A/HRC/37/48 44. Poverty and violence are intertwined. In 2017, several voluntary reviews yielded powerful examples of how strengthened social protection can mitigate the increased risks of violence for children living in poverty. To highlight significant national experiences and the need for coherent cross-sectoral action for prevention and response, the Special Representative co-hosted a side event to the meeting of the high-level political forum with UNICEF and the Governments of Chile, Indonesia and Sweden. 45. The 2017 ministerial declaration of the high-level political forum on sustainable development gave greater visibility to children, including their right to freedom from violence. It stressed the need to invest in children to address multidimensional deprivations and to empower them to help build a more prosperous future. In the declaration, signatories committed to supporting children’s participation in the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda and to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against them. 46. The theme for the 2018 meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development will be “Building resilient societies and cities”. Special attention will be paid to Sustainable Development Goal 11 calling for cities and human settlements to be inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 47. Half of the world’s population lives in cities, and half of that population are children. Increasing urbanization, combined with high levels of economic inequality and endemic poverty, make the risk of urban violence particularly acute. As the Special Representative highlighted in a recent thematic study,4 building schools and urban spaces that are safe for children, supporting families and engaging with local authorities, investing in public safety measures and ensuring access to justice can help to mitigate the risks of violence faced by children in cities. 48. The high-level political forum in 2018 will provide an opportunity to reflect on national implementation of the New Urban Agenda5 and support the leadership of mayors and local authorities promoting visionary city plans guided by the best interests of the child and the active participation of children. 49. To raise awareness of the New Urban Agenda among young people and to promote the inclusion of children’s views and experiences of urban life in the planning of safe and sustainable cities, the Special Representative issued a child-friendly publication6 in which she calls for the creation of urban spaces where children may enjoy their rights, feel included, safe and protected from violence, and where their voices are duly considered. 50. In 2019, the General Assembly will host its first review of the 2030 Agenda.7 Under the theme “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, the Assembly will address Sustainable Development Goal 16, including target 16.2, on ending all forms of violence against children. The thirtieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child will also fall in 2019. The occurrence of these two events in the same year presents a unique opportunity to further mobilize global action in violence prevention and response through a thematic review by the high-level political forum focusing on children and progress towards target 16.2 and the other violence-related Goal targets. 4 5 6 7 Protecting children affected by armed violence in the community (New York, 2016).. See General Assembly resolution 71/256, annex. The cities of our dreams: A safe and child friendly New Urban Agenda, September 2016. See General Assembly resolution 70/299. 9