A/65/262 Forum on Human Rights and the high-level meeting of the Permanent Intergovernmental Group “L’Europe de l’Enfance”. 118. The meetings called for the establishment of a strong partnership with the Special Representative and support to her Office; reiterated commitment to the implementation of the United Nations study’s recommendations, including legal reforms to prohibit all forms of violence; the promotion of research incorporating children’s own experiences and perspectives; the development of independent children’s rights institutions and the establishment of effective complaints mechanisms. The meeting also recommended the use of development assistance programmes and funding mechanisms to support those efforts. 119. The Special Representative also pursued discussions with the representatives of the European Union on the implementation of its 2007 Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, which include a specific implementation strategy on violence against children framed by the study’s recommendations. 120. With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, which explicitly identifies children’s rights as a key dimension of the European Union’s agenda, the protection of children from violence is expected to gain increasing attention, opening up avenues for accelerated action in follow-up to the study. 10. Cooperation with policymakers, experts and researchers in support of an evidence-based agenda 121. One key overarching recommendation contained in the United Nations study concerns the need for national improvements in child data systems and for national research on violence against children. Violence against children is an area where available information is limited and difficult to gather, thus failing to capture the true scale and extent of this phenomenon in society. Overall monitoring systems are weak, while research remains scattered and of widely differing quality. 122. To promote progress in this area, the Special Representative participated, in November 2009, in the Global Conference on Research and Child Rights in Addis Ababa, organized by the Childwatch International Research Network, the African Child Policy Forum and the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, in cooperation with the Committee on the Rights of the Child. 123. The Conference brought together an eminent group of government representatives, policymakers, experts and researchers committed to the protection of children’s rights through evidence-based analysis, advocacy and public policies. 124. Violence against children was high on the agenda of the Global Conference, with a particular emphasis on the role of data, analysis and research in support of the follow-up to the study. These dimensions were considered critical to inform the development of national comprehensive strategies and of legal reforms; to break the silence around sensitive questions; to enhance understanding of risk factors and vulnerabilities; and to strengthen violence prevention. 125. Cooperation with academics and research institutions will continue to be pursued to consolidate progress in areas covered by the study, and to address emerging concerns, including the serious risks of violence faced by children on the move, as well as the potential and challenges presented by the use of new technologies in the protection of children from all forms of violence. 10-47898 23