Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, addressed the Human Rights Council at its 23rd session in Geneva on 28 May 2013.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, addressed the Human Rights Council at its 23rd session in Geneva on 28 May 2013. In her address, Santos Pais highlighted key priorities in the fight against violence against children, including the need for comprehensive legislation banning all forms of violence, child-sensitive complaint mechanisms, and increased investment in prevention programmes. She emphasized that violence against children is preventable and that evidence-based strategies exist to address it in all settings — home, school, community, and online. The Special Representative also called on States to accelerate implementation of the recommendations of the 2006 UN Secretary-General's Study on Violence against Children and to prioritize children's protection in the post-2015 development agenda.