Conclusion of First Central American and Caribbean Meeting on Violence against Children

Conclusion of First Central American and Caribbean Meeting on Violence against Children
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 04/12/2011

The First Central American and Caribbean UN Study Follow-up Meeting on Violence against Children concluded with several commitments on the part of the 250 participants comprised of NGOs, experts on childhood issues, national and international media and children and adolescents involved in anti-violence against children movements. Also present were Authorities from Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic at the meeting held in Santo Domingo where participants adopted a strategic declaration to promote progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Study on a regional and national scale.

The study presented a series of recommendations that constitute a decisive reference to eliminate violence against children. Recommendations are centered on prevention based on the international instruments of human rights.

The study presented a series of recommendations that constitute a decisive reference to eliminate violence against children. Recommendations are centered on prevention based on the international instruments of human rights.

Special Representative of the Secretary General, Marta Santos País, is calling for awareness and the implementation of these recommendations which seek a renewal of urgent action to be taken.

Prior to the meeting, a regional roadmap was designed to identify advances and challenges in the implementation of the three recommendations prioritized by the Special Representative of the Secretary General. The roadmap is based on the consultation of states and organization of civil society in various countries. Groups of children were also consulted and their contributions were decisive in understanding their perceptions toward violence. The children’s experiences and proposals have been helpful in advancing the fulfillment of recommendations.

At the end of the event, participants formulated the Santo Domingo Declaration to be complemented by a regional roadmap which will frame the development of national strategies to prevent and address violence against children. The Santo Domingo Declaration, which recognizes the elimination of violence against children, constitutes a major challenge requiring a sustained, continuous and coordinated effort from all stakeholders including Governmental institutions, Legislative bodies, civil society, international organizations, independent institutions of Human Rights and children and adolescents.

The Declaration calls for promoting and strengthening dialogue and coordination on a national and regional level to contribute to fulfilling the challenges established by the United Nations World Study on Violence against Children.

Children and adolescents at the meeting demanded that the Ministries in charge of protecting and creating policies affecting children should commit to real protection and should commit to create real development in this sector of the population. The youngsters called for the protection of children from violence and for the prevention of the criminalization of children and adolescents. They called for resources to be earmarked for the training of police and judicial functionaries so that they understand how to treat children who fall into the criminal justice system and to learn more about respecting children’s rights. The children also called for the creation of awareness among the various levels of society so that people understand how the murder of women is affecting children and the future of society.

The Central American and Caribbean Event was organized and hosted by the National Council for Childhood and Adolescence (CONANI in Spanish) of the Dominican Republic, the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the Global Movement for Children in close collaboration with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations on Violence against Children.