The UN Study on Violence against Children aims to promote action to prevent and eliminate violence against children at international, regional, national and local levels. The Study is a UN-led collaboration, mandated by the General Assembly, to draw together existing research and relevant information about the forms, causes and impact of violence which affects children and young people (up to the age of 18 years). The final report is expected to be published in 2006 and recommendations presented to the UN General Assembly.Government questionnairesThe UN circulated questionnaires to all governments in 2004 requesting information regarding key legislation, policy,programmes, data and other information about violence against children in their country. They were asked to submit the completed questionnaire by 31 July 2004. So far, 126 countries have replied. However, the following 65 countries have still not submitted their contributions:  Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados,Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Iraq,  Ireland,  Kiribati, Korea Democratic People's Republic, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tom and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Timor Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe The number of countries that have submitted their responses is very positive. However, as the final report of the Secretary General will be presented at the General Assembly in October 2006, civil society, NGOs and individuals should encourage their government to submit their questionnaire to the Secretariat as soon as possible.Technical note submitted to the Commission on Human RightsThe General Assembly, in its resolution 60/231, requested submission of the final report of the Study at its sixty-first session. This note, The Secretary-Generals study on the question of violence against children, submitted to the 62nd session of the Commission on Human Rights provides information on progress of the study. [Source: CRIN]