRICs have the
3. Effectiveness
Strong investigative powers are vital to the
effectiveness of IHRICs and their ability to
respond to complaints. These include the power
to compel witnesses to testify and request
evidence. To be effective, these need to be
included in relevant legislation and be
enforceable by tribunals in case of noncompliance. In several countries, IHRICs were
created with a view to improving the ability of the
child protection system to monitor and respond
67
to cases of child abuse.
2. Accessibility
Compared with the judicial system, IHRICs are
generally more accessible as their complaint
system is free of charge, does not require a
lawyer, and is less formal and simpler to use.
Accessibility is enhanced through local offices
for the identification and transmission of cases.
Some IHRICs proactively reach out to children,
including by visiting schools, detention and care
centres and other places where children spend
time, including in remote areas. Most IHRICs
can carry out investigations on their own
initiative. Confidentiality is a critical element of
this process.
A - Conclusions
Important international and regional human
rights standards provide a sound framework for
the development of strong, safe and effective
counselling,
reporting
and
complaint
mechanisms to address incidents of violence
against children. As agreed upon at the Third
World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of
Children and Adolescents, these mechanisms
should be set up in all countries by 2013.
B. Guiding principles
It is urgent to develop effective, child-sensitive
counselling,
reporting
and
complaint
mechanisms, universally available to and
accessible
by
all
children,
without
discrimination of any kind.
Counselling,
complaint
and
mechanisms should, at a minimum
reporting
(b) Be made widely available and wellpublicized through appropriate and active
means to children and adults, including those
acting on childrens behalf;
C. Recommendations
Where mechanisms do not exist, States should
establish by law, and promote and implement
safe, child-sensitive counselling, complaint and
reporting mechanisms in compliance with the
guiding principles and requirements mentioned
above, as a core dimension of a wellfunctioning and well-resourced national child
protection system, which is universally
available to and accessible by all children
without discrimination of any kind. Such
mechanisms should be grounded in a solid
legal framework framed by international
standards, prohibiting all forms of violence
against children, and safeguarding the rights of
child victims and witnesses, and should be
provided with the necessary financial means
and well-trained human resources to act in a
24
1. International standards
Important international standards frame the development of counselling, reporting and complaint
mechanisms. These include the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, and
significant regional human rights instruments.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right to freedom from violence in its many
forms and promotes a comprehensive system of child protection to address this phenomenon; it calls
on violence prevention, on victims identification, treatment, recovery and reintegration, as well as on
the referral and investigation of incidents of violence. Several articles of the Convention on the Rights
of the Child address childrens protection from violence, particularly articles 19, 24, 28, 34 to 36, 37 and
39.
The normative foundation provided by the Convention and its Protocols has generated significant legal
reforms in countries in all regions aiming at the legal prohibition of all forms of violence against children,
in any setting where violence may occur. Legislation is also needed to recognize childrens right to
complaint procedures and remedies to address breaches of their rights and to support childrens
access to courts and independent childrens rights institutions, such as an Ombudsman or a person of
a comparable status. Children should know who these persons are, how to access them and what can
69
be expected from this process.
This is an area addressed by core international human rights standards and to which the Committee on
the Rights of the Child has devoted continued attention. In its most recent General Comment on The
70
Right of the Child to Freedom from all Forms of Violence , the Committee included important guidance
on these mechanisms, strongly recommending that all States develop safe, well-publicized,
confidential and accessible support mechanisms for children, their representatives and others to report
violence against children, including through the use of 24-hour toll free hotlines and other information
and communication technologies. The establishment of reporting mechanisms includes: providing
appropriate information to facilitate the making of complaints; participating in investigations and court
proceedings; developing protocols which are appropriate for different circumstances and made widely
known to children and the general public; establishing support services for children and families; and
training and providing on-going support for personnel to receive and advance the information received
through reporting systems. Reporting mechanisms must be coupled with, and should present
themselves as help-oriented services offering public health and social support rather than as triggering
responses which are primarily punitive. The childrens right to be heard and to have their views taken
seriously has to be respected. In every country reporting of instances, suspicion or risk of violence
should, at a minimum, be required by professionals working directly with children. When reports are
made in good faith, processes must be in place to ensure the protection of the professional making the
report.
