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IACHR
Press Release
IACHR Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Children and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children Strengthen Strategic Cooperation in the Americas
June 21, 2013
Washington, D.C. – The Rapporteur on the Rights of Children of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Rosa María Ortiz, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos País, agreed to strengthen their cooperation and to develop joint activities to prevent and erradicate violence against children and adolescents.
In a meeting that took place June 18-19 in the IACHR headquarters, the Rapporteur and the Special Representative identified mechanisms to work jointly and complement each other in the compliance of the mandate of both institutions, aiming to safeguard the right of the child to a life free of violence.
“It was a highly productive meeting in many senses. Specifically, we took significant steps to agree on cooperation and synergic mechanisms regarding our mandates, so as to make our support more effective to the States in the strengthening of the Systems of Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents in the Region,” said Rapporteur Rosa María Ortiz.
“We adopted a common agenda that includes technical assistance to the States and coordinated strategies of activities, joint visits, public statements about situations that might arise, and collaboration in the elaboration and divulgation of thematic reports,” indicated the Rapporteur.
In the meeting, the Rapporteur and the Special Representative positively valued the progress promoted by the States of the region to implement the recommendations of the Global report on Violence against Children and the political declarations and regional roadmaps of South America, Central America and the Caribbean, developed in alliance with the mandate of the Special Representative.
"We encourage States to implement these instruments for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children, and to adopt urgent measures in order to respond to the magnitude and gravity of the phenomenon", said the Special Representative, Marta Santos Pais.
In addition, the Rapporteur and the Special Representative congratulated the continuous efforts of civil society organizations, particularly those dedicated to defend the rights of children and adolescents, whose role has been crucial in the advances that have taken place; and recognize the key role of children and adolescents' organizations in the promotion of a life free of violence.
Both mandate holders participated in an expert meeting during these days, with experts in armed violence and the rights of children and adolescents. Said meeting will be an input in the elaboration of a Report on the right of the child to live a life free of violence in the context of organized violence, the first activity to result from the cooperation between both organisms. In this regard, both mandates will continue to work in collaboration in the Report. This will further previous collaborations, such as the Report on Corporal Punishment and Human Rights of Children and Adolescents and the Report on Juvenile Justice and Human Rights in the Americas, that were a product of joint efforts of the IACHR and United Nations.
A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children is a global independent advocate for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. Her mandate is framed by the UN General Assembly Resolution A/62/141 and the World Report on Violence against Children.
No. 45/13