A/69/264 (e) Enacting a clear legal ban against all forms of violence. In many countries, criminal legislation prohibits serious crimes, such as murder and torture. However, owing to the stigma and superstitious beliefs surrounding children with albinism or accused of witchcraft, additional legislative measures are needed to secure their effective protection. National legislation needs to include a clear and comprehensive prohibition of all forms of violence and harmful practices to protect these marginalized girls and boys, and to provide for means of redress and accountability. Clear provisions on reporting, investigation and prosecution of incidents of violence are essential to fight impunity. Information ca mpaigns and awareness-raising initiatives, and capacity-building of relevant professionals, are equally needed to make the provisions of the law known and effectively enforced, and to overcome deep-rooted social conventions condoning violence. (f) There is a need to ensure the recovery and reintegration of child victims. This is critical and should be promoted in a nurturing environment that fosters children’s health, self-respect and dignity, and supports the development of their full potential in life. (g) There is a need to consolidate data and research. Doing so is indispensable to break the invisibility and secrecy of these practices, to inform the development of laws, policies and interventions, and very especially to protect children at risk. 42. As these phenomena illustrate, there is no time for complacency. To build a world free from violence, it is crucial to consolidate the gains that have been made, grasp the lessons learned, and redouble efforts to shape a dynamic process of change. The cost of inaction for every child and for nations ’ social progress is simply too great to be tolerated. The opportunity for change is too close to be ignored. With the development of the post-2015 agenda, the international community can place the protection of children from violence front and centre in the global development agenda and in the policy action of nations. C. Placing children’s protection from violence at the centre of the post-2015 development agenda 43. As the countdown for achieving the Millennium Development Goals draw s closer, the international community is enhancing efforts to narrow persisting gaps and to shape the future sustainable development agenda. That agenda needs to be informed by the lessons learned in the past years and by the concerns voiced by the peoples of the United Nations. 44. One of the lessons from the Millennium Development Goal process is that, despite important progress made, countries affected by violence tend to lag behind. In these countries there is a higher risk of poverty and malnourishment, higher levels of child mortality, poorer health and higher rates of children out of school. 45. Violence against children is not a new topic in the development ag enda. It is a core dimension of the right to freedom from fear, proclaimed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and highlighted by the Millennium Declaration and the process generated thereafter. Yet, the lack of a distinct goal within the Millennium Development Goals has compromised efforts to mobilize action and support for prevention of violence and for children’s protection. And it hampered 10/23 14-58801