IPJJ Newsletter, Nr. 20, July 2009

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Interagency Panel on Juvenile Justice (IPJJ)
Newsletter

 Nr. 20, July 2009

Contents:

1. Editorial
2. New resources
3. Information request
4. Future events
5. Links

 1. Editorial:

In this edition of the Panel Secretariat Newsletter we would like to highlight new resources available on the Panel website on child victims and witnesses of crimes. The Panel has chosen to broaden its mandate to consider this issue as in some countries child victims are  criminalized or even deprived of liberty contrary to the UN Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crimes (ECOSOC resolution 2005/20). The Committee on the Rights of the Child repeatedly reminds State parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC) not to criminalize child victims in order to prevent them from suffering additional stigmatisation or marginalisation. The resources below include sections on the protection of the rights of child victims and witnesses in the justice process.

Contents

2. Selected new resources on the Panel website:

(i) Resources on child victims and witnesses of crimes

Social Practices and Activities Institute, Bulgaria

International Institute on the Rights of the Child (IDE)/ UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (UNICEF IRC)

  • “Handbook on the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography” (February 2009) (EN)

Ugo Cedrangolo/ UNICEF IRC:

  • “The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and the Jurisprudence of the Committee on the Rights of the Child”, Innocenti Working Paper, No 2009-03, Florence, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (April 2009) (EN)

Anne Gallagher and Elaine Pearson/ Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)

  • “Detention of trafficked persons in shelters: A legal and policy analysis” (August 2008) (EN)

European Union Agency for Fundament Rights (FRA)

  • “Child Trafficking in the European Union – Challenges, perspectives and good practices” (July 2009) (EN)

Instituto Internacional Casa Alianza Honduras/ Coalición Centroamericana para la Prevención de la Violencia Juvenil – CCPVJ:

  • Analysis of the Extrajudicial Executions and/or Violent Deaths of Children and Youth in Honduras in May and June 2009 (“Análisis de Ejecuciones y/o Muertes Violentas de Niños/as y Jóvenes en Honduras, Mayo y Junio 2009”) (July 2009) (ES)

(ii) Resources on juvenile justice

Interagency Panel on Juvenile Justice (IPJJ):

  • Extracts from the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Concluding Observations, 51st Session: Recommendations Relevant to Juvenile Justice Reform (June 2009) (EN)

Michele Deitch et. al/The University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs, USA:

  • “From Time Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System” (2009) (EN)

Carina Olthof and Leslyn Thompson /United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Guyana:

  • Reintegration in Society - A Child’s Vision for A Better Future (June 2009) (EN)

Contents

3. Information request:

Children in the Union - Rights and Empowerment (CURE) is a project on child victims in the European Union (EU) run by the Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority. The objective of CURE is to improve the position of child victims, including through the provision of recommendations to the European Commission. CURE is undertaking a survey of the legal position of the child victim in EU member states and best practices in this area. Some of the practices gathered in this study will be presented at a conference in December 2009, within the framework of the Swedish EU Presidency, and published in a report in 2010.

CURE is seeking information on practices aimed to protect the child victim during the criminal justice process on the following themes:

  • Information on child victims
  • The situation of the child victim during interviewing
  • Legal representation/assistance
  • The appearance of the child victim in court

These practices can relate to legislative reform, policies, training, working methods, approaches, pilot projects or outreach/information. Please send information to CURE by 1 October 2009.

For further information and contacts please see the CURE website (www.childvictims.se) or download the full information request by clicking here.

4. Forthcoming Panel member events:

To view the Calendar of events: www.juvenilejusticepanel.org/events/

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Defence for Children International (DCI)

  • Seminar on child participation in juvenile justice, 19-20 November 2009, Geneva, Switzerland

Contents

5. New links from our website:

(i) Justice in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crimes:

(ii) Juvenile justice:

(iii) New page: Child-Specific National Human Rights Institutions and Special Mechanisms:
http://www.juvenilejusticepanel.org/en/nhri.html

Contents

Yours sincerely,

The Newsletter Team.

About the Newsletter:
English edition: Davinia Ovett, Secretariat Coordinator, IPJJ
French edition: Nicolas Gehriger, Communications Assistant, IPJJ
Spanish translation: Vera Winkelried
Please send us your comments to: newsletter@juvenilejusticepanel.org

Address:
Interagency Panel on Juvenile Justice, Secretariat, 1, rue de Varembé, P.O. Box 88, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, Tel: +41 (0) 22 734 05 58, Fax: +41 (0) 22 740 11 45
http://www.juvenilejusticepanel.org