Parliaments united in combating sexual violence against children: mid-term review of the ONE in FIVE Campaign
Reply to Recommendation
| Doc. 13395
| 27 January 2014
- Author(s):
- Committee of Ministers
- Origin
- Adopted
at the 1189th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (22 January 2014). 2014 - First part-session
- Reply to Recommendation
- : Recommendation 2013
(2013)
1. The Committee of Ministers has studied
Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 2013 (2013) on “Parliaments
united in combating sexual violence against children: mid-term review
of the ONE in FIVE Campaign” with interest and has brought it to
the attention of the member States. It has also sent it to various competent
Council of Europe bodies for possible comments.
2. The Committee of Ministers welcomes the active contribution
of the Assembly to the ONE in FIVE Campaign to stop sexual violence
against children since its launch in Rome in November 2010. It also
supports the Assembly’s commitment to promote the implementation
of the Lanzarote Convention as well as international standards in
the field of children’s rights, stressing the responsibility of
the authorities at the local, regional and national levels and the
need to introduce a child rights perspective in all policies and
activities. The Committee also appreciates the Assembly’s commitment
to generate thematic discussions on the many topics it has addressed
through the regular meetings of its network of parliamentarians.
3. The Committee of Ministers notes the importance and usefulness
of the proposals made by the Parliamentary Assembly (paragraph 6
of the recommendation). It wishes to inform the Assembly that despite the
difficult economic situation in member States, it has been possible
to allocate adequate funding from the Ordinary Budget of the Council
of Europe for the running of the Lanzarote Committee, including
with a recent reinforcement of staff to the Committee Secretariat
in 2013. The ONE in FIVE Campaign, launched in 20 countries, should
soon be extended to five additional countries. Significant results
have been achieved also thanks to voluntary contributions, secondments
and pro-bono creative services. The budget for 2014-2015 should
allow to capitalise on this effort.
4. The Committee of Ministers is pleased to inform the Parliamentary
Assembly that since the recommendation was adopted, a number of
States have ratified the Lanzarote Convention.
Note It
invites all member States that have not yet done so to consider
ratifying the convention before the deadline referred to by the
Assembly (i.e. November 2014).
5. The Committee of Ministers recognises the importance of a
multi-stakeholder approach in the fight against sexual violence
against children, uniting efforts of parliaments, governments, local
and regional authorities and civil society. It encourages member
States to consider allocating adequate financing to all stakeholders
and to disseminate information on the Lanzarote Convention and on
the ONE in FIVE Campaign as widely as possible.
6. The monitoring process of the Lanzarote Convention has now
started with its first round devoted to “sexual abuse of children
in the circle of trust”. The Committee of Ministers invites States
Parties to co‑operate in this first monitoring round and to make
every effort to ensure that their national legislation is in conformity with
the Lanzarote Convention and that its provisions are implemented.
7. The Committee of Ministers also supports the Assembly’s appeal
to give special attention to redress for victims. In this respect,
it refers to the relevant provisions of the Lanzarote Convention
as well as to its Recommendations Rec(2006)8 on assistance to crime
victims and CM/Rec(2009)10 on integrated national strategies for
the protection of children from violence.
8. The Committee of Ministers is pleased to inform the Assembly
that the issue of eliminating all forms of violence against children,
including sexual violence, is an integral part of the Council of
Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child 2012-2015 which it adopted
on 15 February 2012, and which states that it will decide by 2014
upon a European Day on the Fight against Sexual Abuse and Sexual
Exploitation of Children, in order to raise public awareness and
thus strengthen the fight against sexual violence against children.
The Committee of Ministers invites the Assembly to co-operate and
be fully involved. The Committee of Ministers also points out that
it set up at the end of 2013 a new Committee of Experts on the Council
of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2019), which
is to report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Strategy
for the Rights of the Child (2012-2015) and draw up a draft Council
of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child for 2016-2019.
9. Finally, the Committee of Ministers wishes to inform the Assembly
that the Council of Europe will organise a mid-term review conference
on the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2012‑2015)
in Dubrovnik on 27 and 28 March 2014, which will also focus on the
Lanzarote Committee’s work as well as on the ONE in FIVE Campaign.
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