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	2015 Peoples Under Threat by Minority Rights Group International (MRG)   20 May, 2015   Peoples under Threat is Minority Rights Group’s annual authoritative rankings table which highlights those countries around the world where the risk of mass killing is greatest.   Peoples under Threat is created by compiling data on the known antecedents to genocide or mass political killing. While the individual indicators describe the current situation – what is happening – the index as a whole seeks to predict what may happen.   As an early warning tool, Peoples under Threat has been widely used by UN officials and other human rights and conflict prevention practitioners. Almost all the significant episodes of civilian killing that occurred over the last year took place in countries which were near the top of, or major risers in, 2015’s Peoples under Threat table.   Countries in the Middle East have risen up an annual list of places where vulnerable minorities are most at risk of genocide, political killing and systematic repression.   Syria tops the 2015 Peoples Under Threat list. The civil conflict there, now in its fifth year, has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions.   MRG said Shi''ites, Alawites, Christians, Kurds, Palestinians and political targets are particularly threatened.   "Extreme sectarianism has now infected much of the country," it said in a report released with the list. "Only in the Kurdish-held regions of the north ... has there been a serious attempt at establishing an inclusive democracy".   Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon and Afghanistan, countries where attacks attributed to the Sunni militant group Islamic State have taken place in recent months, all rank high on the list.   "The threat to the Middle East from ISIS should not be underestimated, but most people have more to fear from their own governments," said Mark Lattimer, MRG''s Executive Director.   Although the Middle East dominates the list, "of equal concern is the rise in risk in two of the world''s major powers: Russia and China," Lattimer said.   In China, which has risen 15 places, simmering tension with the Muslim Uighur community has led to mass arrests, dozens of executions and more than 200 deaths in terrorist attacks, with little done to address the root causes of the unrest, said MRG.   Russia, 16th on the list, owes its high ranking to rising xenophobia against migrants and regular clashes in the North Caucasus between government forces and Islamist separatists. Ukraine jumped a huge 39 places because of mass displacement in eastern regions.   Other major risers were South Sudan and the Central African Republic, while Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo were also high on the list.   http://www.minorityrights.org/13054/peoples-under-threat/peoples-under-threat-2015.html Visit the related web page
	Violence against children must stop by Unicef, Fundamental Rights Agency   June 2015   Cost of child maltreatment in Asia-Pacific tops $200 billion annually, reports UNICEF   Child abuse and violence is costing countries in East Asia and the Pacific around $209 billion a year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced in the first costing of child maltreatment in the region, revealing that “inaction about violence results in serious economic costs to countries and communities.”   “According to the study, the costs associated with emotional abuse are $65.9 billion, those associated with physical abuse are $39.6 billion, sexual abuse costs about $39.9 billion, neglect costs $32.4 billion, witnessing domestic violence costs $31 billion and death from maltreatment costs an estimated $500 million,” UNICEF said.   Among others, the study also found that: in lower middle income countries, 35 per cent of males have experienced physical abuse and 22 per cent of females have experienced sexual abuse; in high income countries, 42 per cent of females have experienced emotional abuse and 32 per cent of males have witnessed domestic violence; 25 per cent of mental disorders among males in low income countries are attributable to physical abuse during childhood; and 31 per cent of mental disorders among females in lower middle income countries are attributable to sexual abuse during childhood.   It also found that the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) lost due to child maltreatment is highest in upper middle income countries, at 3.45 per cent with the largest part (1.26 per cent) due to emotional abuse.   Additional research in Cambodia found that over 50 percent of children had experienced at least one form of violence before the age of 18, UNICEF said, noting that roughly a quarter of Cambodian children were emotionally abused and about five per cent experienced some form of sexual abuse.   “We all know that violence against children must stop because it is morally wrong. This research shows that inaction about violence results in serious economic costs to countries and communities,” said UNICEF Regional Director Daniel Toole said. “Governments need to take urgent action to address violence against children, both for the sake of the children themselves and for the wellbeing of future generations.”   UNICEF said the impact of child maltreatment include an added burden on already stretched health care systems, disability and death, and increased levels of violence and criminality.   “It is difficult for children who experience violence and abuse to grow up to be productive members of society, and their countries also risk losing the potential benefits to their communities these children might otherwise provide,” it said.   UNICEF is working with governments in the region to take action based on these findings, noting that all governments in the region have signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which commits them to protect children from violence, abuse and maltreatment.   “All children have the right to live free from violence, which harms their physical and mental growth, and inhibits the growth of their society and economies,” emphasized Mr. Toole.   “Violence against children often takes place behind closed doors but it is preventable when people come together and say loudly and clearly that this is not acceptable.”   http://www.unicef.org/endviolence/ http://www.unicef.org/protection/ http://www.unicef.org/eapro/media_24147.html http://carrcenter.hks.harvard.edu/blog/film-screening-every-day-cambodia   Child victims of violence rarely have access to justice, UNICEF says   Most child victims of violence in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia find themselves unable to speak up and file charges in court, according to a new UNICEF regional report.   The report, Children’s Equitable Access to Justice in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, sheds light on the tremendous barriers children face in seeking fair and effective solutions to put right the injustice and discrimination in their lives.   