Violence is a reality for half of the world’s children; 1 billion experience physical, emotional, and sexual abuse every year. Experiencing violence is not only a violation of children’s rights, it also increases the risk of mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, and social problems such as criminal activity and substance abuse.
Violence does more than harm individual children; it undermines the fabric of our society. It makes it harder for children to build happy, healthy lives and costs the global economy billions of dollars each year.
To address this global tragedy, the Governments of Colombia and Sweden, in partnership with WHO, UNICEF and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on ending violence against children, will host the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, in Bogota, Colombia, from 7 to 8 November 2024.
The conference should also help secure a step-change in support for proven prevention solutions and reset collective ambitions to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development target for every child to live free from violence.
Possible outcomes will include:
- Revitalizing country commitments for ending violence against children (building on the existing efforts through INSPIRE and ‘Pathfinding’)
- Announcing a new/renewed collective country-led initiative to end violence against children
- Launching a first-ever child/youth-led, movement dedicated to preventing child violence
- Adopting an inter-governmentally negotiated Political Declaration
- Hosting additional inclusive convenings on pressing issues relating to ending violence against children
