A/72/275 III. Mainstreaming children’s protection from violence in the national policy agenda 67. The Special Representative continued to give strong support to the consolidation of national efforts to protect children from violence, including through country visits to Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, the Republic of Korea and Thailand. These visits helped to further enhance policy frameworks to prevent and address violence, support the enactment and enforcement of legislation to ban violence in all its forms and promote the consolidation of data and research to inform action, and to sustain and monitor progress. 68. In Indonesia, children’s protection from violence is a key priority in the national development plan. The national strategy on the elimination of violence against children plays a critical role in advancing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and is supported by innovative social protection schemes which promote parenting support, help to keep girls in schools and prevent early marriage. 69. In Malawi, the policy response to the 2015 national survey on violence against children helped to place special emphasis on children’s protection from harmful practices, including initiation rites and attacks against children with albinism. Similarly, it helped to focus national attention on the high prevalence of child marriage and on the critical importance of keeping girls in school. It also strengthened the involvement of traditional and community leaders wh ose role has been critical in violence prevention and response, and in monitoring progress. Importantly, these local leaders have enacted by-laws to prohibit child marriage and other harmful practices and support the return to school of children who get married. Important results are being achieved, including an increase in the number of incidents reported, a growing number of girls back in school, and local chiefs no longer officiating at child marriages and invalidating those which were previously celebrated. 70. In 2017, the United Republic of Tanzania launched a new national plan of action to end violence against women and children. 12 Guided by the 2030 Agenda and building upon the findings of the 2009 household survey on violence against children conducted by the Government, the plan recognizes the positive impact of investment in violence prevention on inclusive growth and provides a strategic framework to mobilize action and resources towards the achievement of the violence related targets of the Sustainable Development Goal, especially target 16.2. 71. In France, a new interministerial action plan to combat violence against children for the period 2017-2019 13 was adopted in 2017. The plan is aimed at supporting families in their child-rearing responsibilities and promoting positive parenting practices, breaking the invisibility of violence against children, promoting early detection and reporting of incidents, and strengthening support services and assisting victims. 72. Support for legislative measures to address violence against children remained a high priority for the Special Representative. Since 2006, the number of countries with a comprehensive legal ban has more than tripled, reaching more than 50 in 2017, including most recently Benin, Ireland, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lithuania, Mongolia, Paraguay, Peru, Slovenia and Viet Nam. __________________ 12 13 17-13267 http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/sites/default/files/2016/NPA VAWC%20%20Tanzania.pdf. www.memoiretraumatique.org/assets/files/v1/Documents-pdf/20171er_Plan_VIOLENCES_ENFANTS_VF.pdf. 11/18