A/72/275 against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse by 2040 17 and mainstreams the prevention and elimination of violence against children in other areas. 93. The 2017 Day of the African Child 18 was devoted to the 2030 Agenda and to efforts made in the region to promote sustainable development. Recognizing violence as one of the major barriers to creating an Africa fit for children, the discussions placed a special emphasis on ensuring progress towards Sustainable Development Goal target 16.2. 94. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is developing a strategic framework on the strengthening of child protection systems to prevent and respond to violence against, and abuse and exploitation of, children. The framework is aimed at providing guidance to strengthen national child protection systems across the region, reducing child vulnerability, building children’s resilience, and preventing and protecting children from abuse, exploitation and violence, as well as enhancing the accountability of ECOWAS in monitoring, implementation and reporting in West Africa. 95. The Special Representative will continue to enhance her collaboration with the African Union, including in support of efforts to advance the implementation of its Campaign to End Child Marriage. 96. In June 2017, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union devoted an open session to ending child marriage in Africa. 19 The Council underlined the need for member States to criminalize child marriage, with a view to deter ring it, while ensuring the provision of appropriate mechanisms for psychosocial support, as well as reproductive health services for victims of violence. The Council requested the African Union Commission to take the steps necessary to raise awareness and enhance civic education campaigns on ending all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation of children, including child marriage, echoing the call made by the Special Representative and many partners during the seventh International Policy Conference on the African Child, 20 hosted by the African Child Policy Forum in November 2016. 97. Since the adoption in 2015 of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence against Children, the Special Representative has been actively promoting its implementation, in collaboration with the ASEAN secretariat, the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, and member States. 98. The regional plan is framed by the 2030 Agenda and provides a powerful example of how regional cooperation can support national action to protect children from violence and advance progress to achieve the violence -related Sustainable Development Goal targets. It proposes concrete actions within a realistic time frame, including the promotion of non-violent approaches to child discipline, the deinstitutionalization of children, the protection of children from online abuse, the promotion of child-friendly justice proceedings, the prevention of deprivation of liberty of children, the promotion of alternatives to detention, and awareness-raising campaigns to break the invisibility of violence and secure the protection of child victims. 99. To support implementation of the Regional Plan, in December 2016, the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children released the ASEAN Guidelines for a Non-violent Approach to Nurture, __________________ 17 18 19 20 17-13267 Aspiration 7: Every child is protected against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse. www.acerwc.org/download/concept-note-day-of-the-african-child-2017/?wpdmdl=9987. www.peaceau.org/uploads/psc.692.press-statement.ending.child.marriage.13.06.2017.pdf. http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/story/2016 -11-15_1507. 15/18