71
Previously, the Committee had highlighted that States need to ensure that there are effective, child
sensitive procedures available to children and their representatives, including the provision of child
friendly information, advice, advocacy and access to independent complaints procedures and to the
25
courts with the appropriate legal and other assistance; and national human rights independent
institutions should ensure that children have effective remedies for the breaches of their rights,
72
including independent advice, advocacy and complaints procedures.
Where rights are found to have been breached, there should be appropriate reparation, including
compensation and, where needed, measures to promote physical and psychological recovery,
rehabilitation and reintegration.
When incidents of violence take place, the Convention calls for the establishment of social
programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child, as
well as for other forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment
and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial
73
involvement. The Convention further calls for measures designed to promote physical and
psychological recovery and social reintegration of a child victim of any form of neglect, exploitation, or
abuse; torture or any other form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; or armed
74
conflicts. Such recovery and reintegration, it adds, shall take place in an environment which fosters
the health, self-respect and dignity of the child.
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child
75
Pornography, in force in 158 States , requires States Parties to adapt legal and investigative
procedures to the special needs of child victims, including their needs as witnesses, to provide support
services, inform them of their rights, their role and the scope, timing and progress of the proceedings,
avoid unnecessary delay, allow their views, needs and concerns to be presented and considered,
76
protect their privacy and protect them against intimidation and retaliation. It also underscores that the
best interest of the child shall be a primary consideration in the treatment of victims in the criminal
77
justice system, and that the persons who work with victims shall receive appropriate training.
Article 6 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement
of Children in Armed Conflict provides that each State Party shall take all necessary legal,
administrative and other measures to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of the
protocol.
International criminal law also establishes important safeguards in this field. Indeed, according to the
Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court is required to take appropriate measures to protect
the safety, physical and psychological well-being, dignity and privacy of victims and witnesses; and, to
secure their protection, it may conduct proceedings in camera or allow the presentation of evidence by
electronic or other special means; these measures shall be implemented in the case of a victim of
78
sexual violence or a child who is a victim or a witness . The Rome Statute also foresees the
establishment of a Victims and Witnesses Unit within the Registry to provide protective measures and
security arrangements, counselling and other appropriate assistance. The Unit shall include staff with
79 80
expertise in trauma, including trauma related to crimes of sexual violence .
2. Regional standards
Significant regional instruments also address this area of concern. The Inter-American Convention
on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, also covering the
81
situation of girls under the age of majority,
calls for fair and effective legal procedures for victims
including protective measures, a timely hearing and effective access to such procedures ()
effective access to restitution, reparations or other just and effective remedies, and specialized
82
services, including shelters [and] counselling services. The Convention applies to physical, sexual
26
and psychological violence, although not to violence against boys, and is in force in all OAS Member
83
States except two.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child mirrors many of the protective principles
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the need for legislative, administrative, social
and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of torture, inhuman or degrading
treatment, from physical or mental injury or abuse, neglect or maltreatment including sexual abuse; and
from sexual exploitation. Protective measures include the establishment of special monitoring units to
provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child, as well as other
forms of prevention and for identification, reporting referral investigation, treatment, and follow-up of
instances of child abuse and neglect.
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in
Africa presents important provisions for the protection of girls from violence and calls, inter alia, for the
establishment of mechanisms and accessible services for effective information, rehabilitation and
reparation of victims of violence; for States support to initiatives directed at providing women with
access to legal services, including legal aid; and requires the provision of appropriate remedies to be
determined by competent judicial, administrative or legislative authorities, or any other competent
84
authority provided for by law.
The Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
adopted by the Council of Europe in 2007 requires Parties to take measures to assist victims, in the
85
short and long term, in their physical and psycho-social recovery and to adopt a protective approach
towards victims, ensuring that the investigations and criminal proceedings do not aggravate the trauma
experienced by the child and that the criminal justice response is followed by assistance, where
86
appropriate . Article 31 establishes a comprehensive set of safeguards for the protection of the rights
of victims and witnesses, including on their safety, protection from intimidation and re-victimization,
rehabilitation, and the provision of age-sensitive information. Article 35 contains standards regarding
interviews with child victims, which should take place without unjustified delay, by professionals trained
for this purpose and conducted in an environment and in a manner sensitive to the rights and
87
vulnerability of the child. This Convention also indicates that norms concerning the confidentiality of
information obtained in the course of professional activities should not prevent their reporting of
situations where they have reasonable grounds for believing that the child is a victim of sexual abuse or
exploitation and it encourages the establishment of telephone or internet helplines to provide
88
confidential advice. At present, it is in force for 10 of the 47 Member States of the Council of Europe,
89
and is also opened to the accession by non-member States.
