The mechanisms for strengthening the system for the protection of children and adolescents against violence were examined during the seminar sponsored by the Cabinet for Children and Adolescents, the National Council for Children and Adolescents, the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) and Plan International in which national and international experts participate.
The objective of the seminar “Towards an effective system for the protection of children and adolescents against violence” is to improve the lives of children and adolescents by strengthening prevention approaches and incidents through a plan that takes into account different contexts, including emergency situations.
Based on the discussion on experiences of good practices in specialized systems, the participants suggested renewing the vision and framework of the protection system provided for in Law 136-03, and identifying key elements that can be addressed during the next two years with the purpose of eradicating violence against children and adolescents.
In the opening act, led by the first lady Raquel Arbaje, president of the Cabinet for Children and Adolescents; Alexandra Santelises, director of CONANI’s Rectory; Anyoli Sanabria, deputy representative of UNICEF, and Virginia Saiz, director of Plan International, the authorities intervened to express concrete commitments to the purpose of the seminar.
“The government of President Luis Abinader has placed investment in children and adolescents at the center of public policies because, as it established even before August 16, 2020, this investment guarantees a better country,” said Raquel Arbaje.
She argued that much remains to be done because the social debt accumulated over decades with children and adolescents aggravates problems that damage their lives, sometimes irreversibly, annulling their citizenship rights in advance.
Alexandra Santelises, director of CONANI’s Rectory, highlighted that the country has made progress in strengthening the system, mainly in the areas of legal framework and policies, increased public investment, inter-institutional coordination and the construction of alliances to promote the implementation of policies. protection of children and adolescents against all forms of violence.
She also pointed out the need to strengthen the skills of the operators of the protection system and to strengthen the understanding of the problem by political actors in order to achieve more effective responses to the enforcement of children’s rights.
On her side, Virginia Saiz, director of Plan International, said that “Dominican boys and girls deserve to live in a country that protects them against abuse and violence, with institutions that respond systematically to the cases they suffer. daily.
For Plan International and all civil society, this seminar is a definitive commitment to change the reality of childhood and adolescence”.
She added that as a civil society organization, Plan International is committed “to continue supporting the Dominican State through solutions and models that will guarantee the protection and participation of children and adolescents.”
Meanwhile, Anyoli Sanabria, deputy representative of UNICEF, congratulated the Dominican authorities for their commitment to the protection of children and adolescents against all types of violence.
“I welcome the opportunity for the Cabinet for Children and Adolescents, together with CONANI, which are the highest governing authorities in the country, to join forces with UNICEF and Plan International to undertake promising practices and spaces for dialogue on concrete actions aimed at preventing and responds to any type of violence against children and adolescents, starting with these experience sharing sessions,” said Sanabria.
She also emphasized UNICEF’s commitment to continue supporting the country in strengthening the protection system, in introducing the necessary reforms, and in advancing in the guarantee of rights.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The seminar will last two days. International and national experts participate, whose presentations address the elements of an effective protection system against violence against children and adolescents and good practices.
The participants will present on the situation of child protection in the country; taking into consideration the participation of children and adolescents in the Protection System and assessments for a country agenda aimed at strengthening the National System for the Protection of Children and Adolescents.
