Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

The UK was keenly involved during 2010 in the development of the draft Council of
Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and
domestic violence. Negotiations on this convention will continue in 2011. In
September, the UK welcomed the adoption of the five-year EU Strategy for Equality
between Women and Men to promote equality in Europe which sets specific
measures to tackle inequality and gender-based violence.
Our embassies also have an important role in promoting women’s rights. In addition
to lobbying on women’s rights, they also supported a number of projects and
initiatives. In November our Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, in partnership with a local
NGO, launched a project to teach women in the Berkane region environmental
sustainability and income-generating skills. In Sierra Leone our Embassy supported
an initiative to broadcast radio programmes against sexual violence.
Children’s rights
Our embassies and high commissions promote children’s rights internationally. The
High Commission in Jamaica supported the missing children’s support programme
to reduce the number of missing children by raising awareness through public
education, training, social work personnel, parent support activities and school safety
programmes. The High Commission also part-funded a project to conduct a review
of child protection procedures in relation to the initial disclosure of sexual abuse, and
the investigation, prosecution and trial of such cases. In the Matoto and Ratoma
districts of Guinea we co-funded, with the French Embassy in Conakry, a project to
combat drug addiction and trafficking among young people. The British Embassy in
Rabat funded a project to empower young people in Morocco through financial
autonomy. This project will help around 70 youths from the disadvantaged regions
of Kenitra and Casablanca to generate a stable source of income by training them in
business skills, as well as providing mentoring in the set-up and initial operation of a
small business. The project will conclude in March 2011.
At the international level, the Government was actively involved during 2010 in
negotiations on the drafting of a third Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child. The Optional Protocol will provide a communication and
complaints mechanism under which children will be able to bring allegations of
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