A/67/230 development of a well-informed and targeted policy agenda to address persisting challenges and strengthen the overall system of protection of children’s rights. C. Reinforcing regional processes and governance mechanisms in support of national implementation efforts 25. Collaboration with regional organizations and institutions is a cornerstone of the Special Representative’s strategy to accelerate progress in the implementation of the Study recommendations. Those partnerships are aimed at developing policy platforms to sustain and scale up positive developments, identify concerns and challenges, and mobilize action to safeguard children from violence. 26. Decisive progress has been made in this area, with the growing institutionalization of regional governance mechanisms and the adoption of political commitments concerning violence against children in eight regions. 5 27. To strengthen synergies between regions, in 2011 the Special Representative hosted a high-level round table at the United Nations, at which regional institutions launched significant studies assessing progress in protecting children from violence. Those studies constitute a key component of the information hub developed by the Special Representative’s office to support knowledge-sharing, the cross-fertilization of experience and South-South cooperation. 28. Over the past year, the regional process of follow-up has been further strengthened, with the organization of three regional consultations: in Central America, in December 2011, hosted in Santo Domingo by the Government of the Dominican Republic; in the Caribbean region, in May 2012, hosted in Kingston by the Government of Jamaica in cooperation with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); and in South Asia, in May 2012, hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka, with the South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation. 29. In addition, the Special Representative agreed upon a regional cooperation framework with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, for which protection of children against violence constitutes a priority of its five-year workplan; 6 held two review meetings with the League of Arab States in October 2011 and June 2012 to advance implementation of commitments made on the protection of children from violence; and pursued her close cooperation with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, including through the co-organization of the consultation on the protection of children from harmful practices (see paras. 17-20 above). Cooperation was also pursued with the Council of Europe, which adopted its 2012-2015 Strategy for the Rights of the Child, highlighting the elimination of all forms of violence against children as a core objective; and with the European Union in the framework of its Agenda for the Rights of the Child and review of its Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child. __________________ 5 6 10 See Political Commitments by Regional Organizations and Institutions to Prevent and Address Violence against Children, http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/publications. www.asean.org/26775.htm. 12-45164