NCJ Number
221802
Date Published
2008
Length
57 pages
Annotation
Guidelines are presented, designed to assist nongovernmental organizations to include comprehensive information on the incidence of violence in their report to the U.N. Committee on the Right of the Child.
Abstract
Guidelines in reporting violence against children to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child include the following steps. Step one is to be informed of recent developments on the followup to the U.N. Violence Study at both the national and international levels. The U.N. Violence Study’s central message is that no violence against children is justifiable and all violence against children is preventable. Step two is to clarify definitions of violence against children, identify settings where violence occurs, identify all categories of violence, and clarify the objectives and priorities of the report to the Committee. Step three entails becoming familiar with the existing guidelines and timeframes in force for both State parties and for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and plan the data collection, analysis and presentation, report structure, and drafting. Corresponding recommendations should conclude each section of the report, as well as list them again at the beginning or at the end of the report. Step four is to ensure value, and anticipate child participation. Child participation in reporting is increasingly promoted as a right and recognized as a unique input into traditional forms of human rights monitoring. There is a significant need for adequate preparation to involve children in reporting on violence. The fifth and final step details key difficulties and suggestions on ways to approach these through methodologies, tools, and partnerships as part of the solution. These guidelines represent a direct and immediate followup to the Secretary General’s study. They provide practical and specific steps for the preparation of reports. Annexes