However, it also cites notable progress in the administration of justice. Governments in the region are increasingly adjusting their procedures in courts and police stations to protect the rights of children, in line with international standards. Legal, paralegal and social support to children going through justice processes is increasingly being provided. Through child rights centres or legal clinics, children and their families can obtain information on the avenues for redress, receive legal and social advice, be referred to a lawyer, doctor or psychologist or other services. In some cases, they can receive direct legal assistance to initiate a judicial process.   Speaking at a policy discussion where the report was presented, Susan Bissell, UNICEF Global Chief of Child Protection, said: “Everywhere around us, every day, children are affected by violence and abuse, yet only a fraction of them have access to a fair justice system able to make decisions in their best interests.”   “The right to access justice still seems, in the minds of many, inconceivable when it comes to children. We urge governments and key partners to include children’s specific rights and needs in justice reforms at all levels.”   The discussion was co-organized by the UNICEF Regional Office and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in partnership with the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Children’s Rights.   Other child rights violations in the region are also unreported or unchallenged in court. These include:   • Denying children with disabilities the opportunity to go to school or forcibly separating them from their parents;   • Denying children from Roma or poor families in rural areas health care, identity cards or social welfare benefits.   • Disregarding the best interests of children during custody issues in divorce proceedings.   Judicial or administrative decisions on these and other rights violations can set a precedent for other children and have a life-changing impact on their future.   Deeply entrenched social and cultural beliefs have made it unacceptable for children in the region to confide in an adult outside of the home about rights violations within the home, in school or in their community, much less bring a complaint through the judicial system citing fear of retribution for themselves and their families, the report says.   The regional study, focusing on Albania, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Montenegro, was conducted with the International Development Law Organization.   In all the countries in the study, the majority of children said they were not aware of any specific services and resources for remedy that they can turn to if they are in difficulty. Among the most vulnerable groups are children born into poverty, children from Roma communities and children with disabilities.   When finding themselves in the judicial process, children said they were not accompanied by specialized legal assistance and faced complex and lengthy procedures.   http://www.unicef.org/media/media_82166.html   Justice needs to be more child-friendly says EU Fundamental Rights Agency.   Each year hundreds of thousands of children across the EU are involved in legal proceedings. Justice systems need to do more to cater to the needs of these children, finds the latest report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Making justice more child-friendly is in the best interests of the child, improves child protection and their meaningful participation in judicial proceedings.   “We cannot allow children to be confused or stressed when they participate in judicial proceedings,” says FRA’s interim Director Constantinos Manolopoulos. “The EU and its Member States have an obligation to ensure that child rights are respected and fulfilled. This is especially the case for judicial proceedings. Member States should also ensure that the Council of Europe guidelines on child-friendly justice are applied in daily practice by everyone involved.”   Improving child rights’ protection in judicial systems is addressed by the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which all EU Member States have ratified. The Council of Europe produced special guidelines on child-friendly justice because this is an issue which affects many children. For example, around 74,000 children were victims of crime and 495,000 were affected by divorce in 11 EU Member States in 2010.   FRA research reveals that child participation practices vary widely not just across, but also within, Member States, and these practices are not always child-friendly. This points to a need for clear and consistent standards and guidelines which should be systematically monitored. The research also identified the need for awareness raising measures and the special training of professionals.   The key findings relate to specific child rights, for example:   In recent years respect and fulfilment of the child’s right to be heard has improved, particularly in criminal proceedings. In civil proceedings children are not always heard. Greater efforts are needed to ensure that children are heard in safe and child-friendly rooms, using techniques appropriate for a child’s age and maturity. Children should be heard in as few hearings as possible involving a small number of well-trained professionals.   National legislation often contains provisions on the right to information, but in practice there is significant variation in the way children are informed, when, by whom, about what and how. Regular, child-friendly information and material about child rights and judicial procedures, tailored to the child’s age, throughout the proceedings, can improve their trust in justice.   A number of Member States have made significant efforts to guarantee the child’s right to privacy and their right to protection from harm and re-traumatisation, especially in criminal proceedings. In practice, however, protective measures are often under-utilised. Separate rooms to prevent contact with defendants and the use of video recordings and video links by trained professionals in courtrooms and police stations should become standard practice in the EU to protect children adequately.   Despite legal provisions on equal treatment, staff often lack the expertise to deal with children in vulnerable situations, such as those with disabilities or those with a minority ethnic background. There is a need to ensure that children’s access to justice and their treatment in judicial proceedings is effectively monitored to prevent any discrimination. Access to legal aid and support for children in vulnerable situations should be facilitated.   http://fra.europa.eu/en/press-release/2015/justice-needs-be-more-child-friendly-finds-fra http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16099&LangID=E
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