The 2005 Economic and Social Council Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims
and Witnesses of Crime (UN Guidelines), provide a comprehensive set of standards of strong
relevance for the protection of children affected by violence. Sections V to XIV contain significant
guidance on the right to be treated with dignity and compassion; to be protected from discrimination; to
be informed, to be heard and to express views and concerns; the right to effective assistance, to
privacy, to be protected from hardship during the justice process; the right to safety, to reparation and
to special preventive measures.
90
At the regional level, the Council of Europe Guidelines on Child Friendly Justice, adopted in
November 2010, recognize the right to a speedy, age sensitive, diligent justice system that respects
childrens rights and childrens protection from harm, intimidation, reprisals and secondary victimization;
the Guidelines also highlight the right to appropriate ways to access justice and to appropriate
91
independent and effective complaints mechanisms.
27
28
30
Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, the
recognition of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human
family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Noting that the States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (hereinafter referred to as
the Convention) recognize the rights set forth in it to of the childs or his or her parents or legal
guardians race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social
origin, property, disability, birth or other status,
Reaffirming the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms,
Reaffirming also the status of the child as a subject of rights and as a human being with dignity and
with evolving capacities,
Recognizing that childrens special and dependent status may create real difficulties for them in
pursuing remedies for violations of their rights,
Considering that the present Protocol will reinforce and complement national and regional mechanisms
allowing children to submit complaints for violations of their rights,
Recognizing that the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration to be respected in
pursuing remedies for violations of the rights of the child, and that such remedies should take into
account the need for child-sensitive procedures at all levels,
Encouraging States parties to develop appropriate national mechanisms to enable a child whose rights
have been violated to have access to effective remedies at the domestic level,
Recalling the important role that national human rights institutions and other relevant specialized
institutions, mandated to promote and protect the rights of the child, can play in this regard,
Considering that, in order to reinforce and complement such national mechanisms and to further
enhance the implementation of the Convention and, where applicable, the Optional Protocols thereto
on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in
armed conflict, it would be appropriate to enable the Committee on the Rights of the Child (hereinafter
referred to as the Committee) to carry out the functions provided for in the present Protocol,
31
Article 1
Competence of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
1. A State party to the present Protocol recognizes the competence of the Committee as provided for
by the present Protocol.
2. The Committee shall not exercise its competence regarding a State party to the present Protocol on
matters concerning violations of rights set forth in an instrument to which that State is not a party.
3. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State that is not a party to the
present Protocol.
Article 2
General principles guiding the functions of the Committee
In fulfilling the functions conferred on it by the present Protocol, the Committee shall be guided by the
principle of the best interests of the child. It shall also have regard for the rights and views of the child,
the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.
Article 3
Rules of procedure
1. The Committee shall adopt rules of procedure to be followed when exercising the functions conferred
on it by the present Protocol. In doing so, it shall have regard, in particular, for article 2 of the present
Protocol in order to guarantee child-sensitive procedures.
2. The Committee shall include in its rules of procedure safeguards to prevent the manipulation of the
child by those acting on his or her behalf and may decline to examine any communication that it
considers not to be in the childs best interests.
Article 4
Protection measures
1. A State party shall take all appropriate steps to ensure that individuals under its jurisdiction are not
subjected to any human rights violation, ill-treatment or intimidation as a consequence of
communications or cooperation with the Committee pursuant to the present Protocol.
2. The identity of any individual or group of individuals concerned shall not be revealed publicly without
their express consent.
32
Part II
Communications procedure
Article 5
Individual communications
Article 6
Interim measures
1. At any time after the receipt of a communication and before a determination on the merits has been
reached, the Committee may transmit to the State party concerned for its urgent consideration a
request that the State party take such interim measures as may be necessary in exceptional
circumstances to avoid possible irreparable damage to the victim or victims of the alleged violations.
