Madame Navanethem Pillay, Haut Commissaire aux Droits de l’Homme de l’ONU, 2008 – 2014

Message de Madame Navanethem Pillay, Haut Commissaire aux Droits de l’Homme de l’ONU

Content :Geneva, 20 November 2008

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights ofthe Child in one year's time, we acknowledge how child rights issues have gained moreattention at the international, regional and national levels.

The Convention offers themost comprehensive legal framework to address the protection and promotion of childrights. Despite almost universal ratification of the Convention and the important progressachieved in the last two decades, millions of children still suffer from poverty,marginalization, discrimination and exploitation.

Let us not forget that children are highly vulnerable and frequently victims of theinability or negligence of states to provide them with the necessary protection andjustice. Access to education and learning about rights are important tools to helpchildren to express their views and ultimately claim their rights.

CyberDodo educates about the Convention and presents it in a way that is appealing toChildren, as well as to parents, carers and teachers. The protection and promotion of theRights of children is more effective when all actors, including those in families, schools and the communities where they live, are sensitised and actively involved.

This project integrates different communications tools –a website, films and a publication- that facilitate children’s participation. I am pleased to say that ma Office has supported the development of the project since its creation. I wish much success to this new phase of CyberDodo.