First of all, I would like to extend a warm thank you to the young people who have guided our enlightening discussion on the theme of child participation this evening and have presented such articulate and compelling arguments for the benefits of such participation. The contribution of civil society, as represented today by the practitioners from Save the Children, Plan International and War Child, is vital in increasing our understanding and raising awareness about the importance of meaningful child participation. Our civil society partners and UNICEF deserve a big thank you for making this truly interactive event possible.
As we have learned from the extraordinary young panelists today, child participation is equally relevant everywhere. This universal relevance of child participation will be further reinforced by its inclusion as the theme of this year’s omnibus resolution on the Rights of the Child which is being introduced in the General Assembly by the European Union and the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.
As one of the nine initiators of the omnibus resolution fourteen years ago, Sweden is particularly pleased to be introducing the resolution this year together with Uruguay, which was also part of this group.
As well as being relevant everywhere, participation is also relevant in all contexts, including that of violence against children. In order to combat crime and abuses against children, it is vital that children themselves are able to speak out and contribute to solutions. The UN Study on Violence against Children is a case in point in this regard. It was a groundbreaking process in that it involved a continuous and substantive participation of young people. It was also the first official UN document to have been accompanied by a child-friendly version that has been used both by member states for educational purposes and as an advocacy tool by young people themselves.
On this note, I would like to introduce one of the key actors in the UN child protection system: Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children Ms Marta Santos Pais. Before I do that I would like to hand over to .E. Mrs. Janine Coye-Felson, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Belize to the United Nations, who will introduce our other distinguished guest, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy.
We are honoured to have with us tonight Ms Marta Santos Pais. Ms Santos Pais was recently appointed as Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children. She was a member of the UN Drafting Group of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols, and has served as Rapporteur on the Committee of the Rights of the Child for seven years. She has worked for UNICEF for the past twelve years, most recently as Director of its Innocenti Research Centre. I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate you on your appointment to this important mandate. I would also like to stress the importance of your mandate receiving full cooperation and support, including financial support, from States and other relevant actors in order to sustain the momentum at this crucial stage in the implementation of the UN Study on Violence against Children.