A/HRC/28/34 form of punishment. Children should be encouraged to report their concerns and worries. 37. With regard to children in situations of conflict, the Ombudsman on the Rights of the Child of the Russian Federation, Mr. Astakhov, emphasized that the need to protect children should be seen as more important that any political agenda. Children whose parents had been killed must be offered aid and provided with humanitarian assistance. 38. Mr. Freyre of the Latin American and Caribbean Movement for Children emphasized the importance of prevention as well. In Latin America and the Caribbean, corporal punishment was one of the most pervasive forms of violence, and there should be a legal framework preventing such treatment. In the past 18 months, six States had adopted legislation in this regard. It now had to be implemented, together with a shift in cultural attitudes to stop corporal punishment and physical humiliation. Investment in children was also vital so that programmes could be implemented and children could develop and flourish. Policies and programmes aimed at combating violence against children should be implemented in an integrated, non-discriminatory and universal way. He referred to the third Optional Protocol of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on a communications procedure, as an important mechanism to give a voice to children. 39. Ms. Khondkar of Save the Children – Liberia discussed the inclusion of violence against children in the post-2015 development agenda, and called upon the Human Rights Council to become a strong advocate in this regard. Inclusion in this agenda would ensure focused investment, commitment and results in all countries. More than 12,000 children had been consulted regarding their views on the agenda, and they had come back with a clear vision of a world without violence. At the national level, political commitment was needed to combat the problem, including regular data collection and the involvement of all ministries relating to children, with the most relevant ministry playing a coordinating role. Families should be supported, including by developing parenting skills to learn positive ways to discipline children. Men and boys should also be involved in reducing violence against children and women. Awareness should be raised about gender stereotyping, which began at a very early stage. 40. Mr. Mezmur, the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, emphasized that any solution to violence against children should combine affordability, cost-effectiveness and sustainability with non-discrimination, accountability, participation and impact. The importance of regional bodies in ending violence against children could not be overemphasized, and the importance of institutional relationships and collaboration should also be noted. Political will was needed to overcome violence against children, including by accepting the universal periodic review recommendations on this topic and adopting legislation on prohibition, but also by ensuring that budget cuts did not impede the realization of children’s rights. 41. Remedies and accountability were vital. The ratification of the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child should continue, as should awareness-raising and supporting families in preventing violence. Violence against children should be a key issue in the post-2015 development agenda, and children should be involved in its development. Mr. Mezmur concluded that it took a village to raise a child, but a global village to raise a child free from violence. 10