Participation in the UN study on violence against children

Since 2000, OMCT has been amongst the leading NGO advocates for the UN Study on Violence Against Children. The “International Conference on Children, Torture and Other forms of Violence: Facing the Facts, Forging the Future” organised by OMCT in November 2001 in Tampere, Finland, was an open consultation of key players from around the globe, whose final declaration calling for the establishment of new international mechanisms in the fight to eradicate violence against children echoed the recommendations of the thematic discussion days of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and set the stage for active international lobbying in favour of such a study. ► Tampere declaration In various forums and especially at the UN Commission on Human Rights, OMCT coordinated NGO lobbying efforts and side-events paving the way for the study. It is thus now naturally part of the NGO subgroup on violence against children and is a member of the international NGO advisory panel selected to facilitate collaboration between civil society, specialised NGO networks and the independent expert and agencies involved in the study. ► NGO Ad Panel Concept outline for VAC study OMCT has produced several papers suggesting specific orientations for the study and has undertaken a research into the working of UN human rights mechanisms in order to analysis on how and to what extent the existing special mechanisms have addressed violations of children's rights within their mandates, at both a theoretical (definition of the relevant mandate) and a practical (outcome as described in their reports) level. ► OMCT study 2003 Up-date In the course of the study, OMCT expects to take an active part by submitting relevant compilations and analysis of its existing material on violence against children, by carrying out new research on the prevention of violence against children deprived of their liberty and by bringing a direct organisational and/or substantial input into regional consultations and other activities undertaken around the UN study.