A/HRC/19/64 I. Mandate and strategic priorities1 1. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children is a high-profile, global independent advocate on the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children, and a bridge-builder and a catalyst of actions in all regions, and across sectors and settings where violence against children may occur. Her mandate is framed by the United Nations Study on Violence against Children and its strategic recommendations (A/61/299) and promotes children‘s protection from violence as a human rights imperative. 2. The Special Representative makes use of mutually supportive strategies, including the promotion of advocacy on children‘s protection from violence; the contribution to international, regional and national consultations to accelerate progress in this field, to identify good practices and promote the cross-fertilization of experiences; the organization of field missions; and the development of thematic studies and reports. 3. The overall thrust of the Special Representative‘s mandate is to accelerate progress in the implementation of the Study recommendations. In view of their particular urgency, three of these recommendations were identified with time-bound targets. These are also the areas to which the Special Representative gives priority attention, namely: (a) The development in each State of a national comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to all forms of violence; (b) The introduction of an explicit legal ban on all forms of violence against children, in all settings; and (c) The consolidation of a national system of data collection, analysis and dissemination, and a research agenda on violence against children. 4. The Special Representative has pursued these priorities through a process of regional engagement with intergovernmental organizations and political groupings, the convening of expert consultations on strategic dimensions of the violence against children agenda, the development of thematic reports in support of advocacy, policy and legal reform,2 and over 50 missions in all regions. II. Consolidating progress in the strategic agenda for the implementation of the United Nations Study 5. In the first year of the Special Representative‘s mandate, particular attention was given to the revitalization of networks involved in the development of the Study, the promotion of new alliances and consolidation of strategic partnerships, and the institutionalization of regional processes and governance structures on violence against children. These efforts have been critical to promote the mainstreaming of children‘s freedom from violence in the policy agenda at the international, regional and national levels. 1 2 The Special Representative assumed her position on 1 September, 2009 and a fuller explanation of her appointment and mandate can be found in document A/HRC/13/46 of 2 February 2010. See thematic report on child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms presented to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/16/56). 3