A/71/206 30. This is no time for complacency. Around the world, millions of girls and boys of all ages continue to be exposed to appalling levels of violence, in their neighbourhoods, in schools, in institutions aimed at their care and protectio n and within the home. 31. Violence leaves long-lasting scars on children’s lives and often has irreversible consequences on their development and well-being and on their opportunities to thrive later in life. It also weakens the very foundation of social progress, generating huge costs for society, slowing economic development and eroding nations ’ human and social capital. 32. Nevertheless, this is not their fate. Through enhanced cooperation and with serious investment in proven strategies for violence prevention, violence can become part of the distant past. 33. The new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is global and universal and has the unique potential to bring gains to all parts of the world. 34. More importantly, it concerns all children. It is indeed critical to invest in children to achieve inclusive, equitable and sustainable development for present and future generations. 35. The value and success of the 2030 Agenda will be measured by the tangible progress made in implementation on the ground, especially for those furthest behind, the most invisible and forgotten children, who are often also the most at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. It is imperative to promote the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive and cohesive nationally owned sustainable development strategy that is supported by predictable resources, informed by solid evidence and robust, reliable and disaggregated data and reviewed through an open, inclusive and periodic assessment of progress using internatio nally agreed benchmarks. 36. The 10 years of implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations study on violence against children provide a solid basis on which to build. An increasing number of States have promoted awareness and social mobiliza tion initiatives on this topic and adopted legislation and national plans of action to prevent and respond to violence, along with mechanisms to collect and analyse data to inform planning, policy and budgetary decisions, as well as for monitoring and evaluation. 37. Regional organizations and institutions have become crucial players in these efforts. Some, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Council of Europe, have already adopted new regional plans on violence against children aligned with the 2030 Agenda. Others, such as the League of Arab States, the South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children and the High -level Authorities on Human Rights of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) are promoting similar efforts. 38. Still, such progress, however significant, needs to be further consolidated. The protection of children from violence cannot be an afterthought. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires strengthened partnerships and the mobilization of significant resources. Broad global alliances uniting Governments, civil society, community and religious leaders, the private sector, international organizations and all other actors, including children themselves, are crucial to advancing this process. 8/23 16-12906