A/68/274 Similarly the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post2015 Development Agenda in its report 2 recognizes freedom from violence as a fundamental human right, and the essential foundation for building peaceful and prosperous societies, and calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against children. 10. Capitalizing on the increasing international attention given to this topic and the momentum generated by the recommendations of the study, over the reporting period, the Special Representative undertook significant initiatives to rally firm support and step up progress in children’s protection from violence. First, as reflected in section II.A below, she undertook significant efforts to mainstream the protection of children from violence in the policy agenda, including through the promotion of ratification and implementation of international standards. Second, as highlighted in section II.B, the Special Representative pursued initiatives to enhance awareness and consolidate knowledge on violence prevention and responses, through the organization of expert consultations and the development of thematic studies. Third, as presented in section II.C, significant developments were promoted to reinforce institutional collaboration with regional organizations and institutions; and, finally, as discussed in section II.D, strategic alliances were further strengthened within and beyond the United Nations system to accelerate progress in ensuring children’s protection from violence. 11. Since the start of the mandate, to support national initiatives and bring it closer to national stakeholders and the public at large, the Special Representative conducted over 90 missions in more than 50 countries in all regions. Country visits provided a valuable opportunity to advance implementation of the recommendations of the study and address a wide range of concerns through (a) high-level policy discussions with national authorities, (b) awareness-raising and advocacy initiatives with professional groups, civil society partners and children and young people and (c) media encounters. The visits have helped to promote acceleration of progress in the universal ratification of human rights treaties, the enactment and enforcement of legislation designed to ban all forms of violence and safeguard the protection of child victims, and the consolidation of data and research to be used to inform policymaking, as well as initiatives to prevent children’s exposure to violence in the home, in schools and in care and justice institutions, or as associated with harmful practices and community violence. A. Widening the human rights foundation for children’s freedom from violence United Nations campaign for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child 12. Children’s freedom from violence is a fundamental human right recognized by the Convention on the Rights of the Child 3 and the Optional Protocols thereto, 4 and addressed by other important international standards. The ratification and effective __________________ 2 3 4 4/26 Available from http://www.post2015hlp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/UN-Report.pdf. See annex II, goal 11, at p. 52. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531. Ibid., vols. 2171 and 2173, No. 27531, and General Assembly resolution 66/138, annex. 13-41970