Press release UNITED NATIONS		Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1944 and he lives between São Paulo, Paris and Geneva ,with his wife Ana Luiza. He has three children Daniela, André, Marina and three great children Thomas, Sofia and Mateus.

Study on violence against children welcomed by UN agencies
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro appointed as independent expert on study

NEW YORK, 3 April 2003 - UNICEF welcomes the appointment of Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil by the Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan, as the independent expert to lead a UN study on violence against children. The joint UNICEF, WHO, and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is the first of its kind.

The appointment comes at a time when millions of children are trapped in a cycle of violence and exploitation, and the study will shed more attention on the plight of the most vulnerable.

The request for the study was recommended by the Committee on the Rights of the Child - which is deeply concerned that children in all parts of the world are at risk of physical, sexual and psychological violence within their families, communities, schools and other institutions.

Mr. Pinheiro will carry out his two year mandate in close collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNICEF and WHO. He will also take into account the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the contributions of UN Members States and non-governmental organizations.

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