A/HRC/16/54
promote a holistic consideration of the child. Gaps in child protection areas need to be
addressed and monitoring tools and indicators expanded to cover boys and girls of all ages
and in all settings, and to identify those at greatest risk. Moreover, these efforts need to
incorporate children’s views and perspectives, and capture their experience, and dynamic
and evolving agency. This is crucial to understand the hidden face of violence and to
address its root causes effectively.
26.
During the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, the Special Representative
hosted a panel discussion on the role of data and research in overcoming the hidden nature
of violence, in raising awareness of its serious impact on children, and in supporting the
development of evidence-based legislation, policies and actions for violence prevention and
response, and for the protection of child victims. The panel was co-organized with OHCHR
and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and supported by the Governments of
Sweden and Brazil. The meeting provided an important platform to reflect on strategic
lessons from national experiences and to present the preliminary findings of the UNICEF
report entitled “Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low and
Middle-Income Countries”.
27.
Violence in all its forms affects the life of millions of children around the world;
however, as has been learned from the many successful initiatives promoted across regions,
it is not inevitable. Violence can be prevented and effectively addressed. With a strategic
national agenda, strong and effective legislation and sound data and evidence to understand
risk factors and inform policy decisions, a world without violence can be realized. These
will therefore remain areas of priority concern for the Special Representative.
III. Strategic partnerships and institutionalization of regional
governance structures to accelerate progress
28.
The Special Representative remains committed to strengthen further strategic
alliances for the protection of children from all forms of violence with key partners, within
and beyond the United Nations system. In this regard, important institutional collaboration
mechanisms have been set in place to support her mandate. These include the Inter-Agency
Working Group on Violence against Children, the NGO Advisory Council for follow-up to
the United Nations study, and regional governance structures established in support of
follow-up to the study.
A.
Cooperation with the United Nations system
29.
The Special Representative has given high priority to the promotion of enhanced
forms of synergy with United Nations partners. This collaboration has been crucial to raise
awareness of and broaden global support for children’s protection from violence, to
promote the mainstreaming of this issue in United Nations activities, and also to generate
policy debate through the organization of strategic panel discussions with key partners on
areas of critical concern. The side events held by the Special Representative during the
sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly illustrate this well, including those on the
consolidation of data and research on violence against children and on the impact of
violence in early childhood.
30.
Strong and fruitful cooperation has been developed with the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, with whom regular meetings are
held to exchange information and discuss areas for mutually supportive collaboration,
including the promotion of joint initiatives and missions. The two special representatives
organized a commemorative event to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the
8
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