A/HRC/16/54 incidents of violence. They provide a key reference for the Council’s Campaign to Stop Sexual Violence of Children, launched with the Special Representative in late November 2010. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and offer knowledge and advice to families and children on the prevention and reporting of incidents of sexual violence against children. 7. European Union 63. The Special Representative also pursued collaboration with the European Union,16 with a view to advance the development of the European Union strategy on the rights of the child, under preparation by the Commission, and the further implementation of the 2007 European Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child and its strategy to fight violence against children. 64. In November 2010, the Special Representative met the Vice President of the European Commission, Viviane Reding. The meeting was a strategic opportunity to address areas of shared concern, including the inclusion of children’s protection from violence in the above-mentioned strategy on the rights of the child, the consolidation of legislation and other actions for the protection of girls from harmful practices, and the safeguard of the rights of child victims of incidents of violence. 65. The Special Representative also held important meetings with senior officials in the Commission and the Council, as well as with members of the European Parliament, to discuss opportunities for cooperation to consolidate children’s protection from violence in internal and external action by the European Union. In the framework of the partnership developed with the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency, the Special Representative participated in the conference on the theme “Ensuring justice and protection for all children”, held in Brussels on 7 and 8 December 2010, and organized with the Belgian Presidency of the European Union. Attended by a vast network of Government officials, academics and child rights experts, intergovernmental and civil society, the meeting gave prominent attention to violence prevention and the promotion of ethical and child-sensitive approaches to counselling and support for child victims of violence. D. Cooperation with civil society, including children and young people 66. Collaboration with civil society has been critical in advancing implementation of the United Nations study recommendations, including through its association with regional follow-up processes and involvement in expert discussions on key dimensions of this agenda. Cooperation has been greatly facilitated by the establishment of the NGO Advisory Council and its advocacy and social mobilization efforts with partners at the international, regional and national levels. 67. The Special Representative’s periodic meetings with the Advisory Council have informed her of civil society initiatives on the implementation of study recommendations, allowing her to consider strategic areas where progress can be further achieved and to identify opportunities for enhanced cooperation. Collaboration has been particularly fruitful in advancing the global campaign for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, providing support for legal reforms to ban all forms of violence against children, promoting child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms, advocating for the elimination of inhuman sentencing and strengthening child participation in violence prevention and responses. 16 16 See also A/65/262, paras. 117–120. GE.11-11445