“Seminar for National Associations of Local and Regional Authorities on the ONE in FIVE Campaign and the Pact of Towns and Regions to stop sexual violence against children” – 30 June 2015 (9.00 – 18.00),’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

 

Speaking Notes for Johan van den Hout, Provincial Executive of the Province of North-Brabant and Congress Thematic Spokesperson on Children

Opening session

’s-Hertogenbosch, 30 June 2015

Check against delivery

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am Johan van den Hout. I am a Provincial Executive of the Province of North-Brabant and the Congress of local and regional authorities of the Council of Europe Thematic Spokesperson on Children. 

I am really pleased to welcome you here, in the Provincial Council of the province of Noord-Braband. We are proud to see many participants from every corner around Europe to this seminar on the ONE in FIVE Campaign and the Pact of Towns and Regions to stop sexual violence against children that we have co-organized with the Congress.

I am also pleased to introduce our first speakers:

-          Marcelle HENDRICKX, the Alderman – member of the council – for Education, Youth and Culture of the Municipality of Tilburg, in the Netherlands, since 2014

-          Her portfolio includes:

§  Education (including adult education, higher education and student affairs

§  Youth (including decentralization youth)

§  Culture

§  And also Emancipation  and Human resources (including housing)

-          Mikael POUTIERS, who works at the Children’s Rights Division, within the Directorate General of Democracy division of the Council of Europe. 

-          Finally, I have the pleasure to welcome our keynote speaker, Ms Corinne DETTMEIJER-VERMEULEN, who is the Dutch national rapporteur on Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence against Children.

-          Corinne Dettmeijer was appointed as Dutch National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings on October 1st, 2006.

-          In 2009 her mandate as rapporteur was extended to include child pornography. In 2012 her mandate has been once more broadened and today, she covers the whole area of sexual violence against children.

-          For many years Ms Deittmejer had been judge at the district court of The Hague, and, from 1995 until 2014 she served as vice president of the court.

-          She is also a member of several – national and international – professional bodies and advisory committees in the field of juvenile law.

-          I would also like to congratulate her for having been elected in 2014 one of the most powerful women in the Netherlands working on justice and public policy, by the Dutch magazine Opzij.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The objective of the seminar is to present ONE in FIVE Campaign and the Pact to the national associations. As the seminar will conclude the Congress’s contribution to the Campaign which is ending this year, we would like to explore together how to cooperate on raising awareness of these instruments in order to encourage European cities and regions to commit to them and to sign the Congress Pact.

I will let Mr Poutiers elaborate on the ONE in FIVE campaign. I can tell you now that this campaign has two main goals:

·         to achieve further signature, ratification and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (the Lanzarote Convention)

·         to equip children, and societies at large with the knowledge and tools to prevent and report sexual violence against children, thereby raising awareness of its extent.

As regards the Congress Pact of Towns and Regions to stop sexual violence against children, it’s a Pact we adopted to promote the Convention among local and regional authorities.

-          Our aims:

1.    to bring about the adoption of child-friendly local and regional services,

2.    to protect children, and

3.    Help prevent sexual violence within the community.

-          We have now the Pact translated into 37 languages (online) covering all Member States. We also have printed copies for you in most languages, and we invite you to disseminate them in your country.

-          To date, more than 67 partners have already signed up to the Pact: 45 cities and regions and 22 associations including national associations of local and regional authorities.

As national associations, you have a key role to play in promoting the Lanzarote Convention with your own national authorities. Indeed, associations of local and regional authorities are the interface between the national level and the local level. You are also key players for the dissemination of the Pact by encouraging your own municipalities to implement the examples of initiatives it proposes. Our Congress attaches special importance to dialogue and partnership with you as illustrated by our seminar today because you are our best multipliers in the field.

Coming back to my investment in the campaign:

·         I have been appointed Thematic Spokesperson on Children for the Congress.

·         I represent the Congress at Council of Europe and external events, presenting our policies and priorities in the field of children.

-          For example, I represent the Congress at the meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly's Network of Contact Parliamentarians; and at the Lanzarote committee meetings

-          Lately I also joined Matty McVarish on the last leg of his 10,000 mile "Road to Change" walk to raise awareness, in 29 European states, of sexual violence against children. 

-          Clemens Lammerskitten, member of the Congress, showed similar support in Germany to runners from Osnabrück.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have organized today three working sessions:

-          Working session 1: how are children’s rights protected by law?

-          Working session 2: working together for a more effective protection of children

-          Working session 3: raising awareness of the one in five campaign and the congress’ pact: exchange of views and good practices

I encourage the fullest possible participation and invite all of you to take the floor and ask questions during the working sessions, so we can make this seminar a fruitful one, exchanging good practices and ideas.

I would also like to inform you that, during the day, there will be video interviews with the speakers. I invite the other participants who are interested to present their activities to contact the Secretariat, Ms Theophile, so that arrangements can be made. The video clips will then be put online on the Congress website and the Council of Europe Youtube account.

You have on your desk a copy of the Pact. There are also extra copies for you to take back with you.

Those of you who wish to sign up to the Pact can do so here during the seminar and Ms Theophile is at your disposal to show you how to do it online if you wish to do it when you are back in your countries.

At the end of this meeting today, we will prepare a conclusion document, puttin on paper the follow up we can give to this seminar, even if the campaign is officially ending this year.

Thank you for your attention.

--- INTRODUCTION of Marcelle HENDRICKX ---