2. Where the Committee exercises its discretion under paragraph 1 of the present article, this does not
imply a determination on admissibility or on the merits of the communication.
Article 7
Admissibility
33
(g) The facts that are the subject of the communication occurred prior to the entry into force of the
present Protocol for the State party concerned, unless those facts continued after that date;
(h) The communication is not submitted within one year after the exhaustion of domestic remedies,
except in cases where the author can demonstrate that it had not been possible to submit the
communication within that time limit.
Article 8
Transmission of the communication
1. Unless the Committee considers a communication inadmissible without reference to the State party
concerned, the Committee shall bring any communication submitted to it under the present Protocol
confidentially to the attention of the State party concerned as soon as possible.
2. The State party shall submit to the Committee written explanations or statements clarifying the
matter and the remedy, if any, that it may have provided. The State party shall submit its response as
soon as possible and within six months.
Article 9
Friendly settlement
1. The Committee shall make available its good offices to the parties concerned with a view to reaching
a friendly settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for the obligations set forth in the Convention
and/or the Optional Protocols thereto.
2. An agreement on a friendly settlement reached under the auspices of the Committee closes
consideration of the communication under the present Protocol.
Article 10
Consideration of communications
1. The Committee shall consider communications received under the present Protocol as quickly as
possible, in the light of all documentation submitted to it, provided that this documentation is transmitted
to the parties concerned.
2. The Committee shall hold closed meetings when examining communications received under the
present Protocol.
3. Where the Committee has requested interim measures, it shall expedite the consideration of the
communication.
4. When examining communications alleging violations of economic, social or cultural rights, the
Committee shall consider the reasonableness of the steps taken by the State party in accordance with
article 4 of the Convention. In doing so, the Committee shall bear in mind that the State party may
adopt a range of possible policy measures for the implementation of the economic, social and cultural
rights in the Convention.
5. After examining a communication, the Committee shall, without delay, transmit its views on the
communication, together with its recommendations, if any, to the parties concerned.
Article 11
Follow-up
34
1. The State party shall give due consideration to the views of the Committee, together with its
recommendations, if any, and shall submit to the Committee a written response, including information
on any action taken and envisaged in the light of the views and recommendations of the Committee.
The State party shall submit its response as soon as possible and within six months.
2. The Committee may invite the State party to submit further information about any measures the
State party has taken in response to its views or recommendations or implementation of a friendly
settlement agreement, if any, including as deemed appropriate by the Committee, in the State partys
subsequent reports under article 44 of the Convention, article 12 of the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography or article 8 of the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict, where applicable.
Article 12
Inter-State communications
1. A State party to the present Protocol may, at any time, declare that it recognizes the competence of
the Committee to receive and consider communications in which a State party claims that another
State party is not fulfilling its obligations under any of the following instruments to which the State is a
party:
(a) The Convention;
(b) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography;
(c) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
2. The Committee shall not receive communications concerning a State party that has not made such a
declaration or communications from a State party that has not made such a declaration.
3. The Committee shall make available its good offices to the States parties concerned with a view to a
friendly solution of the matter on the basis of the respect for the obligations set forth in the Convention
and the Optional Protocols thereto.
4. A declaration under paragraph 1 of the present article shall be deposited by the States parties with
the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall transmit copies thereof to the other States
parties. A declaration may be withdrawn at any time by notification to the Secretary-General. Such a
withdrawal shall not prejudice the consideration of any matter that is the subject of a communication
already transmitted under the present article; no further communications by any State party shall be
received under the present article after the notification of withdrawal of the declaration has been
received by the Secretary-General, unless the State party concerned has made a new declaration.
Part III
Inquiry procedure
Article 13
Inquiry procedure for grave or systematic violations
1. If the Committee receives reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State
party of rights set forth in the Convention or in the Optional Protocols thereto on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography or on the involvement of children in armed conflict, the
Committee shall invite the State party to cooperate in the examination of the information and, to this
end, to submit observations without delay with regard to the information concerned.
35
2. Taking into account any observations that may have been submitted by the State party concerned,
as well as any other reliable information available to it, the Committee may designate one or more of its
members to conduct an inquiry and to report urgently to the Committee. Where warranted and with the
consent of the State party, the inquiry may include a visit to its territory.
