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"Local and regional authorities have a key responsibility for the safety and welfare of children, and are therefore on the frontline of the fight against their sexual abuse," stressed Johan van den Hout, Thematic Spokesperson on Children, at the conference on the implementation of the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child 2012-2015, in Dubrovnik (Croatia) on 27 March. Presenting the Congress' contribution to the "One in Five" Campaign, he gave examples of good practices at the grassroots and highlighted activities to promote the Congress Pact of Towns and Regions to stop sexual violence against children. "The Pact translates the Lanzarote Convention into a list of local and regional policies and practical initiatives for developing child-friendly services, protecting children and helping to prevent sexual violence within the community," he said.