Restorative Justice for Children in Colombia - a successful role model

Bogotá, December 20, 2016. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) and the International Peace Group (GIP) celebrated the closure of their this year´s cooperation agreement, along with 240 children in contact with the juvenile justice system or at risk of committing crimes.

The Colombian restorative justice model for children under the UNODC Global Programme on Violence against Children in the field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is an example of success in empowering children through sports and cultural activities with a human rights-based approach in 6 regions of Colombia in preventing crime and violence as well as social inclusion and peaceful conflict resolution: boxing in Valledupar/César; football and theater in Leticia/Amazonas and Cúcuta/Norte de Santander, baseball in San Bernado del Viento and Puerto Escondido/Córdoba, football and dancing in Riosucio and Belén de Bajira/Chocó, and audiovisual activities in San Andrés/Island.

This replicable initiative for several regions and countries of the world shows how the Global Progamme fosters peaceful solution of conflicts, the reduction of marginalization and social exclusion inculcating a culture of lawfulness and tolerance and the respect for cultural diversity and identities. It is expected to continue and expand joint activities benefiting a wide range of children in Colombia in 2017.