A/HRC/28/55 23. The Model Strategies provide a crucial tool to promote progress in violence prevention and elimination. However, their success is dependent on the extent to which they are acknowledged and used to make a real difference in the lives of children. 24. The Special Representative remains strongly committed to promoting the dissemination and implementation of the Model Strategies across regions. The PanAmerican Child and Adolescent Congress,8 organized in December 2014 in Brazil, offered one such opportunity to promote their implementation through the Organization of American States. C. Consolidating progress at the regional and national levels 25. Protecting children from violence is a priority on the political agendas of regional organizations and institutions — in the Arab region, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, strong political commitments have been solemnly made, and detailed agendas for action put in place to guide Member States in implementation. Across regions, there is promising change in the promotion of an integrated approach to violence prevention and response; the enactment of a legal ban on violence against children; the consolidation of data systems and research to assess the magnitude of the phenomenon and identify children at high risk; and, no less importantly, wide alliances and social mobilization processes are helping to overcome deeply rooted attitudes and social norms that condone violence against children. 26. In order to increase implementation, the Special Representative has promoted periodic high-level regional meetings, and five comprehensive regional studies have been conducted to capture change and re-energize action. The studies were necessary in order to monitor how much change is taking place and assess the difference it is making, and to target action to prevent children from being left behind.9 27. Dialogue between regions has also gained ground with the Cross-Regional Round Tables hosted annually by the Special Representative. The most recent meeting, held in June 2014 in Jamaica, provided an effective platform to promote the sharing of experiences and agree on joint action to prevent and eliminate violence from early childhood through law, policy, research, adequate resources and changes in attitudes and behaviour.10 28. In 2015, the annual round table will be organized jointly with the Council of Europe, in Strasbourg, and will primarily address children’s protection from sexual violence. 29. At the national level, important developments have taken place. A growing number of countries have adopted a national time-bound agenda to address all forms of violence against children, in some cases supported by detailed implementation action plans. 30. Significant legislative reforms have been undertaken to prohibit violence in all its forms, including within the family. At the end of 2014, some 45 countries had comprehensive legal bans, triple the number in place in 2006. In order to support implementation, many States have promoted information and social mobilization campaigns, capacity-building initiatives for professionals working with and for children, and initiatives to promote positive parenting and non-violent discipline. That has led to a decrease in the acceptance of the use of violence, and a greater tendency to report incidents of violence. 8 9 10 6 See http://xxicongresopanamericano.org/en/xxicongreso/. See http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/category/regions. Further information can be found in A/69/264, paras. 59–61.