Funding Appeal

Appeal

Children raising hands to ask questions.

Violence continues to be a reality for millions of children worldwide. At this time of spiraling crises, violence has reached unprecedented levels, and children’s vulnerability and exposure to violence continue to increase alarmingly across the world. Investing in child protection and well-being is more essential than ever.

The year 2024 marked the fifteenth anniversary of the appointment of the first Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children. It was a year of taking stock and reflecting on all that has been achieved and, above all, on all that remains to be done.

A broad mobilization was achieved, which will continue expanding and consolidating through 2025, supporting the necessary accelerated action in the next 5 years to end all forms of violence against children, as promised in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

One hundred nineteen countries, including 63 ministers, participated in and publicly pledged their commitment at the First Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children. This initiative was facilitated by Dr. Maalla M’jid, who engaged with more than 50 state-led national preparatory processes. The successful launch of the Pathfinding Global Alliance on Ending Violence against Children at the Global Ministerial Conference, already joined by 41 Member States, is an encouraging development that will continue expanding in the coming months, supporting nationally owned actions and furthering the implementation of other global commitments, such as the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact.

During 2025, the Special Representative will continue building on the momentum generated by these and many other developments and further the close collaboration with all key global, regional, and national stakeholders. Investing in children’s rights and well-being is more important than ever. Supporting the required sustainability to bring solutions to scale will govern the priority focus of the work of the Office through 2025. The support to the Office through more predictable and multi-year contributions will facilitate a continued expansion and consolidation of the support provided.

Download the funding appeal
2024 marked a significant year of widespread mobilization involving various stakeholders, culminating in the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children. The Pathfinding Global Alliance on Ending Violence against Children was launched during this conference. This pivotal year demonstrated a stronger global political commitment. It provided unprecedented opportunities for peer learning and the sharing of impactful…
Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid

What is the trust fund supporting the Special Representative, and what it allows?

The Trust Fund supports the Special Representative by complementing regular budget resources and supporting high-priority initiatives to enhance advocacy and policy action. It consolidates knowledge in the prevention and elimination of violence against children and accelerates progress in children’s adequate protection against all forms of violence in all settings. The Special Representative does so through:

  • active engagement with Member States, the UN system, regional organizations, civil society and faith-based organizations, the private sector, academia, media, financial institutions, and children;
  • documenting and sharing evidence-based actions;
  • developing tools and guidance;
  • supporting peer exchanges and connecting stakeholders across regions;
  • amplifying the voices of children and supporting child and youth-led initiatives.

This funding appeal for 2025 seeks to ensure that the actions described above will be translated into sustained investment in cross-sectoral child and gender-sensitive protection services accessible to all children and their caregivers. The funds will consolidate the Pathfinding Global Alliance’s structure and functions and finance the events necessary to get it up and running.

Our pillars

Our vision

All children live free from all forms of violence. Violence against children is an umbrella term that covers all forms of child maltreatment -physical, emotional, and sexual abuse (both offline and online), neglect, and exploitation. Violence against children takes many forms, including violent discipline, child labor, torture, trafficking, bullying, harmful practices (child marriage, female genital mutilation, witchcraft…), and deprivation of liberty. It occurs in all settings, including the circle of trust. Violence has a strong gender dimension and disproportionally affects the poor and marginalized.

Our approach

Integrated and systematic, child and gender-sensitive, inclusive and participative.

Our mission

Collaborative, evidence-based advocacy and mobilization at the global, regional, and national levels to end violence against children, achieving the implementation of the Global Goals of the Agenda 2030 and the Common Agenda.

Our Goals

  • Goal 1: Accelerated implementation of ending violence against children by 2030.
  • Goal 2: Spotlight on violence-related threats and risks.
  • Goal 3: Children involved and empowered.
  • Goal 4: The Special Representative of the Secretary-General against Violence Office’s improved organizational effectiveness

2024 Key achievements

Cover page of the 2024 Key Achievements of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children

The Special Representative strengthened partnerships and mobilization with Member States, the United Nations system, the private sector, civil society, faith-based organizations, academia, children, and survivors. It was a year filled with accomplishments, including numerous calls to action focused on ending violence against children, accelerating progress toward achieving the Global Goals of the 2030 Agenda, and delivering many tangible results.

Learn more about Key Achievements

Strategic results for 2025

A girl looking out of a glass window.

In 2025, our mandate’s strategic priorities will focus on advocating for and supporting actions taken by States and other stakeholders to create just, inclusive, and non-discriminatory societies.

The world continues facing an unprecedented child rights crisis, with violence against children on the rise due to a complex multiplicity of crises. We will work towards fostering cooperation and enhancing engagement to ensure that no child is exposed to violence.

