A/HRC/17/46 C. Concluding remarks 42. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children emphasized that young people had great potential and that it was important to build a partnership with them. For that reason, the international community had to listen to children. It was essential to invest in prevention and in the protection of children from all forms of violence. There was a need to understand what led children to the street and it was necessary to document the root causes and risk groups for better implementation of preventive policies. Violence against children living on the street had to be investigated, and children should have access to child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms to report incidents of violence. She strongly emphasized that the criminal justice system should not be a replacement for a child protection system. She hoped that the outcome of the panel discussion would be a solid, comprehensive report that the Human Rights Council could revert to in 2011. At the regional level, States should not miss opportunities to exchange information, such as with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the African day on street children on 16 June. 43. The Deputy Inspector General of Police of Sindh, Abdul Khalique Shaikh, referred to the sharing of good practices and replicating them in different parts of the world. The dialogue pointed at best practices in different areas, such as health, education and policing. Best practices had to be disseminated and implemented. He added that the real challenge overall was the implementation of existing laws and the capacity-building of professionals working with children. International conventions were ratified, domestic legislation was enacted and there was proper policy, but the failure was in the structures and institutions and the lack of capacity among the people dealing with children. Existing structures and institutions should therefore be made more effective. 44. The Director of Proyecto Meninos e meninas da rua, Marco Antonio da Silva Souza, stated that poverty was an important factor that led children to live on the street. Professionals working with children in street situations had to consider many different aspects in their work: the family, the community, generational issues, new technologies, modes of behaviour, violence, alcohol and drugs. The State had an important role to play, together with international bodies, in providing a holistic approach to support families and children who were adrift. There was a need for political will and financial support to help children in the street. Any strategy required the involvement of all actors, particularly those dealing with children on the street. It was important to create a space to hear children’s voices and to ensure broad social contribution to any proposed solutions. It was essential to do research and determine who street children were, what the most appropriate responses were and how they could be expanded and replicated. Laws were frequently very harsh on families. 45. The Senior Adviser of UNICEF, Theresa Kilbane, emphasized the importance of creating policies that were inclusive of children, such as vocational education and supporting families. These were important roles that the States needed to play. With regard to best practices, UNICEF planned to document by 2012 the lessons learned in assisting vulnerable children, taking into account regional meetings and the work conducted on the ground. She highlighted the need for the prevention and creation of child protection systems to ensure that children did not end up on the street. Regarding data, there was a need to collect the evidence of what worked and what did not, and who were the most vulnerable children requiring assistance. All of these measures required increased investment and adequate human and financial resources. 13