A/HRC/31/20 I. Introduction 1. In the present report the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children reviews key initiatives that she has promoted at the global, regional and national levels and provides an overview of results achieved in the protection of children from violence. 2. Guided by General Assembly resolution 62/141, in which the Assembly established her mandate, the Special Representative acts as a global, independent advocate for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. In its resolution 70/137, the Assemblyexpressed support for the work of the Special Representative and recommended that the Secretary-General extend the mandate for a further period of three years and maintain support for the effective and independent performance and sustainability of the mandate, funded from the regular budget. 3. The Special Representative remains strongly committed to further enhancing efforts to accelerate progress in the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children. 4. The year 2016 presents a unique opportunity to decisively advance this process. It marks the start of the process of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its specific target (target 16.2) of ending all forms of violence against children and targets on ending the abuse, neglect and exploitation of children. 5. The year 2016 also marks the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the submission to the General Assembly of the United Nations study on violence against children and of the twentieth anniversary of the first World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. A series of events and mobilization initiatives will be held during the year with a wide range of stakeholders, including national authorities, international and regional organizations, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the private sector and the media. These initiatives include the launch of a global study on the sexual exploitation of children through travel and tourism and the release of a bill of rights tailored specifically for child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation. 6. By promoting a quantum leap in global efforts to accelerate progress in the protection of children from violence, the international community can transform this momentum into an unstoppable movement towards a world free from fear and from violence. It is crucial to seize this unique occasion to place the protection of children from violence at the forefront of the policy of every nation. 7. It is indeed high time to end violence against children. We must close the gap between the commitments and promises to prevent and address violence against children and the action that can translate this goal into a reality, while ensuring no child is left behind. It is high time to genuinely address the root causes of violence and promote a culture of respect for children’s rights and of zero tolerance of violence. It is high time to mobilize all those who can actively engage in an effort to translate their commitment, talent and time into tangible change and into a world free from fear and from violence. The year 2016 can be the start of a new era in protecting children’s rights by bridging international commitments and local action; strengthening alliances to end violence; and building upon the transformative power of Governments, organizations and communities and of the belief and determination of children and young people. In the countdown to 2030 and an end to violence against children, everybody counts! 3