A/HRC/16/55 I. Background 1. In its resolution 7/29 on the rights of the child adopted on 28 March 2008, the Human Rights Council decided to dedicate, at a minimum, an annual full-day meeting to discuss different specific themes on the rights of the child, including the identification of challenges in the realization of the rights of the child. In its resolution 10/14 on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto, adopted on 26 March 2009, the Council decided to focus its next resolution and annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child on the fight against sexual violence against children. 2. The annual full-day meeting on the fight against sexual violence against children took place on 10 March 2010, and was aimed at raising awareness about sexual violence against children, reaffirming existing standards and commitments, highlighting good practices and lessons learnt from work over the years, as well as identifying key challenges and anticipating future work. The full-day meeting consisted of two panels: the morning panel focused on manifestations of sexual violence against boys and girls while the afternoon panel was devoted to discussing protection of boys and girls from sexual violence: prevention and response. More than 60 States; 5 non-governmental organizations on behalf of other organizations dealing with rights of the child; the European Union; the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and UNICEF participated in the interactive dialogue following the morning and afternoon presentations. II. Manifestations of sexual violence against boys and girls A. Introductory remarks and statements by panellists 3. The morning panel was moderated by Alex Van Meeuwen, President of the Human Rights Council. The Director of the Human Rights Council and Special Procedures Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bacre Waly Ndiaye, made introductory remarks, followed by presentations by: Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children; Tim Ekesa, Director of the Kenya Alliance for the Advancement of Children; Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on question of torture; Lena Karlsson, Director of the Child Protection Initiative, Save the Children; and Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. 4. In his introductory remarks, Mr. Ndiaye said that of all forms of violence against children, sexual violence was unquestionably one of the most repugnant. Children were physically hurt and mentally scarred in the most terrible way, with lifelong consequences. The panel would address the root causes of sexual violence in the five settings in which childhood was spent, namely home, schools, care and justice systems, workplaces and the community, and would additionally focus on sexual violence against children in conflict situations, emergencies and disasters. He highlighted some recent progress regarding children in conflict situations including Security Council resolution 1882 (2009), which reiterated that sexual violence against children during conflict would no longer be tolerated, and requested the Secretary-General to list, in his annual report to the Security Council, parties to armed conflict that engage in patterns of rape and other sexual violence against children in armed conflict, as well as the establishment of the mandate of Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence against Women in Armed Conflict recently entrusted to Margot Wallström. He also described the process leading to the United Nations study on violence against children and its recommendations and 3