A/69/264 children’s rights. Nevertheless, it is also a strategic opportunity to reflect on the persisting challenges that compromise children’s development and well-being. Violence against children is one such paradigmatic example. 5. The Convention calls on all Governments to take children seriously and to promote children’s rights as a distinct priority in laws and policies, in budget decisions and in daily action by national authorities. Under the Con vention, children are envisaged not simply as mere beneficiaries of well-intended actions or recipients of services. They are subjects of rights and actors in decisions affecting their life and development. The protection of children’s rights generates responsibilities that must be honoured. 6. Since the adoption of the Convention, extensive changes have been introduced in laws and policies; high-level governmental mechanisms have been set up to coordinate activities, avoid overlap and promote synergy across sectors and levels of administration; ombuds offices have been established in a growing number of countries to safeguard the best interests of the child and address children ’s complaints; children’s rights have been introduced in school curricula, and in training courses of professionals working with and for children; and data on children ha ve helped to grant visibility to children at risk and hidden areas of abuse and neglect. 7. The right of the child to freedom from violence lies at the heart of the Convention. Informed by its process of implementation and capitalizing on the strategic agenda provided by the study, the protection of children from violence has evolved from a largely neglected topic to a growing global concern. Over the past year, this process has been further strengthened. 1. Campaign for the universal ratification and effective implementation of the Optional Protocols to the Convention 8. The consolidation of the normative foundation of children’s protection from violence has been a crucial priority for the Special Representative. With the impetus provided by the United Nations campaign for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the special attention given to the rights of the child by the 2013 United Nations Treaty Event, there has been an ever-growing ratification and implementation of standards in this area: the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography has moved steadily closer to universal ratification, being in force in 167 countries; and the third Optional Protocol on a communications procedure, adopted in December 2011, entered into force in April 2014 allowing children to seek remedies and bring complaints before the Committee on the Rights of the Child on alleged violations of children ’s rights. 2 9. To enhance children’s understanding of the provisions of both Protocols, the Special Representative issued a child-friendly version of these treaties. 3 These easily accessible publications were developed with the involvement of children from different regions, who reviewed and refined the text and layout of the publications. Already translated into 10 national languages, these advocacy tools will help to raise children’s awareness about their rights, support the prevention of their exposure to violence and abuse, and give victims confidence to speak up and seek support. __________________ 2 3 14-58801 As of 31 July, the protocol had been signed by 45 States and ratified by 11 . http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/children-corner/materials. 3/23