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"Children who come into conflict with the law have the same rights as all other children and these rights must be respected. The way children are treated by national justice systems and security institutions is not just integral to the achievement of the rule of law. It is also an indication of how much children's rights are fulfilled."
Held under the patronage of Jordan Ministry of Justice, the four-day event brought together more than 55 government officials from eight countries in the region: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan and Yemen.
The event sought to ensure better protection of children going to justice system by:
• Increasing knowledge amongst key juvenile justice decision-makers of the indicators used by UNODC and UNICEF, their value and use;
• Increasing countries' capacity to identify and assess the strengths and weaknesses of current data collection by police, courts and places of detention;
• Increasing inter-ministerial cooperation; and
• Developing national plans to improve information systems for indicator measurement.
"Building national data collection and information systems helps adapting policy to reality and making justice more effective and humane, by reducing delays and risks of children being "lost in the system," said Anna Giudice Saget, UNODC officer responsible for juvenile justice. "The ultimate objective is to protect children from maltreatment and prevent them from getting involved in crime."
Programmes addressing the issue of justice for children should be guided by a set of principles including the need to ensure that the best interests of the child is given primary consideration; that all children are treated fairly and equally, without discrimination; that they are protected from abuse, exploitation and violence; and that they are treated with dignity and compassion.
During the workshop, facilitated by experts from UNICEF and UNODC, participants reviewed case studies, analysed juvenile justice systems in their own countries, and learned about juvenile justice tools and indicators developed globally.
They also visited a juvenile office at a police station and a juvenile court in Amman.
"We hope that delegations will go back to their respective countries of origin with a plan to strengthen national information systems thus contributing to the achievement of the rule of law and the realization of children's rights," Hiddleston said.
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Posted by Siba Sami Ammari
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