OMCT welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s appointment of Marta Santos Pais as his Special Representative on Violence against Children

[Geneva, May 15, 2009] On May 1, 2009, United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, appointed Ms Marta Santos Pais as his Special Representative on Violence against Children. The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), which played an active role throughout the long process leading to the creation of the mandate and the appointment of the Special Representative, warmly welcomes this decision.

Ms Marta Santos Pais has proved throughout her wide experience on the rights of the child, that she has the competence, dedication and moral integrity necessary to become an excellent Special Representative on the important subject of violence against children. In particular, Ms Santos Pais was a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child from 1991 to 1997, served as Director of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre from 2001 onwards and took an active part in the UN Study on Violence against Children. Moreover, Ms Santos Pais has closely collaborated for years with OMCT and is also serving in its Scientific Council.

OMCT has for several years consistently advocated the establishment of a Special Representative on Violence against Children. It is convinced that such a mandate will provide a significant contribution to addressing issues of violence against children in an effective and comprehensive way. In this regard, the Special Representative will complement the work carried out by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Special Procedures established within the framework of the UN Human Rights Council. OMCT trusts that the Special Representative will carry out country visits and will not hesitate to denounce all forms of violence against children.

OMCT would also like to express its full commitment to working closely with the newly appointed Special Representative with the shared objective of effectively eradicating all forms of violence against children, including torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. OMCT will continue to address these fundamentally important issues in a variety of ways, and will inter alia be guided by the conclusions and recommendations of the UN Study on Violence against Children. In this respect, OMCT would in particular like to encourage its SOS-Torture/OMCT network to collaborate with the newly appointed Special Representative on Violence against Children by providing her with comprehensive and reliable information on the follow-up in their country and/or region of the recommendations contained on the UN Study on Violence against Children.

OMCT has been at the forefront of the process relating to the mandate of a Special Representative on Violence against Children for many years. In November 2001, it organised the “International Conference on Children, Torture and Other forms of Violence: Facing the Facts, Forging the Future”, in Tampere, Finland. This Conference was an open consultation of key players from around the globe, the final declaration of which called for the establishment of new international mechanisms to eradicate violence against children. OMCT also took an active part in the NGO Advisory Panel of the UN Study on Violence against Children as well as in the NGO Advisory Council for the follow-up to the Study.

Contact:

Cécile Trochu Grasso
Child Rights Activities
OMCT
P.O. Box 21 – 8, rue du Vieux Billard
CH- 1211 Geneva – SwitzerlandTel : 0041 (0)22 809 49 39
Fax : 0041 (0)22 809 49 29
Email: ctg@omct.org