Leaving no one behind: Ensuring sustainable action…

Over half the world's children are exposed to violence every year. This violence takes many forms and occurs in many settings, both online and offline. Children's lives are often marked by a continuum of violence. Violence has devastating and lifelong impacts on children's health and wellbeing. In addition to the human cost, violence against children generates a huge economic burden.

2024 saw an unprecedented global process of multistakeholder mobilization to address this pandemic of violence against children. It culminated in the first ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children in Bogotá, Colombia in November 2024, which was co-hosted by the governments of Colombia and Sweden, along with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, UNICEF and WHO. Hundreds of pledges were made by States to accelerate action to end violence against children, in addition to their adoption of the Bogotá Call to Action. The Pathfinding Global Alliance on Ending Violence against Children was also launched at the Bogotá conference.

At the same time, the last year has presented a challenging landscape. The child protection sector has faced a reduction in resources at both national and international levels, with the impact being felt most keenly by children and families in the most vulnerable situations. Multiple and overlapping crises affecting children worldwide - including conflicts, forced displacement, climate change, food insecurity, poverty and social exclusion - are magnifying the challenge.

This high-level event will provide an opportunity to identify concrete progress achieved in advancing the protection and wellbeing of children, while addressing these challenges. It will support peer learning and highlight solutions that need to be scaled up, to ensure that the international community keeps the promise of the SDGs to end violence against children, leaving no one behind.