Since 2009, the SRSG mandate has promoted a strategic collaboration with key actors in the Americas such the Organization of American States (OAS), MERCOSUR, SICA and CARICOM, the Latin American and Caribbean Movement for Children (MMI LAC), civil society actors and children and young people to accelerate progress on the implementation of the UN Study recommendations in the region.
As a result, the protection of children from violence is placed at the center of the agenda of the Organization of American States, which is clearly illustrated by the adoption of the OAS General Assembly Resolution “Violence and exploitation of children” AG/DEC.76 (XLIV-0/14) and the unified Resolution adopted by the XXI Pan American Congresses held in Brasilia from 10 to 12 December, 2014. Collaboration with the OAS has been pursued with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, with the Inter-American Children’s Institute and within the framework of the Pan American Congresses on Children and Adolescents.
The unified Resolution adopted by the XXI Pan-American Congress sets the child rights agenda for the next five years. It reaffirmed the OAS Declaration on Violence and Exploitation of Children, adopted during its 44th ordinary session held in Paraguay, which calls for the Post 2015 development agenda to address the issue of violence and exploitation perpetrated against children. The unified Resolution also placed a special emphasis on children’s protection from violence in the juvenile justice system, the prevention and elimination of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and the crucial importance of investing in early childhood and preventing children placement in alternative care.
The prevention of and elimination of all forms of violence against children remains a top priority on the agenda of the Latin American and Caribbean Movement for Children. In collaboration with the MMI LAC, three regional meetings in South America, Central America and the Caribbean were convened in collaboration with MERCOSUR, SICA and CARICOM between 2011 and 2012; the development of three regional analytical studies which provide an overview of regional and national initiatives of follow up to the UN Study on Violence against Children and child friendly materials developed with the leading participation of children and young people.
These important achievements open crucial opportunities for the consolidation of collective and participatory processes at the regional and national levels in the Americas to support steady and sustainable progress for the effective implementation of the State primary obligation to safeguard children from all forms of violence.
Statement of the second meeting of ministers of Education of the Community of States of Latin American and Caribbean -(CELAC) - Spanish (Apr. 2016)
Statement of the second meeting of ministers of Education of the Community of States of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC) - English (Apr. 2016)
Final Resolution XXI Pan American Congress on Children and Adolescents - English (Dec. 2014)
Final Resolution XXI Pan American Congress on Children and Adolescents - Spanish (Dec. 2014)
Declaration on violence against and exploitation of children (May 2014)- Organization of American States
Roadmap to protect children against all forms of violence in the Caribbean
Hoja de Ruta Centroamericana sobre Violencia contra los niños (Central American Roadmap on Violence against Children)
Hoja de Ruta para contribuir a la realización del derecho de los niños, las niñas y adolescentes a la protección contra todo tipo de violencia en Sudamérica (South American Roadmap on Violence against Children)
American Convention on Human Rights
Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the death penalty
Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture
Inter-American Convention on Enforced Disappearance of Persons
Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women
Inter-American Convention on International Traffic in Minors
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Latest decision concerning children's rights -Advisory Opinion 21/14 Rights and guarentees of children in the contxt of migration and / or in need of international protection
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
IACHR Thematic reports
Violence, children and organized crime 2015
The Right of Boys and Girls to a family 2013
Juvenile justice and human rights in the Americas 2011
Report on corporal punishment and human rights of children and adolescents 2009
South American regional meeting for the follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against children, Asunción, Paraguay, April 28 – 29, 2011
Central American regional meeting for the follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against Children, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, December 1-2, 2011
Caribbean Sub-regional meeting for the follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against Children, Kingston, Jamaica, May 14 – 15, 2012
On 9-10 July, during her official visit to Panama, SRSG Marta Santos Pais met with high level national authorities to discuss progress achieved by the Government of Panama to safeguard the rights of children and young people.
SRSG Santos Pais met with the Minister of Social Development, Alcibíades Vásquez, Deputy Minister of Government, Maria Luisa Romero, Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs and...
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, in cooperation with UNICEF and the Government of Honduras, convened an International Expert Consultation on Children’s Right to Protection from Armed Violence in the Community. Held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the meeting gathered representatives from national governments, UN agencies, regional organizations, research...
Brasilia, 13 May 2015 - In the year in which Brazil commemorates the 25th anniversary of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the adoption of the Statute of Children and Adolescents, a meeting of the Permanent Commission of the initiative “NiñoSur” of MERCOSUR was held on the 7th and 8th of May in Brasilia (XXVI RAADH Meeting). The meeting focused on the...
In the month dedicated to the prevention of child abuse in the Dominican Republic, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais visited the country to participate in the launching event of the National Roadmap for the prevention and response to violence against children living in Dominican...
SRSG Santos Pais participated in Chile in High level Meetings for the development of comprehensive legislation for the protection of children's rights, including a legal prohibition of all forms of violence against children. The legislation will be supported by a national policy framework to advance effective implementation.
Recognizing the urgency of...
SRSG Santos Pais participates in the Third International Conference on Financing for Development taking place 13–16 July 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Conference brings together Heads of State and Government, and Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, as well as relevant institutional stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and business sector entities to...
On a three day visit to Panama, SRSG Santos Pais will meet with government officials and civil society representatives to promote the adoption of global national strategy/roadmap on violence against children and the adoption of legislation to protect children from violence.
