2. Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue - Enhancing Access to Justice for Children in the UAE

Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue - Enhancing Access to Justice for Children in the UAE

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Company: Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue, Dubai, UAE
Company Description: The Geneva Centre is a think-tank dedicated to the promotion of human rights through cross-cultural, religious and civilizational dialogue between the Global North and the Global South, and through training of the upcoming generations of stakeholders in the Arab region.
Nomination Category: Publication Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Award for Innovation in Non-Profit/NGO Publications

Nomination Title: Enhancing Access to Justice for Children in the United Arab Emirates

Provide the date on which this nominated publication was first publicly distributed: The book publised in2019

Optionally, you may list creative and production credits for your work - a list of the people and organizations that contributed to its development:

The book was composed byhigh-level experts from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the International Labour Organization, the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia as well as the Department of Child and Woman Protection of the General Department of Human Rights of Dubai Police.

Provide an essay of up to 625 words describing the publication and the innovative aspect of the publication that you are nominating. In the essay, describe the genesis of the innovation, how it was developed and executed, and the results of the innovation to date.

The present publication is the fruit of a panel debate entitled “Enhancing Access to Justice for Children in the United Arab Emirates”, that took place on 18 September 2019 at the United Nations Office in Geneva. Conducted as a side-event to the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, it also commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, celebrated in 2019. The panel debate paid close attention to the right of children to access justice, and aimed to raise awareness about the need to protect the rights of children in vulnerable situations, while gaining deeper understanding of the root causes and risk factors of child abuse and neglect. The debate was co-organized by the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue and the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United Nations Office in Geneva. It also welcomed a group of expert practitioners from the UAE who shared with the panel participants several practical initiatives implemented in the country to enhance the legal empowerment of children.

The panel debate was opened by H.E. the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the UN in Geneva and was moderated by the Executive Director a.i. of the Geneva Centre. The panel was composed of high-level experts from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the International Labour Organization, the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia as well as the Department of Child and Woman Protection of the General Department of Human Rights of Dubai Police.

The panellists underlined that despite the success of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in raising awareness of children’s rights worldwide, millions of girls and boys still have their rights violated. The children fall victims to severe negligence and abuse, conflicts and wars, forced labour, sexual exploitation and human trafficking, violence at home and homicide, poverty, structural violence, undue separation from their families and risky survival activities. Particularly in early childhood, the impact of violence can often be irreversible. Violence and abuse often go hand-in-hand with deprivation and cycles of vulnerability, leading to risks of poor health, poor school performance and long-term welfare dependency. As children become older, their prior exposure to violence can become part of a continuum, at times persisting over generations. Access to justice and redress mechanisms is of an ever growing importance, yet only a fraction of the children who suffer abuse are able to seek and obtain any form of remedy. It is only if effective remedies are made available to redress violations, that children’s rights have meaning. Ensuring access to justice can help mitigate the risks of violence faced by children.

The publication seeks to summarize the rich panel proceedings and the thoughtful reflections provided by the eminent experts. It also includes an intellectual think piece on the lessons learned from the panel debate, which identifies the main challenges and the ways forward for achieving equitable and universal access to justice for all children. The specific context of the UAE is analysed, alongside some positive practices shared by the guest speakers.

The Geneva Centre wishes to reiterate its commitment towards the attainment of the right to access justice for all children. Together with its partners and through pursuing common endeavours, the Geneva Centre will continue to examine the violations of the rights of the child in the MENA region and globally, as well as to develop and disseminate the good practices in their prevention and elimination.