A/HRC/28/55 31. Lack of data and research remain pressing challenges, but promising progress has taken place in that area with the development of national data surveys on violence against children in a number of countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Those efforts helped to inform the design and implementation of multisectoral policy and programme responses, the promotion of training initiatives and the issuance of guidance for professionals. In support of that process, in October 2014, the Special Representative joined the Government of Cambodia in launching its national household survey, the first to be completed in the East Asia and Pacific region. III. Enhancing children’s protection from violence in the post-2015 development agenda 32. Ensuring that the protection of children from violence remains at the centre of the post-2015 development agenda has been a high priority for the Special Representative, as has including in the process those who are most affected: children and young people themselves. 33. In order to capture the wealth of children’s opinions, the Special Representative undertook, in close cooperation with civil society partners, a review of a wide range of reports and contributions to the post-2015 agenda debate, including many national consultations held around the world. The review informed the Special Representative’s report “Why children’s protection from violence must be at the heart of the post-2015 development agenda: A review of consultations with children on the post-2015 development agenda”.11 34. The report shows that children are eager to have a voice on the post-2015 development agenda. The message from the more than eight hundred thousand children involved in the numerous consultations is clear and unambiguous: “violence is a major obstacle to child development and it urgently needs to be brought to an end!” 35. In their recommendations, children highlighted three major issues. Firstly, they expressed deep concern at the high levels of violence affecting their lives — in schools, the community, the workplace and the home. Girls underscored the particularly high risk of sexual violence, and boys the special risk of severe forms of physical abuse, crime-related violence and homicide. Children called for their effective protection from violence in all contexts and at all times. They ranked protection from violence as their second highest priority, immediately after education. For them, education is crucial to develop children’s talents and skills and to promote healthy lifestyles, and it is important in preventing violence and discrimination, countering intolerance, and enhancing dialogue and critical thinking. As they noted, receiving an inclusive and high-quality education helps prevent fear and abuse, as well as violence-related school dropout, early pregnancy, child marriage and child labour. 36. Secondly, children acknowledged that some manifestations of violence have heightened incidence in different regions of the world, where some groups of children are at special risk of violence. In Africa, children with disabilities were considered particularly vulnerable to violence and discrimination in schools. In many cases, early pregnancy and harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, were special concerns. In Asia, trafficking, child labour and violence associated with drugs and alcohol abuse were particularly emphasized. In Latin America and the Caribbean, domestic and family violence ranked the highest, followed by sexual abuse, corporal punishment, armed 11 See http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/page/1153. 7