CHI - International declarations on child helplines

International documents, statements and Memoranda of Understanding

Several international organisations and United Nations agencies have released documents that recommend child helplines as a tool for child protection. The current page provides an overview of the MoUs and the most important declarations.

In addition, Child Helpline International has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with various organisations. Click here, to get more information on this.

Child helplines have been recommended as an essential tool for child protection in the following document and statements
- The ITU World Summit on the Information Society (2005)
- The United Nations Violence Against Children Study Report (2006)
- World Congress III Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, Rio Declaration (2008)
- United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment no. 12 on the Right of Children to be heard (2009)

ITU World Summit on the Information Society, the Tunis Commitment
Paragraph 24: 'We recognize the role of ICTs in the protection of children and in enhancing the development of children. We will strengthen action to protect children from abuse and defend their rights in the context of ICTs. In that context, we emphasize that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration.'

The full text of the World Summit on the Information Society Tunis Commitment can be downloaded here.

ITU World Summit on the Information Society, the Tunis Agenda
We encourage countries and all other interested parties to make available child helplines, taking into account the need for mobilisation of appropriate resources. For this purpose, easy-to-remember numbers, accessible from all phones and free of charge, should be made available.

The full text of the WSIS Tunis Agenda can be downloaded here.

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United Nations Violence Against Children Study Report
This was produced by Professor Pinheiro and presented to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2006. Twelve recommendations to combat and prevent violence against children were issued. Recommendation 8 states:
'8. Create accessible and child-friendly reporting systems and services
104. I recommend that States should establish safe, well-publicized, confidential and accessible mechanisms for children, their representatives and others to report violence against children. All children, including those in care and justice institutions, should be aware of the existence of mechanisms of complaint. Mechanisms such as telephone helplines, through which children can report abuse, speak to a trained counsellor in confidence and ask for support and advice, should be established and the creation of other ways of reporting violence through new technologies should be considered.'

For more information on the work of CHI on violence against children, please click here.

The full text of the United Nations Report on Violence Against Children can be downloaded here

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World Congress III Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, from the Rio Declaration
Paragraph 47 'Develop or enhance accessibility of existing telephone or web-based help lines, in particular for children in care and justice institutions, to encourage children and require care givers to confidentially report sexual exploitation and seek referral to appropriate services, and ensure that the operators of such reporting mechanisms are adequately trained and supervised.' South Asia Preparatory Consultation for World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents.

Paragraph 62: 'Join efforts with Governments, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, and other stakeholders to prevent the production and dissemination of child pornography, including virtual images and the sexually exploitative representation of children, and stop the use of the Internet and new technologies for the grooming of children into online and off-line abuse; undertake actions to trace and stop the flow of financial transactions for sexual exploitation of children through the services of financial institutions; support efforts to address the demand for sexual exploitation of children in prostitution and the strengthening of services for children victims and their families, including the establishment of accessible telephone or web-based help lines; and provide support for educational and awareness-raising campaigns targeting children, parents, teachers, youth organizations and others working with and for children, on the risks of sexual exploitation of children, sexually exploitative use of the Internet, mobile phones and other new technologies as well as on protective measures.'

The full text of the Rio Declaration can be downloaded here

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United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment no 12, on the Right of Children to be heard
Paragraph 120 'Much of the violence perpetrated against children goes unchallenged both because certain forms of abusive behaviour are understood by children as accepted practices, and due to the lack of child-friendly reporting mechanisms. For example, they have no one to whom they can report in confidence and safety about experienced maltreatment, such as corporal punishment, genital mutilation or early marriage, and no channel to communicate their general observations to those accountable for implementation of their rights. Thus, effective inclusion of children in protective measures requires that children be informed about their right to be heard and to grow up free from all forms of physical and psychological violence. State parties should oblige all children’s institutions to establish easy access to individuals or organizations to which they can report in confidence and safety, including through telephone helplines, and to provide places where children can contribute their experience and views on combating violence against children.'

For more information on the work of CHI on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and children's rights, please click here.

