Child Protection Project

On Friday 21 October 2011, a committee composed of various Chilean organizations working with children had an audience with the President of the Republic, to request his patronage of the Project of Law for the Integral Protection of Children and Adolescents. This project has been designed by civil society organizations, with the endorsement of the Vicepresident of the Senate. The project was presented to the Executive with the signatures of 34 senators and 60 deputies from across the house, without distinction of political positions.

During the audience, the Ministers of Social Development, Mr Joaquín Lavín, and of Justice, Mr Teodoro Ribera were present with the President. Those taking part as representatives of civil society were: David Órdenes, of the civil organizations collective “Mobilization for a Culture of Protection of Rights”, Carlos Muñoz, of the “Network of NGOs of Children and Youth”, Ingrid González, of the “Congregation of the Marist Brothers” and Osvaldo Torres, of the “United Nations Association” (ACHNU).  Senator Letelier and Mr Gary Stahl, representative of UNICEF in Chile, also took part.

Gary Stahl gave account of the recommendations made on two occasions to the State of   Chile to adapt legislation to the International Convention, for which it is fundamental to count on the Law of Protection, the modifications to the Institutionalization of Childhood and the Defender of the Child.

The President of the Republic, in his address, recognized the importance of this initiative, and thanked the organizations mentioned for the advances they had made in this respect, indicating that they could constitute a support for the work being developed by the Ministries of Social Development and Justice. He concluded by giving instructions to   Minister Lavín to set up, as soon as possible, a joint working party, to collect and analyze the contribution on the Law Project.