The steam of the new momentum for action during the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, held in Bogota, Colombia, must be optimized further. 119 countries mobilized, each committing to address the root causes of violence against children urgently and innovatively, marking a significant step forward in our collective efforts.

The launch of the Pathfinding Global Alliance to End Violence Against Children, which currently includes 41 member states with additional interest from others, presents a unique and promising opportunity. This initiative is a beacon of hope and fosters optimism in our shared mission.

We can accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by making sustained investments in children’s rights and well-being at national, regional, and global levels and establishing integrated child protection systems accessible to all children.

Engagement with states will continue through 2025 via country visits and bilateral discussions. This will further the implementation of the Global Alliance’s pillars, focus on investment strategies to end violence against children, and support the acceleration of State action, including implementing pledges and commitments strengthening and expanding the child protection system.

A technical toolkit will be launched to assess the economic costs of violence against children and the returns on investment in violence prevention, which will support states as they move with the implementation of their plans in this regard.

The Office will continue to support sharing practices and experiences among States, facilitating peer-to-peer support on practical action to prevent violence and protect children’s rights and well-being.

Significant opportunities in 2025 include the Social Summit and the Financing for Development initiatives. The Special Representative will continue to build on key relevant areas of the Pact for the Future.

We are aware of the pressing need to make significant progress in key strategic areas, such as poverty, violence in the digital space, deprivation of liberty, trafficking, and the enhanced protection of children in the streets and on the move.

We rely on and support the work of international human rights mechanisms and global and regional accountability processes. Our commitment to the UN system remains strong, especially in implementing the Secretary-General’s Guidance Note on Child Rights Mainstreaming. We will work to better integrate children’s rights and well-being into UN programmatic actions.

The strategic engagement with the vast network of civil society and faith-based organizations will continue to expand.

Meaningful child participation

Dr. Najat Maala M'jid sitting with children during the Bogota conference.

The mandate remains fundamentally committed to ensuring children’s meaningful and inclusive participation. We engage systematically with children through various channels, creating spaces where they can share their essential views on building a world free from violence. The mandate encourages governments and relevant stakeholders to view children as essential to their safety and well-being in decision-making processes.

The mandate facilitates dialogues with children from diverse backgrounds across all regions. The mandate is accountable to children and regularly produces child-friendly versions of its reports, engaging directly with children to involve them in all processes.

Additionally, the mandate encourages member states to include children in their Voluntary National Review processes and to support and amplify such initiatives. It also aims to collect and promote child-led actions that address violence and other pertinent issues.

Results sought

Children writing on the board.

Goal 1: Accelerated implementation of ending violence against children by 2030

We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders, including Member States, civil society organizations, traditional and community leaders, religious leaders, academia, the private sector, media, national human rights institutions, parliamentarians, and children. We aim to prioritize child protection and well-being in their agendas. We will focus on translating commitments into context-specific, cost-effective actions that can be quickly scaled up at the international, regional, national, and local levels.

We will advocate for countries to consistently invest in cross-sectoral child and gender-sensitive protection services accessible to all children and their caregivers. We will intensify our involvement in the Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence Against Children. We will continue to promote the Pathfinding Global Alliance to encourage more countries to commit to it, mobilize actions, and share experiences by learning from each other’s best practices.

Additionally, we will seek to enhance the integration of children’s rights into UN programmatic actions.

Outcomes/ expected results

Indicators to measure outcomes

Outcome 1.1: Countries prioritized child protection and violence prevention at the highest level, in their political agenda1.1.1: Number of countries committed at the highest level to prevent and end violence against children (e.g. Pathfinding countries base line; Bogota; GRF etc.)
1.1.2: Number of countries that have in place EVAC laws and policies
1.1.3: Number of countries that have strengthened integrated protection systems
1.1.4: Number of countries that have put in place EVAC information management systems/data collections
1.1.5: Number of countries that have included EVAC in the VNRs
Outcome 1.2: Countries prioritized investment on children’s rights and well-being1.2.1: Number of countries that have maintained or increased budget allocations on child protection and well-being
1.2.2: Number of countries that have undertaken the cost of integrated services
1.2.3: Number of Protocol on investment finalized and disseminated
Outcome 1.3: Strengthened multistakeholder mobilization and engagement1.3.1: Number of countries party to the Global Alliance Pathfinding on Ending Violence Against Children
1.3.2: Number of stakeholders engaged in the Global Alliance Pathfinding on Ending Violence Against Children (UN, CSOs, Regional Organizations, Faith-based organization)
1.3.3: Knowledge platform designed and launched
Outcome 1.4: UN increased mainstreaming of children’s rights in programmatic actions1.4.1: Number of UNCTs that have incorporated child protection and well-being in the CCAs and UNSDCFs
1.4.2: Number of UNCTs using the SG’s guidance note for
children’s rights mainstreaming

