28/11/2012 Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Strasbourg, 28.11.2012 – “Great efforts are made to provide better support to families and protect children, but these efforts need to be pursued and stepped up,” today stressed Valeriu Ghiletchi (Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD), First Vice-Chairperson of the PACE Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, reporting on the situation in his country. Besides the reinforcement of child protection policies, reporting mechanisms and inter-sectorial and interagency collaboration, he also pointed out the need to raise further awareness of the vulnerability of certain categories of children, and the importance to learn from “good practice” on effective child protection strategies.
Speaking at a conference organised in Ankara by the Turkish authorities in partnership with the Council of Europe, UNICEF and the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations on violence against children, Mr Ghiletchi recalled that “national parliaments are central stakeholders when it comes to changing legislation and policies in favour of children”.