This past week there were two days that reminded us that caring for the little and vulnerable ones and protecting their rights is a task that concerns all of us.

On Wednesday November 20th, it was the commemoration of the 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1989. Different commemorative events were organized around the world to celebrate the progress achieved in these three decades and bring to forefront work that still needs to be done.

In addition, Monday November 18^th was the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The European Day was an initiative of the Council of Europe aiming at creating awareness about this issue. According to the data the Council of Europe collected, one in five children are victims of some form of sexual violence in Europe. In the 2019 edition, the theme selected was “empowering children to stop sexual violence,” and different events were organized in the Council of Europe member states to promote the participation of and exchanges between children, parents, educators, policy makers and child protection officers to give a voice to children regarding matters that directly affect them. The initiative is associated with the campaign “One in Five,” which is aimed at raising awareness and promoting the ratification and implementation of the Lanzarote Convention (Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse).

 

Photo credit: Flickr; Linh Lưu Huệ