3. Such an inquiry shall be conducted confidentially, and the cooperation of the State party shall be
sought at all stages of the proceedings.
4. After examining the findings of such an inquiry, the Committee shall transmit without delay these
findings to the State party concerned, together with any comments and recommendations.
5. The State party concerned shall, as soon as possible and within six months of receiving the findings,
comments and recommendations transmitted by the Committee, submit its observations to the
Committee.
6. After such proceedings have been completed with regard to an inquiry made in accordance with
paragraph 2 of the present article, the Committee may, after consultation with the State party
concerned, decide to include a summary account of the results of the proceedings in its report provided
for in article 16 of the present Protocol.
7. Each State party may, at the time of signature or ratification of the present Protocol or accession
thereto, declare that it does not recognize the competence of the Committee provided for in the present
article in respect of the rights set forth in some or all of the instruments listed in paragraph 1.
8. Any State party having made a declaration in accordance with paragraph 7 of the present article
may, at any time, withdraw this declaration by notification to the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.
Article 14
Follow-up to the inquiry procedure
1. The Committee may, if necessary, after the end of the period of six months referred to in article 13,
paragraph 5, invite the State party concerned to inform it of the measures taken and envisaged in
response to an inquiry conducted under article 13 of the present Protocol.
2. The Committee may invite the State party to submit further information about any measures that the
State party has taken in response to an inquiry conducted under article 13, including as deemed
appropriate by the Committee, in the State partys subsequent reports under article 44 of the
Convention, article 12 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography or article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
involvement of children in armed conflict, where applicable.
Part IV
Final provisions
Article 15
International assistance and cooperation
1. The Committee may transmit, with the consent of the State party concerned, to United Nations
specialized agencies, funds and programmes and other competent bodies its views or
recommendations concerning communications and inquiries that indicate a need for technical advice or
36
assistance, together with the State partys observations and suggestions, if any, on these views or
recommendations.
2. The Committee may also bring to the attention of such bodies, with the consent of the State party
concerned, any matter arising out of communications considered under the present Protocol that may
assist them in deciding, each within its field of competence, on the advisability of international
measures likely to
contribute to assisting States parties in achieving progress in the implementation of the rights
recognized in the Convention and/or the Optional Protocols thereto.
Article 16
Report to the General Assembly
The Committee shall include in its report submitted every two years to the General Assembly in
accordance with article 44, paragraph 5, of the Convention a summary of its activities under the present
Protocol.
Article 17
Dissemination of and information on the Optional Protocol
Each State party undertakes to make widely known and to disseminate the present Protocol and to
facilitate access to information about the views and recommendations of the Committee, in particular
with regard to matters involving the State party, by appropriate and active means and in accessible
formats to adults and children alike, including those with disabilities.
Article 18
Signature, ratification and accession
1. The present Protocol is open for signature to any State that has signed, ratified or acceded to the
Convention or either of the first two Optional Protocols thereto.
2. The present Protocol is subject to ratification by any State that has ratified or acceded to the
Convention or either of the first two Optional Protocols thereto. Instruments of ratification shall be
deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
3. The present Protocol shall be open to accession by any State that has ratified or acceded to the
Convention or either of the first two Optional Protocols thereto.
4. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the Secretary-General.
Article 19
Entry into force
1. The present Protocol shall enter into force three months after the deposit of the tenth instrument of
ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying the present Protocol or acceding to it after the deposit of the tenth instrument
of ratification or instrument of accession, the present Protocol shall enter into force three months after
the date of the deposit of its own instrument of ratification or accession.
Article 20
37
1. The Committee shall have competence solely in respect of violations by the State party of any of the
rights set forth in the Convention and/or the first two Optional Protocols thereto occurring after the entry
into force of the present Protocol.
2. If a State becomes a party to the present Protocol after its entry into force, the obligations of that
State vis--vis the Committee shall relate only to violations of the rights set forth in the Convention
and/or the first two Optional Protocols thereto occurring after the entry into force of the present Protocol
for the State concerned.
Article 21
Amendments
1. Any State party may propose an amendment to the present Protocol and submit it to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations. The Secretary-General shall communicate any proposed amendments
to States parties with a request to be notified whether they favour a meeting of States parties for the
purpose of of the date of such communication, at least one third of the States parties favour such a
meeting, the Secretary-General shall convene the meeting under the auspices of the United Nations.
