''With the Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (the Lanzarote Convention), we wish governments to commit and to take concrete actions in order to eliminate this scourge. With the One in Five Campaign, we want this to become a cause for everybody. A cause for governments, for parliaments, for local and regional authorities, for professionals working with children, for civil society, for the media, for parents and, of course, for children as well,'' Maud de Boer-Buquicchio stressed in her speech. (more...)
Speech by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
Video of the interview with the Deputy Secretary General

Filling the gap between national laws and the reality of women in Europe, and eliminating violence against women were the two main topics discussed at the meeting between the Deputy Secretary General and the Executive Director of UN Women on 26 January. Michelle Bachelet referred to the importance of women's participation in economic, public and political life. She also commended the Council of Europe on its landmark convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence which she is promoting in Europe. (more...)

Deputy Secretary General, Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio met with Sir David Baragwanath, President of the United Nations Special Tribunal for Lebanon at the inauguration of the exhibition organised in memory of Judge Antonio Cassese by the Italian parliamentary delegation.

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Speaking at a conference on Internet freedom in The Hague, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Deputy Secretary General reflected on the challenges created by the development of Internet as "an open space that everybody uses, but which nobody owns or controls".
"We have to develop a participatory model of governance for internet. It can only be a system allowing all internet actors (and in particular governments, international organisations, industry and civil society organisations) to contribute to the management of this resource and adhering to a series of principles including respect for human rights, democracy and rule of law". (more…)

Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio has urged governments to sign and ratify Europe’s first treaty aimed at combating violence against women and domestic violence. Speaking on the eve of 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, she said the Council of Europe’s new Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence had the potential to truly make a difference to the lives of millions of women. “Violence against women, in any of its many forms, is an appalling violation of human rights. It is a brutal, often deadly reflection of the inequality suffered by far too many women in our societies.” she said. (more...)

Read also :
- Bratislava conference promotes Council of Europe Convention as tool to combat violence against women and domestic violence
- Speech by the Deputy Secretary General during the conference in Bratislava

The Council of Europe will bring together ministers, MPs, children’s rights defenders and civil society representatives to finalise its new strategy for children’s rights at a conference being held under the auspices of H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover on 20 and 21 November in Monaco (at the Grimaldi Forum). The strategy is designed to enhance the capacity of the Council of Europe and its 47 member states to ensure respect for children’s rights, in particular by developing child-friendly services, by eliminating all forms of violence against children and by promoting a culture of respect for children’s rights, needs and opinions. Workshops will debate on the challenges of data protection in the new media environment, on democratic citizenship and human rights education as well as on policies in support of positive parenting. (more...)
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"Children all too often grow up in the misguided belief that they have no other rights than those which adults allow them to enjoy. Many children are educated to strictly obey and avoid questioning the deeds and actions of adults. By raising awareness on children’s rights, we build an empowering environment for children, equipping them with the self-confidence, the knowledge and the tools they need to prevent, combat and report abuse." said Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio while opening in Zagreb the conference on the protection of children against sexual abuse. (more…)
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"One in Five" campaign

"Women as agents of change in the South Mediterranean Region": the international conference organised in Rome by the North South-Centre of the Council of Europe and the Italian Parliament has brought together representatives of international organisations, civil society and experts from the Southern shore of the Mediterranean. "The issue of participation is linked to the fundamental principle of equality between men and women", said today Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio while addressing the opening session. "We all have seen the images of women in streets asking for change - continued the Deputy Secretary General - Seeing is not enough. We have to demonstrate in the next two days that we have also heard and understood their messages, and that we stand alongside them." (more...) 
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Deputy Secretary General participates in a High Level Round Table on the Role of Regional Organisations on the elimination of violence against children.

Addressing delegates from the United Nations member states, the Deputy Secretary General referred to the main results emerging from the Council of Europe commitment to the elimination of violence against children. She highlighted the 47 member states consensus in a number of far-reaching legal standards in the fields of trafficking, sexual violence and domestic violence. When referring to the need to promote a culture of respect for children’s rights, Mrs de Boer-Buquicchio explained that the Council of Europe “has tackled sensitive topics and challenged public attitudes and perceptions concerning children” in its process of promoting the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Study on Violence against Children. She in particular underlined the progress achieved thanks to the Council of Europe campaigns against corporal punishment and sexual violence, as well as the development of guidelines on child friendly justice and child friendly health care. (more...)

On Wednesday 28 September 2011, the Committee of Ministers of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe adopted the Recommendation CM/Rec(2011)10 on the promotion of the integrity of sport against manipulation of results, notably match-fixing. The adoption of this Recommendation provided the opportunity to hold an exchange of views between Michel Platini, President of UEFA, Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Serbian Minister of Youth and Sport and the Ministers’ Deputies. (more...)

Opening an EU conference in Brussels on equality between men and women, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio stressed that – despite many different legal instruments being in force – equality is still not a reality for millions of women in Europe and across the world. (more...)
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On 15th September, the Deputy Secretary General opened the European Women and Sport Conference at the London 2012 Olympic Park. This three days event was co-organised by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport and the EWS network, with the support of UEFA. (more..)

Deputy Secretary General took part in a round table discussion organised by the Council of Europe within the framework of the Venice Film Festival. The event focused on cinema’s contribution to the awareness-raising efforts needed to prevent and combat sexual violence. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio thanked the Venice Biennale for having offered an exceptional platform to debate publicly and openly the issue of sexual violence against children. She reminded of the taboo around sexual violence which, as she said, “offers a confortable shelter to criminals who can continue their abuse in all impunity”. Deputy Secretary General further stressed the important role the media and the cinema could play in this context.
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