The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Social Affairs Committee, meeting in Vienna, encouraged member States’ governments and parliaments to step up their involvement in the implementation and monitoring of target 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)*, to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against children.
“The Council of Europe and its Assembly have prioritised the fight to end violence against children for over a decade, developing ground-breaking and binding standards. They are thus well placed to support States address the challenges which hinder progress, namely a lack of reliable data, problems in coordinating strategic priorities at national and international levels, and lack of funding,” the parliamentarians said.
In adopting the report by Doreen Massey (United Kingdom, SOC), the committee recommended that member States provide sufficient allocation of budgets to deliver results; high quality services in education, health, social services and child justice; as well as structures and funding for local authorities to provide these services.
“States should develop a national action plan on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and a national strategy on addressing violence against children, involving parliaments, local and regional authorities, civil society and children themselves,” the parliamentarians underlined.
Finally, the committee recommended that the Committee of Ministers keep this issue high up on the agenda of its intergovernmental and monitoring bodies relating to children’s rights and work together with the United Nations in accelerating progress worldwide.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
(*) The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes several Goals (SDGs) and associated targets related to children’s rights, which fall within the Council of Europe’s mandate and reflect its standards and principles, including target 16.2.
Calls for Tenders