Any amendment adopted by a majority of two thirds of the States parties present and voting shall be
submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly for approval and, thereafter, to all States
parties for acceptance.
2. An amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of the present article shall
enter into force on the thirtieth day after the number of instruments of acceptance deposited reaches
two thirds of the number of States parties at the date of adoption of the amendment. Thereafter, the
amendment shall enter into force for any State party on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its own
instrument of acceptance. An amendment shall be binding only on those States parties that have
accepted it.
Article 22
Denunciation
1. Any State party may denounce the present Protocol at any time by written notification to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations. The denunciation shall take effect one year after the date of
receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General.
2. Denunciation shall be without prejudice to the continued application of the provisions of the present
Protocol to any communication submitted under articles 5 or 12 or any inquiry initiated under article 13
before the effective date of denunciation.
Article 23
Depositary and notification by the Secretary-General
1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall be the depositary of the present Protocol.
2. The Secretary-General shall inform all States of:
(a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions under the present Protocol;
38
(b) The date of entry into force of the present Protocol and of any
amendment thereto under article 21;
(c) Any denunciation under article 22 of the present Protocol.
Article 24
Languages
1. The present Protocol, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are
equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations.
2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit certified copies of the present Protocol to
all States.
39
Endnotes
i
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
The present publication is based on the Joint report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence
against Children and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
(A/HRC/16/56) presented to the 16th Session of the Human Rights Council, in Geneva.
A/HRC/RES/13/20, of 26 March 2010, para.17.
United Nations study, A/61/299.
General Comment 13 (CRC/C/GC/13), adopted in February 2011.
Replies were received from Argentina, Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, India, Ireland, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Russian Federation,
Spain, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. United Nations contributions to the report were sent by:
United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA), International Labour
Organization (ILO), United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), United Nations Integrated
Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Innocenti Research Centre, and the World Food Programme
(WFP).
Replies were received from 40 country offices in all regions.
Arts.19, 28, para 2 and 37.
Convention on the Rights of the Child, art. 42.
The CURE Project makes detailed and valuable recommendations regarding awareness-raising. Child Victims in the Union
Rights and Empowerment: A report of the CURE Project 2009-2010, European Union/The Crime Victim
Compensation and Support Authority, Sweden, Ume, 2010.
Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime (Economic and Social Council resolution
2005/20).
WHO Prevention of Child Maltreatment, A Guide to Taking Action and Generating Evidence (2006), pp.57-58.
Ibid, p. 56.
Ibid.
World Psychiatric Association et al., Atlas of Child and Mental Health Resources, (Geneva, WHO, 2005), p.17.
WHO, Preventing Child Maltreatment, pp. 55-56
Ibid., pp. 56 and 67.
Law No 7739, art 19, in Daniel ODonnell, The right of Children to be heard: childrens right to have their views taken
into account and to participate in legal and administrative proceedings, Innocenti Working Paper (Florence, Innocenti
Research Center, 2009), p. 28.
Law No. 1.680 of 2001, art. 26, in Donnell, The right of children, p. 28.
Art. 29, para. 1, in The right of children, p. 27.
Organic Law No.1/1996, art.10 in Donnell, The right of children, p.29.
See for example the Childrens and Adolescents Code of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, art. 213;
Republic Act 7610 on the Special Protection of Children against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, sections
27(a) and 3(a).
In Donnell, The right of children, p. 27.
Non-Litigious Civil Procedure Act, art. 64; second periodic report of the Russian Federation (CRC/C/65/Add.5), para. 71
(o).
Code for Civil and Commercial Procedure, art. 19, para. 1, in Donnell, The right of children, p. 12.
Childrens and Adolescents Code, art. 65, in Donnell, The right of children, p. 28.
CRC/C/65/Add.5, para. 71 (o); Belarus Child Rights Act (No. 2570-XII), art. 13, in The right of children, p. 29.
General Assembly resolution 64/142, annex, para. 99.
General Assembly resolution 45/113, annex, paras. 75-76.
Ibid para 77.
Second periodic report of Slovenia (CRC/C/70/Add.19), para. 23.
Arts. 66 (a), 67 and 68; see also the Ecuadorian Childrens and Adolescents Code, art. 41, in The right of children, p.
