A/HRC/16/55 welcomed the participation of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children. 5. Mr. Ndiaye referred to the recent commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, at which the persisting challenges to its full implementation were noted, including in ensuring the dignity of the child; in providing the child with full possibilities for development; and in facilitating dialogue between adults and children. He also recalled that child participants to the event focused also on issues affecting the dignity of children, and in particular sexual exploitation and abuse. They issued a number of recommendations which also included a request for an integrated approach to prevention of and protection from abuse and sexual and economic exploitation of girls and boys, based on the rights of the child. In May 2010 we would celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on, respectively, the involvement of children in armed conflict, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. It would be ideal to reach universal ratification of both Optional Protocols by 2012, the tenth anniversary of their entry into force. 6. Mr. Ndiaye added that an Open-ended Working Group of the Human Rights Council was now working on the possibility of elaborating an Optional Protocol to the Convention that would introduce a communications procedure for the rights the child. This mechanism could further strengthen the protection of children’s rights, including with regard to sexual violence. He concluded his remarks by stating that the discussion should contribute to developing a more holistic understanding of the various manifestations of this underrecognized problem, and of effective modalities of addressing it with a child rights-based approach. 7. The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children, Ms. Santos Pais, focused her presentation on sexual violence against children in the family and the community. She said the family was the natural environment for the development and well-being of the child. For many children, however, the daily reality was one of neglect and trauma as they witnessed or endured domestic violence and ill treatment and abuse, including sexual violence, very often behind a curtain of silence and social indifference. Ms. Santos Pais said that girls appeared to be at greater risk of sexual violence and forced and early marriage, which in itself is a form of sexual violence. Up to one third of adolescent girls report their first sexual experience as being forced. Although less frequently acknowledged, sexual violence against boys was also a significant problem, including within the home. She emphasized that sexual violence has a dramatic and lasting impact on children's physical and emotional health, on their development and education, and is also linked to other forms of violence, including trafficking. Sexual violence also negatively affects the social well-being of victims, as they are often blamed, coerced to keep silent, and stigmatized and marginalized by their families and communities. 8. The Special Representative underlined that sexual violence was a particularly difficult topic to survey as a result of its sensitive nature. Available data was scanty and fragmented, national studies were scarce, and reporting remained weak and difficult. In the case of sexual violence within the home, the pressure to conceal it was particularly strong, with shame, secrecy and denial leading to a pervasive culture of silence. 9. She described the experience of a national survey conducted in Swaziland, as a follow-up to the United Nations Study on violence against children. The finding of the survey helped to break the silence around violence and contributed to the development of a national strategy to effectively prevent and address it. This study underscored the importance for each country to develop a strategic agenda to prevent and address sexual violence. Key dimensions of this strategy should include: solid data and research; the identification of underlying causes and groups of children who may be at greater risk; 4