A/HRC/52/61
coordinators, country teams and regional commissions, as well as her participation in all
regional sustainable development forums.
11.
The Special Representative met regularly with resident coordinators and United
Nations country teams to focus on violence in common country analyses and strategic
outcomes as they prepare the new generation of United Nations Sustainable Development
Cooperation Frameworks, as a means of supporting States in their commitments to end
violence against children and engage with human rights mechanisms. The reinvigorated
resident coordinator system and United Nations programmatic processes provide renewed
opportunities to mainstream the protection of children and their rights, thereby ensuring that
no one is left behind in the United Nations cooperation framework. This aligns with the report
of the Secretary-General entitled “Our Common Agenda” and with “The highest aspiration:
a call to action for human rights”.
12.
Guidance by the Special Representative on incorporating action to address violence
against children and its drivers in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
complements other forms of support for United Nations country teams. These include the
learning package developed by the United Nations System Staff College, the United Nations
Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), UNICEF, the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations
Population Fund and the Development Coordination Office to increase the capacity of United
Nations country teams to apply the first three of the six United Nations Sustainable
Development Cooperation Framework guiding principles – namely, the human rights-based
approach; gender equality and women’s empowerment; and leaving no one behind – in an
integrated manner across United Nations interventions. The Office of the Special
Representative has cooperated and engaged with the Development Coordination Office,
resident coordinators and the United Nations country teams throughout the year in support
of efforts to enhance the inclusion of initiatives on prevention of and protection of children
from violence. Some have been supported at the country level by the Human Rights
Mainstreaming Multi-Donor Trust Fund. Throughout her engagements with United Nations
country teams, the Special Representative has recognized the value of the presence within
the teams of human rights advisers. Their expertise supports, for example, interlinkages
between the process for preparing the voluntary national reviews and the follow-up of
relevant outcomes from the universal periodic review.
13.
Moreover, the Office of the Special Representative has prepared an overview of the
voluntary national reviews and the presentations made by Member States during the highlevel political forum on sustainable development held in 2022, focusing through a child
protection lens on the interlinkages between the Sustainable Development Goals which echo
the interdependence of children’s rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
14.
Throughout voluntary national reviews processes, extending from report preparation
to presentations at the high-level political forum, the Special Representative has noted that
several Member States expressed their commitment to prioritizing the well-being and
protection of children. However, while many stressed the plight of children in vulnerable
situations, there was limited reporting on action taken for their protection and care. She also
noted the positive impact of a system-wide approach taken by the United Nations at the
country level to support the preparation of national reviews. Finally, in the overview prepared
by the Office of the Special Representative, which will be widely disseminated among
Member States, United Nations partners, civil society and other stakeholders, it is observed
that 19 Member States had highlighted the involvement of children and young people in their
national review processes. The Special Representative is encouraged by the responses and
support received from Member States in terms of input and guidance provided through the
process.
15.
The 2022 high-level political forum, on building back better from COVID-19 while
advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda, offered an opportunity to highlight
the need for investment in integrated, cross-sectoral child- and gender-sensitive protection
and violence prevention . The Special Representative, who was a lead discussant at the
session on building back better and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, reflected
on the opportunity for bringing about a paradigm shift to end violence and achieve a truly
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