Mississauga—One of the world's largest children's charities today called for the United Nations to appoint an advocate who will fight for the rights of abused children around the world.

International humanitarian agency World Vision has endorsed a major UN study, released today, calling for the appointment of a special representative to protect children suffering violence.

Staff and beneficiaries of the worldwide agency were major contributors to the three-year study on violence against children that is being presented to the UN General Assembly by Professor Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro today in New York.

World Vision's president and CEO, Dave Toycen said, "Each year, an estimated 275 million children worldwide witness domestic violence. The World Health Organization estimates that globally 73 million children are forced to have sex against their will. Double that number of children have been physically assaulted.  But who hears the cries of these children? In a world where he-who-shouts-loudest commands the most attention, children might as well be mute."

That is why World Vision is urging the UN General Assembly to repeat its response to Graça Machel's seminal study, The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, published in 1997. Following that report, the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending that the Secretary-General appoint a Special Representative on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children.

"That office has already made a significant difference for children caught up in armed conflict," said Toycen, "Now is the time for a Special Representative to be appointed to speak up on behalf of those children suffering a daily diet of violence, and Canada should lead the call for the appointment."

The UN Study on Violence Against Children has been a global effort to paint a detailed picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and to propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and respond to it.

Since 2003, thousands of people including non-governmental organizations, 136 governments, and 270 individuals and groups, including children's groups, have been involved in the consultations.

The resulting study focuses on the nature and extent of violence against children in five settings:

• Home and family
• Schools and education
• Other institutions (orphanages, children in conflict with the law)
• Work
• The community and on the streets

It concludes that violence against children happens everywhere, in every country and society and across all social groups. Extreme violence against children may hit the headlines but children say that the daily, repeated small acts of violence and abuse also hurt them, eroding their self-esteem, well-being and trust in others.

While some violence is unexpected and isolated; most violent acts against children are carried out by parents, teachers, employers, peers and schoolmates - people they know and should be able to trust.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization whose purpose is to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities by overcoming poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.