TOWARDS THE ADOPTION OF REDRESS MECHANISMS FOR CHILDREN VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

The Advisory Council on Human Rights (CCDH) has recently launched, in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), a study to provide Morocco with redress mechanisms for children victims of human rights violations, said Hammou Ouhelli, CCDH member, during a meeting on “sexual violence against children”.

During the annual interactive debate on the rights of the child, organized on the occasion of the 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council, started in Geneva on March 1st, 2010, Mr. Ouhelli indicated yesterday that the Advisory Council launched this study within the framework of its missions, being a national institution in charge of the promotion of human rights. He added that the Council’s concern to protect children’s rights was reflected in several initiatives, mainly the organization of regular visits to different child protection centers to inquire about the circumstances of children, awareness and information activities for children and young people, several seminars, trainings for entertainers and educators and workshops, in addition to the Council’s efforts to explain and generalize the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

The participants and representatives of States, NGOs and national human rights institutions shed light during this meeting on the worrying increase of cases of sexual violence against children in the world and the multiplication of conditions and contexts of violence cases (family environment, school environment, armed conflicts, etc.).

They stressed the need for a reliable data and rigorous studies on the phenomenon of violence against children in order to fight and deal with its causes and prevent its consequences. They recommended the adoption of laws to end and prevent sexual violence against children and called for listing the dignity of children among the priorities of the Human Rights Council.

They also shed light on the sexual exploitation of children by adults and highlighted some practices linked to social customs like dishonor, shame, fear of vengeance, secrecy, etc, which prevent reconciling children victims of violence and suing the perpetrators.

They indicated that the protection of children against sexual violence necessitates breaking silence, strengthening participation of children, adopting specific policies to fight this phenomenon, preventing sexual violence in school environment and averting increasing cases of sexual violence against children during wars and armed conflicts.

Besides, they highlighted the fact that putting condemned, prosecuted, homeless and street children, etc. together in the same detention center multiplies the possibilities of sexual violence. They recommended several procedures to prevent sexual violence against children, mainly:

 Elaborating national plans of action to fight the phenomenon of sexual violence against children;

 Raising awareness of opinion leaders and mobilizing press;
 Favoring integrated and transversal approaches instead of sectorial approaches;

 Providing training for policemen and strengthening exchange of information relative to sexual exploitation of children between the different police services throughout the world.