15 years ago, the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children was established, guided by General Assembly resolution 62/141.

There have been, throughout the years, undeniable advances for the protection of children from violence. However, with less than 6 years remaining to keep our promise to end all forms of violence by 2030, and despite reiterated strong political commitments, we are still lagging behind in achieving this goal. The clock is ticking and ending violence against children cannot wait. Children’s vulnerability and exposure to violence continue to increase alarmingly worldwide due to multidimensional and overlapping crises. No country is immune and no child is immune. Indeed, more than half of the world’s children, 1 billion children, are exposed to some form of violence every year. This represents a huge cost on countries, and research shows that preventing and ending violence against children makes economic sense. This year’s anniversary provides a key opportunity for reenergizing multilateralism and sustainable and context-specific partnerships to ensure sustainable investment in child protection and well-being, leaving no child behind. Violence against children can – and must – be ended, and everyone has a role to play, including States, financial institutions, donors, the private sector, the media, academia, civil society and faith-based organizations, children and youth.

We invite you all to ACT NOW with us to end all forms of violence against children in all settings.