A/HRC/25/35 IV. Good practices A. Empowering children with child-sensitive information 18. Children’s access to information about their rights and ways of promoting their safeguard and implementation, as well as ensuring their informed consent to decisions in line with their evolving capacities, is a crucial dimension of access to justice. Most countries that contributed information to the present report indicated that dedicated arrangements for the dissemination of adequate information to children are in place. These arrangements include, inter alia, (a) information on websites and online counselling services; (b) initiatives to raise awareness, such as human rights education, discussions and presentations in schools, organization of court visits and moot courts; (c) the publication and dissemination of brochures, leaflets, posters in child-sensitive language and adapted to children’s age in police stations, courts, and victim support services; (d) the establishment of help-lines that provide free, private and confidential 24-hour telephone counselling for children, as well as other creative initiatives. For instance, in Belarus, writing and art competitions aiming at enhancing knowledge about children’s rights are carried out. 19. In this context, it is important to recall that children should be provided with information and advice that is adapted to their age, maturity and circumstances. It should be conveyed in language children are able to understand and which is gender- and culturesensitive, and supported by child-sensitive materials and information services.27 20. Information should also be available to parents, teachers and people working with and for children. In a survey conducted by Child Rights Connect with 310 children from 24 countries on their views and opinions on accessing justice, children overwhelmingly stated that the main source of information about remedies would come from their parents or family members. The vast majority of children also said that they would want their parents to help them in obtaining access to justice because they trusted them. The survey also showed a preference for information to be sent directly to them as well as for information to be provided at school and online.28 In that regard, the essential role of civil society organizations in awareness-raising, providing information and promoting public discussion on children’s rights has been highlighted by a number of States. B. Child-sensitive procedures as a prerequisite condition to access justice 21. In order to ensure effective access to justice for children, national legal systems should have the capacity to accept and address complaints from or on behalf of children, while fully respecting, protecting and ensuring their rights. This implies that the system is child-sensitive, in particular taking into account the general principles and relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as all other relevant human rights norms and standards.29 27 28 29 8 Safe and child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms to address violence against children, footnote 22 above, p. 7. Child Rights Connect, survey, see footnote 1 above. See paras. 8-12. In particular, the United Nations Guidelines on Justice in matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime, and the Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Child-Friendly Justice provide further guidelines on the requisite elements of a childsensitive justice system. The main elements of a child-sensitive system are addressed throughout chapter IV of this report.