Child Abuse and Neglect

The Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse was adopted and opened for signature in October 2007, and since then has been signed by 28 of the Council of Europe's member states. It is the first international treaty to provide criminal penalties for those who sexually abuse children and a valuable tool for preventing and combating violations of children's fundamental rights.

A new study on corporal punishment and school bullying by Save the Children Sweden aims at exploring measures taken to prevent physical and humiliating punishment of children and bullying and to build the case for legal provisions, public education and adequate protection systems. It covers six countries; Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, and the St. Petersburg region of the Russian Federation.

On the 48th session of the CRC, which will last from 19th May to 6th June 2008, Bulgarian delegation is going to present its second periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. After examining the report, the Committee will address its concerns and recommendations through Concluding Observations.

Child Rights Information Network calls for support in its latest campaign regarding establishment of a Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence against Children.