Conference on Tackling of Violence toward Children

Ladies and gentlemen!

I have just attended the opening ceremony of a nation-wide event for organisations caring for children. The topic of protecting children from the threats of today’s complex world and of their positive upbringing is, as Czech philosopher Radim Palouš said, a challenge for everyone and for the world in the twenty-first century.

I am glad that this important gathering of experts has become a part of the national campaign ‘STOP Violence against Children’, the implementation of which was brought about by the Government, in connection with its approval of the National Strategy for Preventing Violence against Children.

It seems that healthcare is one of the first areas that actively promotes and fulfils the conditions of the Council of Europe programme “Building a Europe for and with Children”, which coordinates and integrates national strategies for the prevention of violence against children. About six weeks ago, a Council of Europe conference focusing on “Health Care in Europe – for and with Children” was held in Madrid. This conference marked the beginning of a project concerning the needs and rights of children in the sphere of health care. The project’s main goal is to provide children with approachable health care and to promote children’s participation in protecting their own health. These principles take on heightened importance for children who have sustained an injury or were subject to any form of attack or inter-personal violence. We would all agree that the right of children to the protection of their health has a social dimension, which is further enhanced in the case of injuries and violence.

We know that the level of health protection and the state of health of the young generation is an indicator of a country’s social and cultural level and we would agree that in a European context, the Czech Republic is doing quite well. In spite of that, I must note that on 22 August 2007, in discussing the Report on the Situation Concerning Children’s Injuries, the Government noted that in the Czech Republic, injuries are the most frequent cause of death among children and young adults and the third most frequent cause of death in the overall population. Road accident injuries to children are twice as frequent in the Czech Republic in comparison with the most developed European countries, in terms of automobile use, and they account for one half of all injuries among children up to 15 years of age. These facts were the main reason that the Government approved the National Action Plan of Child Accident Prevention 2007 – 2017, the primary goal of which is to coordinate a systematic solution to the high injury rate. From a human-rights point of view, this involves improving and increasing the effectiveness of the children’s right to the protection of their own health and the right to a safe environment.

On 3 September 2008, the Government of the Czech Republic also approved the National Strategy for the Prevention of Violence against Children 2008 – 2018, which was drawn up in order to achieve a comprehensive preventive approach to violence against children, by which children are threatened in their family environments, at school, in the media, in institutional education facilities, and in their communities. The Strategy was drawn up in compliance with the recommendations of the 1st UN World Report on Violence against Children. The strategy deals with all forms of inter-personal violence, from physical punishments to trafficking in children. We can state that the number of children threatened by violence in the Czech Republic is comparable to other European countries –we do, however, have a higher number of physical punishments, a greater incidence of psychological and emotional deprivation in children who live in institutional-education facilities on an long-term basis, and a higher level of threat to children in cyberspace by various forms of on-line violence.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly defines the right of a child to protection from all forms of inter-personal violence. In our modern society, no form of violence against children is acceptable and each case of violence against a child can be viewed as a failure or assault of the law. Any violence is unjust, there is no excuse for it, it is impermissible and in violation of the rights of the child and – this is important – it can be prevented.

In four European countries – Italy, Norway, Portugal and Romania – a pilot project for preventing violence against children was established. 12 basic principles for prevention have been identified on the basis of this project. The Council of Europe is coordinating national strategies for the prevention of violence against children in such a way, so that the same level of protection is ensured to all children in Europe. I can already confirm that the national action plan concerning the strategy for the prevention of violence against children monitors all of the activities in light of these principles and assumes a systematic approach and changes to the long-term strategy for 2011 – 2018, in compliance with the European strategy, adopted at the CoE conference in Strasbourg.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy that the prevention of children’s injuries and the prevention of violence against children has become the main topic of this specialised international seminar which constitutes a component of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union and in its own way builds on the Presidency conference Child-Friendly Europe, which was also concerned with violence against children, at a human-rights level. The conference adopted conclusions that can contribute to the prevention of injuries among children and violence against children. Let me name, for example:

- Promotion of the “interest” of children in every-day life,

- Creating a child-friendly world,

- Support for education,

- Appointing an ombudsman for children,

- And the development of international cooperation.

With this list, I hoped to underscore the common denominator behind the wilful and negligent harming of children, the consequences of which children often carry throughout their lives and which can reduce the quality of their lives. That is why I wish you every success in your work, not only during this two-day meeting, but, primarily, in your praiseworthy work in which you draw attention to the risks connected with violence against children and, in so doing, lead society to more effective protection of children.