From 1 to 5 December 2025, Dr Najat Maalla M’jid, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, undertook an official visit to Gabon, at the invitation of the Government of Gabon. The visit took place in Libreville and Port-Gentil and aimed to support national efforts to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against children.
The Special Representative expressed her deep appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, President of the Republic, the Government of Gabon, and Her Excellency Mrs. Zita Oligui Nguema, First Lady of Gabon, for their strong leadership, personal commitment and the priority accorded to child protection and well-being. The mission took place in a context of renewed political momentum following the adoption of the 2024 Constitution and Gabon’s declared intention to place children’s rights at the center of the national agenda.
The visit followed Gabon’s active participation in the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children in Bogotá in 2024 and the declaration of 1 November 2025 announcing Gabon’s intention to join the Pathfinding Global Alliance on Ending Violence Against Children. It provided an important opportunity to strengthen political dialogue, acknowledge progress achieved, identify persistent challenges, and jointly define priorities to accelerate action to end violence against children.
Throughout the mission, the Special Representative engaged with nearly 900 stakeholders, including senior government officials at national and local levels, parliamentarians, , civil society organizations, United Nations country team, frontline professionals, community and religious leaders, development partners, survivors and children themselves. She also conducted field visits to schools, child protection services, social centers, health facilities, courts and detention facilities, gaining first-hand insight into the realities, challenges and opportunities for strengthening child protection systems across the country.
High-level discussions highlighted the Government’s commitment to making child protection a central pillar of the forthcoming National Growth and Development Plan (2026–2030), particularly under the justice, social and human capital pillars. The Special Representative underscored the importance of strong leadership at the highest level to ensure effective multisectoral coordination and the establishment of accessible, quality and integrated services for all children and their caregivers.
The mission concluded with an interministerial roundtable that reaffirmed the fundamentally intersectoral nature of child protection and the need for a coherent, nationally led and adequately resourced roadmap. Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening coordination, clarifying roles and responsibilities, improving data and accountability mechanisms, as well as investing sustainably in prevention and integrated response services.
The Special Representative reaffirmed her continued commitment to support the Government, in close cooperation with the United Nations country team, in advancing the protection and well-being of all children, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and relevant regional frameworks.