A/HRC/37/48
(a)
Supporting national efforts to reach the violence-related Sustainable
Development Goals by mainstreaming children’s protection from violence into the national
policy agenda, furthering the enactment and enforcement of legislation banning all forms of
violence and the further consolidation of data and research, and promoting the inclusion in
voluntary national reviews and the high-level political forum on sustainable development of
positive experiences, lessons learned and commitments to overcome persisting challenges
and to assess progress in children’s exposure to violence; in this regard, the theme of the
high-level political forum in 2018 of “Building resilient societies and cities” will be a
strategic opportunity to promote safe urban spaces for all children, guided by the best
interests of the child and informed by children’s views and experiences;
(b)
Advocating for early childhood development initiatives to enhance violence
prevention and break the cycle of violence in children’s lives. Good quality services in
early childhood help to improve the life chances of the most vulnerable children and to
enhance nations’ human capital; to support progress in this area, the Special Representative
will prepare a thematic report on early child development and the prevention of violence
against children;
(c)
Safeguarding the rights of migrant and refugee children in the global
compacts for migration and refugees, and promoting a continuum of protection to prevent
and respond to the risks to which these children are subject throughout their perilous
journeys, where fear and insecurity are their constant companions. The Special
Representative will prepare a thematic report to document and promote action to prevent
the serious forms of violence that these children encounter;
(d)
Further consolidating children’s protection from school violence, bullying
and cyberbullying, including by giving support to the follow-up report of the SecretaryGeneral on protecting children from bullying, as requested by the General Assembly in its
resolution 71/176. Bullying, a top priority concern for children, is often part of a
continuum from the schoolyard to the neighbourhood and increasingly found in
cyberspace. Strong political will and steady action can, however, prevent and address it,
building upon the good practices and experiences that the Secretary-General, in his report,
will help to gather and promote.
143. Although emerging from the depths of the worst nightmares imaginable, child
victims of violence remain resilient, generous and forward-looking. Across regions, young
advocates join hands with national authorities, civil society and many other allies in raising
awareness about the detrimental impact of violence, empowering children to be the first
line of protection from abuse and exploitation and inspiring others to build a world where
children can grow up free from fear and violence, where their hopes and dreams can be
realized.
144. Even in the most desperate of situations, children reveal hope for a better world and
prove their determination to achieve lasting change. We must not disappoint them.
Together, we can break the cycle of violence and deprivation that stunts children’s
development; we can prevent neglect, abuse and exploitation; we can support child victims
and ensure their access to justice; and we can provide the healing, recovery and
reintegration services they desperately need.
145. Joining hands together, the sum of our forces will be zero: zero violence against
children.
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