CEDAW/C/GC/31-CRC/C/GC/18 (b) Establish a free, 24-hour hotline that is staffed by trained counsellors, to enable victims to report instances when a harmful practice is likely to occur or has occurred, and provide referral to needed services and accurate information about harmful practices; (c) Develop and implement capacity-building programmes on their role in protection for judicial officers, including judges, lawyers, prosecutors and all relevant stakeholders, on legislation prohibiting discrimination and on applying laws in a gender-sensitive and age-sensitive manner in conformity with the Conventions; (d) Ensure that children participating in legal processes have access to appropriate child-sensitive services to safeguard their rights and safety and to limit the possible negative impacts of the proceedings. Protective action may include limiting the number of times that a victim is required to give a statement and not requiring that individual to face the perpetrator or perpetrators. Other steps may include appointing a guardian ad litem (especially where the perpetrator is a parent or legal guardian) and ensuring that child victims have access to adequate child-sensitive information about the process and fully understand what to expect; (e) Ensure that migrant women and children have equal access to services, regardless of their legal status. VIII. Dissemination and use of the joint general recommendation/ general comment and reporting 88. States parties should widely disseminate the present joint general recommendation/general comment to parliaments, Governments and the judiciary, nationally and locally. It should also be made known to children and women and all relevant professionals and stakeholders, including those working for and with children (i.e. judges, lawyers, police officers and other law enforcement officials, teachers, guardians, social workers, staff of public or private welfare institutions and shelters and health-care providers) and civil society at large. It should be translated into relevant languages and child-friendly/appropriate versions and formats accessible to persons with disabilities should be made available. Conferences, seminars, workshops and other events should be held to share good practice on how best to implement it. It should also be incorporated into the formal pre-service and in-service training of all relevant professionals and technical staff and should be made available to all national human rights institutions, women’s organizations and other human rights non-governmental organizations. 89. States parties should include in their reports under the Conventions information about the nature and extent of attitudes, customs and social norms that perpetuate harmful practices and on the measures guided by the present joint general recommendation/general comment that they have implemented and the effects thereof. 14-64765 23/24

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