The Malta Independent on Sunday
President calls for action against negative, far-reaching effects of corporal punishment
At the end of the two-day High-level Global Conference on the Universal Prohibition of Corporal Punishment, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca delivered her concluding remarks together with Minister for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity Michael Falzon and Marta Santos-Pais, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on violence against children.
“I am truly proud of what we have achieved, by working together to create a space for dialogue; a space for sharing and a space for us to move forward and take practical action. We are not only highlighting the universal prohibition of corporal punishment; most importantly, we are promoting the intrinsic dignity of each and every child. Let me also say that I have been so inspired by the contributions of all the participating delegates, who have joined us from so many countries around the world. Malta’s decision to host this third edition of the Conference reflects our country’s aspirations to promote, to protect, and to prioritise children’s rights,” the President said.
Reiterating Malta’s commitment to support the next edition of this conference, which will take place in Tunisia, in 2020, she declared that Malta is “ready to make our expertise and our experiences available to our Tunisian friends, sharing best practices to organise the next conference, in the best interests of children and their rights.”
She said that the conference had helped continue giving visibility to the importance of a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of violence against children, whether that violence is physical, psychological, sexual or emotional.
The President also commended the national statements, expressed by the various delegations, on behalf of their countries. These statements expressed the united desire to improve the ways in which countries protect and safeguard children.
“Furthermore, the fact that so many national delegations have signed the Declaration of Support to prohibit corporal punishment in all its settings, is sending an even stronger and more powerful message about our united commitment to keep this issue on the global agenda,” President Coleiro Preca added.
Finally, she said that all children must feel empowered to access and enjoy their rights and to know that they have the space and the opportunity to share their experiences, as “children are the experts on childhood and their voices must be heard by our politicians, legislators, policy-makers and activists.”
For this reason, President Coleiro Preca celebrated the contribution that had been made by Maltese and Gozitan children. Through the work of the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, “we have ensured that the participation of children was kept high on the agenda”.