33.
Economic and Social Council resolution 2005/20, paras. 10-13 and 16.
See for example the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography, art. 8, para. 1 (d), and Economic and Social Council resolution 2005/20, paras. 16 and
22.
See for example the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, art. 8, para. 1
(g), and Economic and Social Council resolution 2005/20, para. 30 (c).
For example, article 77 of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of Their Families, and the Optional Protocols to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
40
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
Discrimination against Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
For example, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the
European Committee of Social Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.
In the United States of America, such laws exist in 18 states (as at April 2010). See
www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/manda.cfm.
Of the replies to the UNICEF survey, 8 mention mechanisms that specifically address violence within schools; 10 mention
mechanisms that address violence within the child welfare system; and 13 mention mechanisms that address violence
within the law enforcement system.
WHO, Preventing Child Maltreatment , p. 62.
M. Harries et al., Mandatory reporting of child abuse: evidence and options (University of Western Australia, 2002), pp.
14-15.
WHO, Preventing Child Maltreatment, p. 59.
Ibid, p. 62.
Harries, Mandatory reporting, p. 42.
WHO, Preventing Child Maltreatment, p. 51.
Para 87(c).
Child Rights in the Union (note 7 above), citing K. strm and A. Rejmer, p. 127.
K.M. Hong et al., Systems of care in Asia, in Facilitating Pathways: Care, Treatment and Prevention in Child and Adolescent
Mental Health, Remschmidt, Belfer and Goodyear, eds. (Heidelberg and New York, Springer, 2004), p. 64.
Handbook for Professionals and Policy Makers on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime, (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.10.IV.1), p. 52.
D. Gavlak, Child maltreatment comes out of the shadows, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 87, no.5, (May
2009), pp. 325-404.
Inter-agency Reference Group, What are we learning about protecting children in the community? An Inter-agency Review of
Evidence on Community-based Child Protection Mechanisms (London, Save the Children, 2009).
E. Jareg, Listening, Learning, Acting: Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children in Homes and Communities
(Kathmandu, Save the Children, 2008), chaps. 4-5.
For example, in Mauritius, the hotlines are provided by the police and the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child
Development and Family Welfare, while in Switzerland they are provided by the foundation Pro Juventute.
Government of Switzerland.
Government of Austria. The service is based on a tool developed by the NGO ECPAT International.
Government of Canada.
General briefing to the Human Rights Council, on 10 February 2011. Available from
www.stoprapenow.org/uploads/whatsnews/humanrightscouncilstatement.pdf.
A/64/254 and A/65/219.
A/65/219, para. 23.
Committee on the Rights of the Child, general comment No. 9, para. 42.
World Bank, World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation (Washington D.C., 2006), p. 14. para.
42.
General Comment 2 (2002), para. 13.
National Human Rights Institution Forum, www.nhri.net, accessed on 16 November. 2010.
For example in Ireland, Wales and New Zealand.
For example in France.
For example in Ireland.
This is particularly the case in North America, Australia and New-Zealand.
The new Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure was adopted by the General Assembly, on 19 December
2011, through its resolution A/RES/66/138.
General Comment 12, CRC/L/GC/12.
General Comment 13 adopted in February 2011.
CRC/GC/2003/5, paragraph 24.
General comment 2, paragraph 13.
Article 19 paragraph 2.
Article 39.
As of September 2012.
Art.8(1).
Art.8(3) and (4).
Article 68.
Article 43 paragraph 6.
Also relevant are the Rules of Procedure and Evidence adopted by the Assembly of States Parties of the Statute of the
International Criminal Court and the Regulations of the Office of the Prosecutor.
Arts.2 and 9.
Art.7(f), 7(g) and 8(d).
41
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
As at 15 January 2011 (Canada and the United States have not yet ratified).
See in particular articles 1 j), 8 and 25.
Art. 14(1).
Art.30.
In addition, Art.36(2)(b) requires States Parties to ensure that victims may be heard in the courtroom without being
present, notably through the use of appropriate communication technologies.
Arts.12 and 13.
As at 15 January 2011.
Adopted on 17 November 2010 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
III.A.1 and III.E.3.
Rio de Janeiro Declaration and Call for Action to Prevent and Stop Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents,
paras. 46-49.
42