A/HRC/16/54 universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention, the promotion of advocacy and law reform to combat all forms of violence against children, and the development of child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms to address incidents of violence. The Committee’s general comment on article 19 of the Convention11 is another crucial dimension of this strategic partnership. 43. Collaboration with the special procedures of the Human Rights Council has been equally important in the promotion of useful sharing of information, the identification of good practices and cross-fertilization of experiences, allowing for the promotion of mutually supportive activities for violence prevention and elimination. In this regard, cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography has been of particular relevance, including in the development of the joint report on child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms requested by the Council.12 C. Cooperation with intergovernmental and regional organizations and institutions 44. Collaboration with regional partners is the cornerstone of the Special Representative’s strategy to consolidate implementation of the United Nations study recommendations within and across countries. To advance this process and institutionalize critical alliances, the Special Representative has participated in strategic, high-level regional meetings, supported significant advocacy and policy dialogue initiatives, and promoted strengthened partnerships with regional institutions and organizations, as well as with regional mechanisms established to support follow-up to the study. 45. Significant progress has been achieved in the above-mentioned area. Firstly, important regional political commitments have been made with regard to violence against children. As a result, the issue of protection of children from violence has gained centre stage, including in the 2009 Cairo Declaration (see paragraph 10 above), the Declaration of Buenos Aires adopted at the Twelfth Ibero-American Conference of Ministers and Authorities Responsible for Children, the South Asian Initiative to End Violence against Children, the Beijing Declaration on South-South Cooperation for Child Rights, the Marrakesh Declaration adopted at the Fourth High-level Arab Conference on the Rights of the Child, the Council of Europe Strategy for 2009–2011 “Building a Europe for and with Children”, as well as in the European Union Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child and the Implementation Strategy on Violence against Children. 46. Secondly, there has been growing institutionalization of regional governance structures and regional initiatives to promote and monitor progress in the follow-up to the United Nations study recommendations. Leading regional institutions play a pivotal role in moving this agenda forward, including the Sub-Committee on Violence against Children of the League of Arab States (LAS), the Governing Board of the South Asian Initiative to End Violence against Children, the Platform on Children’s Rights of the Council of Europe, the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the Global Movement for Children, the African Union Commission for Social Affairs and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. 11 12 12 CRC/C/GC/13. A/HRC/16/56. GE.11-11445