Goal 2: Spotlights on violence-related threats and risks

We will pay special attention to children in vulnerable situations. We aim to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the dangers of violence against these children and to support key stakeholders in doing the same. We will prioritize promoting alternatives to the deprivation of liberty, mainly through our role as Chair of the United Nations Task Force on Children Deprived of Liberty. We will collaborate with Member States, NGOs, academia, and other relevant stakeholders to prevent the deprivation of children’s liberty and to encourage investment in alternative solutions.

Additionally, we will focus on taking action to end child trafficking through the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) and by advocating for the Call for Action to End Child Trafficking by 2025. We will continue to mobilize resources, share promising practices, and support States to ensure children’s protection in the digital environment.

Outcomes/ expected results

Indicators to measure outcomes

Outcome 2.1: Awareness raised on children in vulnerable situations2.1.1: Number of reports and advocacy briefs and up-dates on poverty and hunger; gender inequalities; climate change; children on street situation; children with disabilities; indigenous children and children belonging to minorities
Outcome 2.2: Increased alternatives to derivation of liberty2.2.1: Number of countries undertaking alternatives to children’s deprivation of liberty (children on the move, deinstitutionalization: security grounds and counterterrorism)
Outcome 2.3: Increased action on addressing child trafficking2.3.1: Number of countries following-up ICAT’s call to action
Outcome 2.4 Increased attention to the protection against violence in the digital environment2.4.1: Number of countries and ICT sector putting in place online child safety (programmes, laws, procedures)
2.4.2: Number of key stakeholders that are implementing POP’s guiding principles on inclusive and safe access to protection services online

Goal 3: Children involved and empowered

We will actively promote children’s involvement in national, regional, and global decision-making. We will continue to involve children, amplifying their voices and addressing their concerns and views. We aim to promote their active and meaningful participation as agents of change. We will strengthen our methods for consulting with children before and after preparing substantive reports for UN intergovernmental bodies, including the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. Additionally, we will continue to provide child-friendly versions of all the materials produced by our office.

Outcomes/ expected results

Indicators to measure outcomes

Outcome 3.1: Children involved in decision making level at national and local levels3.1.1: Number of child participation mechanisms put in place by Governments at national and local levels
Outcome 3.2:
Children informed
and engaged
in OSRSG’s work		3.2.1: Number of children consulted
3.2.2: Number of child friendly versions design with children
3.2.3: Number of child-led initiatives documented

Goal 4: OSRSG VAC’s improved organizational effectiveness

We will enhance our communication and outreach activities to maximize the visibility and impact of our advocacy work. The knowledge management platform will be updated regularly to ensure effectiveness, flexibility, and speed. Our internal working processes and methods will also be regularly reviewed and updated to maximize effectiveness.

Outcomes/ expected results

Indicators to measure outcomes

Outcome 4.1. Improved access to information from OSRSG VAC4.1.1: Website redesigned and operational
4.1.2: Number of website visitors
4.1.3: Engagement rate of social media – number of likes, shared etc
Outcome 4.2. Knowledge management platform regularly updated4.2.1: Number of and profile of users and contributors
Outcome 4.3. Improved internal processes and working method4.3.1: Implementation of recommendations of evaluations and audits

Contributions received

2024

2025

2026

Member state/ OrganizationContributions received (in USD)Member state/ OrganizationContributions received (in USD)Member state/ OrganizationContributions received (in USD)
France12 months JPOIceland498,000Iceland500,000
Iceland288,000Luxembourg 30,100
Luxembourg 33,000CIFF (Children's Investment Fund Foundation)500,000
Monaco11,000
Poland101,800
Portugal10,400
Spain42,000
UN Pool Funds61,500

Summary of resource requirements

The funding appeal covers 2025. The total funding required to achieve the intended results is USD 5.4 million, with USD 1.4 million still needed to cover additional budgetary requirements. The Trust Fund’s Program Support Costs are 7%, with 15% of the required funding as annual reserves. Financial requirements are based on estimates as of February 2025. The Trust Fund’s financial reporting is done systematically through the annual report of the mandate and in line with the agreement with the donor.

Type of budget

Funds (in USD)

Estimated funding requirements5.4 millions
Regular budget3 millions
Extra-budgetary contributions1 million
Funding Gap1.4 million

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