A/HRC/16/56 (b) Be made widely available and well-publicized through appropriate and active means to children and adults, including those acting on children’s behalf; (c) Be accessible to all children under the jurisdiction of the State, without discrimination of any kind, while being age appropriate and gender sensitive, and granting special protection to children at risk; (d) Be guided by the best interests of the child and informed by children’s experience and perspectives; (e) Guarantee the safety of children, through, inter alia, measures to avoid any risk of harm, intimidation, reprisals or revictimization; (f) privacy; Ensure the confidentiality of proceedings and respect children’s right to (g) Provide prompt and speedy response and follow-up, to, inter alia, avoid adverse consequences to those concerned. C. Recommendations 111. Where mechanisms do not exist, States should establish by law, and promote and implement safe, child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms in compliance with the guiding principles and requirements mentioned above, as a core dimension of a well-functioning and well-resourced national child protection system, which is universally available to and accessible by all children without discrimination of any kind. Such mechanisms should be grounded in a solid legal framework framed by international standards, prohibiting all forms of violence against children, and safeguarding the rights of child victims and witnesses, and should be provided with the necessary financial means and well-trained human resources to act in a timely, ethical, child-sensitive and effective manner. 112. Where mechanisms exist, it is critical to secure their availability to and accessibility by all children, without discrimination, and to ensure that they act in an ethical, effective and child-sensitive manner and pursue the best interests of the child at all times. To this end: (a) Laws, policies and guidelines should be developed in conformity with international human rights standards, and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of relevant bodies, institutions and professionals involved with counselling, reporting and complaint services for children affected by violence; the rights and legal safeguards of child victims and witnesses should be clearly spelled out, including with a view to avoiding any risk of revictimization through harassment or reprisals. Those working with children should have clear guidance on reporting requirements and consequences. Mandatory reporting responsibilities should be defined with respect for children’s rights, including to confidentiality and privacy; standards establishing an obligation to report violence should be incorporated into regulations or rules of conduct of all institutions and agencies that deal with children at risk of violence. Mandatory reporting by professionals who work with children of sexual abuse and other acts of violence causing physical injury and psychological violence should be given due consideration by all countries. Rules that protect the identity of professionals and private individuals who bring cases of violence against children to the attention of the competent authorities should also be enacted into law; (b) An institutional, coordinated and integrated response should be pursued across relevant sectors, including justice, law enforcement, social welfare, education and health. This effort should be supported by: (i) initiatives to enhance staff capacity 22