A/HRC/34/45 26. The experience gained from 10 years of implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations study provides a solid basis to build upon. An increasing number of States have promoted awareness and social mobilization 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 monitoring and evaluation. Translating the 2030 Agenda into national action is therefore under way, though much more needs to be done to mainstream the goals and targets into national development plans, strategies and actions that are nationally owned and to further the realization of children’s rights. 27. Regional organizations and institutions have become crucial players in these efforts. Some intergovernmental regional organizations, 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. 28. 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 and partnerships 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. With this in mind, the Special Representative has strongly supported the establishment of significant initiatives, including the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children, Alliance 8.7: working together to end child labour and modern slavery, the Global Youth Partnership for the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Alliance for Reporting Progress on Promoting Peaceful Justice and Inclusive Societies. And for this reason, in March 2016, during the thirty-first regular session of the Human Rights Council, the Special Representative launched the High Time to End Violence against Children initiative, with a wide range of partners. The initiative was launched in recognition of the transformative power of leaders from all walks of life, and the determination of people to stand up for children and widen the movement to free all children from violence. 29. In the countdown to 2030, everybody counts and everybody is needed. The High Time initiative mobilizes innovative talent and creates a space to stimulate and support positive and concrete actions designed to ensure children’s protection from violence and reach the violence-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially target 16.2. United Nations actors, Governments, regional intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations, professional networks, the private sector and individuals have signed a pledge and committed to take concrete actions to widen circles of non-violence around children’s lives. 30. The High Time online portal13 provides information and resources to support global implementation efforts to end all forms of violence against children. This includes information on the ratification of child rights treaties, national legislation to ban all forms of violence, national strategies to prevent and respond to violence against children, data surveys to monitor progress, and child-sensitive mechanisms to address incidents of violence and assist child victims. 31. It is indeed high time to close the gap between the commitments to prevent and address violence against children and the action that can translate this goal into a reality for 13 See www.violenceagainstchildren.org. 9

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