The "Pact of Cities and Regions to stop Sexual Violence against Children", initiated by the Congress, was signed by the Baden-Württemberg County Association. The signing ceremony was held on the margins of the meeting of the Congress Current Affairs Committee at the Baden-Württemberg State Parliament in Stuttgart, Germany, on 28 June 2019.

"Cities ...

“All children have the right to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse. Yet thousands of children in and around Europe, are suffering harsh conditions, violence and abuse as they try to find refuge from war or poverty,” stated Gudrun MOSLER-TÖRNSTRÖM on the eve of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation ...

Local and regional authorities are on the frontline in the efforts to combat the sexual abuse of children. How can we share and develop practical initiatives at local and regional level to prevent this evil? This is the subject which will be discussed by national associations of local and regional authorities at a seminar to be held on 13 June ...

The Congress participates in the events organised on the occasion of the European Day on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse that takes place on 18 November with statements from its president, Mrs Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, as well as five members addressing the public in their own language (Dutch, Greek, Russian, ...

Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children are still a tragic reality for all our societies. They are serious violations of children’s rights, and can have long lasting and often detrimental consequences on a child’s entire life.

Recent research estimates that in 70 - 85% of cases, the perpetrator is a person known to the child. In ...

Cities and regions are the best placed authorities to implement concrete actions to protect children against sexual abuse. The work done by all stakeholders in the framework of the Council of Europe ONE in FIVE Campaign must be pursued. This was the unanimous message delivered by the participants to the seminar for national associations of local ...

On Saturday 7 February 2015, Johan van den Hout, the Congress' Thematic Spokesperson on Children, joined Matty McVarish on the last leg of his 10,000 mile "Road to Change" walk to raise awareness, in 29 European states, of sexual violence against children.  Matty met with political leaders in all 28 EU member states and in Switzerland.

Matty ...

From 8 to 10 September 2014, Johan van den Hout, Congress Thematic Spokesperson on Children, travelled to several Czech cities to talk to political leaders about the Council of Europe's ONE in FIVE Campaign and the Congress's Pact of towns and regions to stop sexual violence against children.

During his meetings with the ...

"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, ...

As part of its contribution to the Council of Europe ONE in FIVE campaign, the Congress organised a seminar in Strasbourg, France, on 9 February 2012 (Palais de l’Europe, room 5). It gathered a panel of experts, grassroots players and local and regional elected representatives. The aim of the Congress is to propose, on the basis of the experiences ...

What can local and regional authorities do to prevent sexual violence against children? How best to foster and develop practical initiatives and good practices in this area? The members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe examined these issues in a debate on 18 October 2011.

The debate formed part of the ...