A/72/275
I. Introduction
1.
The present report provides a review of key developments promoted by the
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children at the
global, regional and national levels and provides an overview of the results achieved
in safeguarding children’s freedom from violence.
2.
Guided by General Assembly resolution 62/141, which established her
mandate, the Special Representative is a global, independent advocate for the
prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children.
3.
In its resolution 71/177, the Assembly expressed support for the work of the
Special Representative, recognized the progress achieved since the establishment of
her mandate, including through regional and the matic consultations, field missions
and studies on emerging concerns, and welcomed her efforts in mainstreaming the
recommendations of the United Nations study on violence against children 1 in the
international, regional and national agenda.
4.
Realizing every child’s right to freedom from violence is a fundamental
dimension of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the United Nations
study on violence against children identified critical steps to make it a reality for all
children. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development envisions a world that
invests in children and in which every child grows up free from violence, abuse and
exploitation.
5.
Capitalizing on the strategic opportunity presented by the 2030 Agenda to
further strengthen the protection of children from violence, the Special
Representative has promoted and further enhanced strategic processes and alliances
with national Governments, United Nations partners, regional organizations, civil
society, faith-based organizations, the private sector, the media and child-led
networks.
6.
The implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires strengthened partnerships.
For this reason, the Special Representative strongly supports the Global Partnership
to End Violence against Children, Alliance 8.7, the Global Youth Partnership for the
Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Alliance for Reporting Progress on
Promoting Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.
7.
With the same aim, the Special Representative in 2016 launched, with a wide
range of partners, the “High time to end violence against children” initiative, 2 which
mobilizes leaders from all walks of life to take concrete action and widen circles of
non-violence around children’s lives.
8.
Cooperation with faith-based organizations has been critical to enlarge circles
of non-violence. Religious leaders are important allies in the promotion of the
recommendations of the United Nations study on violence against children, helping
to foster dialogue, promote change in practices that perpetuate viole nce against
children, and encourage the use of non-violent forms of discipline within places of
worship and religious communities at large. As Pope Francis highlighted during his
meeting with the Special Representative in March, and on Universal Children’s Day,
the international community needs to be vigilant, to protect children from violence
and to ensure that every boy and girl enjoys school and education and grows up with
serenity and confidence in the future.
9.
The fifth Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children, held in May
2017 in Panama City, placed these concerns at the heart of its agenda. The Forum
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See A/61/299.
www.endviolenceagainstchildren.org.
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