Thanks to the efforts of the Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses (ANMP), seven Portuguese municipalities have now joined the growing community of towns and regions which are actively fighting sexual violence against children.

Portugal signed and ratified the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) in 2012.  In so doing, Portugal committed to adopting specific legislation and taking measures, at national and local levels, to prevent sexual violence, to protect child victims and to prosecute perpetrators. 

By signing the Pact and drawing the attention of its members to its provisions, the ANMP is helping the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to promote the Council of Europe ONE in FIVE Campaign and to raise awareness of the Lanzarote Convention thus bringing about the adoption of child-friendly local and regional services to protect children and help prevent sexual violence within the community.

“I am delighted to see the strong commitment of the Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses to the Council of Europe ONE in FIVE Campaign and the Congress’s Pact to stop sexual violence against children”, said Johan van den Hout, Thematic Spokesperson on Children.  “Two of the national associations of local and regional authorities are now actively campaigning for us, the other being the Union of Turkish Municipalities.  Let’s hope the other national associations will follow suit soon”.

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