ACKNOWLEDGMENTS without you is simply unimaginable and your involvement will without a doubt benefit so many children worldwide. Thank you for coordinating the research groups, complex missions and consultations across the globe from Bangkok to Pretoria, and for setting up diplomatic meetings from Geneva to New York. Your knowledge on children’s rights and project management has enriched the Study in so many ways. I thank you also for being a central force during the conceptualisation of the research process and the promotion of the child participation component. You have been instrumental in developing the global dissemination strategy and process which will be vital in the implementing of the recommendations. So many people, of which I am one, have been positively affected by your clear motivation and commitment. On a personal note, working with you is not only a pleasure, but it is also a source of constant enrichment as you have been a great colleague. Lastly, I want to thank you for your deep belief in making the world a better place for children! Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Executive Editor of the Study and the Study Manager Georges YOUNES. You have been the source of positivity for this Study. When I was appointed as Independent Expert in the autumn of 2016, you were the first person to stand with me. Thank you for embarking on this adventure together. You more than anyone else know what it meant to fundraise for the Study and to fight to keep it alive. Your engagement in this regard as well as your commitment to children’s rights will never be forgotten. Thank you also for taking the leading role in so many crucial aspects of the Study, including the development of the questionnaire and the organisation of all expert meetings and various consultations around the world from Vienna to Venice and Addis Ababa to Tunis. Heartfelt thanks for your unwavering dedication to managing the multifaceted editing process. It is not often that one has the honour to work with someone who never loses faith in a project – even in those moments when I myself had doubts. You managed the whole Global Study team, scattered across all world regions, with a respectful professionalism that is to be admired. Your humble yet confident manner is something one finds only rarely. I am not the only person who would say that you inspire people, thereby getting the best out of them. It has to be said also that the skill with which you approached the management of a global project that had to be developed under very challenging circumstances is astonishing. You are very appreciated and trusted by all your colleagues and I could not think of a better person to having entrusted this responsibility with. Without you there would have been no Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty. On this occasion, I would also like to thank your wonderful wife Gabriella, who has stood by your side for all these years and has been your source of comfort and energy. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family for their unconditional love, endless support and continued patience during this demanding and challenging project. This would have not been possible without your support, dear Suada, Una and Dino. XXVI