The full text of General Comment no. 12 (and other General Comments) can be downloaded here.

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	International documents, statements and Memoranda of Understanding Several international organisations and United Nations agencies have released documents that recommend child helplines as a tool for child protection. The current page provides an overview of the MoUs and the most important declarations. In addition, Child Helpline International has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with various organisations. Click here, to get more information on this. Child helplines have been recommended as an essential tool for child protection in the following document and statements - The ITU World Summit on the Information Society (2005) - The United Nations Violence Against Children Study Report (2006) - World Congress III Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, Rio Declaration (2008) - United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment no. 12 on the Right of Children to be heard (2009) ITU World Summit on the Information Society, the Tunis Commitment Paragraph 24: 'We recognize the role of ICTs in the protection of children and in enhancing the development of children. We will strengthen action to protect children from abuse and defend their rights in the context of ICTs. In that context, we emphasize that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration.' The full text of the World Summit on the Information Society Tunis Commitment can be downloaded here. ITU World Summit on the Information Society, the Tunis Agenda We encourage countries and all other interested parties to make available child helplines, taking into account the need for mobilisation of appropriate resources. For this purpose, easy-to-remember numbers, accessible from all phones and free of charge, should be made available. The full text of the WSIS Tunis Agenda can be downloaded here. t op United Nations Violence Against Children Study Report This was produced by Professor Pinheiro and presented to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2006. Twelve recommendations to combat and prevent violence against children were issued. Recommendation 8 states: '8. Create accessible and child-friendly reporting systems and services 104. I recommend that States should establish safe, well-publicized, confidential and accessible mechanisms for children, their representatives and others to report violence against children. All children, including those in care and justice institutions, should be aware of the existence of mechanisms of complaint. Mechanisms such as telephone helplines, through which children can report abuse, speak to a trained counsellor in confidence and ask for support and advice, should be established and the creation of other ways of reporting violence through new technologies should be considered.' For more information on the work of CHI on violence against children, please click here. The full text of the United Nations Report on Violence Against Children can be downloaded here t op World Congress III Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, from the Rio Declaration Paragraph 47 'Develop or enhance accessibility of existing telephone or web-based help lines, in particular for children in care and justice institutions, to encourage children and require care givers to confidentially report sexual exploitation and seek referral to appropriate services, and ensure that the operators of such reporting mechanisms are adequately trained and supervised.' South Asia Preparatory Consultation for World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents. Paragraph 62: 'Join efforts with Governments, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, and other stakeholders to prevent the production and dissemination of child pornography, including virtual images and the sexually exploitative representation of children, and stop the use of the Internet and new technologies for the grooming of children into online and off-line abuse; undertake actions to trace and stop the flow of financial transactions for sexual exploitation of children through the services of financial institutions; support efforts to address the demand for sexual exploitation of children in prostitution and the strengthening of services for children victims and their families, including the establishment of accessible telephone or web-based help lines; and provide support for educational and awareness-raising campaigns targeting children, parents, teachers, youth organizations and others working with and for children, on the risks of sexual exploitation of children, sexually exploitative use of the Internet, mobile phones and other new technologies as well as on protective measures.' The full text of the Rio Declaration can be downloaded here t op United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment no 12, on the Right of Children to be heard Paragraph 120 'Much of the violence perpetrated against children goes unchallenged both because certain forms of abusive behaviour are understood by children as accepted practices, and due to the lack of child-friendly reporting mechanisms. For example, they have no one to whom they can report in confidence and safety about experienced maltreatment, such as corporal punishment, genital mutilation or early marriage, and no channel to communicate their general observations to those accountable for implementation of their rights. Thus, effective inclusion of children in protective measures requires that children be informed about their right to be heard and to grow up free from all forms of physical and psychological violence. State parties should oblige all children’s institutions to establish easy access to individuals or organizations to which they can report in confidence and safety, including through telephone helplines, and to provide places where children can contribute their experience and views on combating violence against children.' For more information on the work of CHI on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and children's rights, please click here. The full text of General Comment no. 12 (and other General Comments) can be downloaded here. top
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