Ms. Isabela Fávero (EFSAS) speaking on Victims of Terrorism during 37th Session UNHRC
08-03-2018, Geneva
Ms. Isabela Fávero (Research Analyst EFSAS) spoke during the 37th Session UNHRC at a Side-event ‘Access to Justice as a Strategy for Constraining Violence against Children’, organized by Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism (ADVT), Partners of EFSAS.
In her speech, Ms. Fávero thoroughly discussed the subject in relation to the region of South Asia, as the region is a well-known hub of various terrorist organizations which continuously operate and plan attacks on innocent people and children.
Ms. Isabela Fávero speaking at a Side-event called "Access to Justice as a Strategy for Constraining Violence against Children"
Ms. Fávero said that South Asia has been a front-line region as far as terrorism and extremism are concerned. Many international violent radical organizations continue to operate from locations in the subcontinent. For people and children in South Asia, terrorism is sadly an inevitable part of life that also significantly impacts the politics of the region. She further said that over the last decade, Pakistan and terrorism have become synonyms in the eyes of analysts and policymakers. As the most defenceless victims of crimes against humanity in the terrorism crisis, children have endured many sufferings in the recent years.
She gave the example of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for speaking out for universal education, who is living evidence that attacking children is not a new terrorist tactic.
Ms. Fávero further said that there are about 80 million children and young persons under the age of 18 in Pakistan, a big majority of whom are living without or with - poor access to health, education, social services and facilities and justice. In order to provide technical support and policing for those victimized, it is first necessary that the state recognizes its failures. However, when the state is the crime perpetrator, civil society together with Human Rights organizations should stand up for the promotion of procedures and mechanisms which help children to access justice.
According to her, the effectiveness of the terrorist act does not lie in the act itself, but in the public or government reaction to the act. Therefore, the power of civil society should not be undermined. The public should recognize the importance of unity and advocacy for change in moments of devastating tragedies and whenever the asymmetries of the political system lets down their collective trust.
Ms. Fávero suggested the need for developing space and an enabling environment that allows the public to engage more actively in governmental affairs, to challenge them and to transform the nature of the current status quo and potentially trigger long-term social changes in their respective countries.
