Regional Meeting of the Pathfinding Countries on Ending Violence Against Children in Africa

Abuja, 7-8 May 2025 - Ministers and representatives from 12 African nations*, regional bodies, UN agencies, civil society organizations, survivors, and children gathered in Abuja for a pivotal two-day meeting to advance commitments under the Pathfinding Global Alliance on Ending Violence against Children.

Hosted by the Government of Nigeria on May 7–8, the event was convened by the Government of Nigeria in close collaboration with the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (SRSG-VAC), UNICEF and CIFF, with the support of CSOs, traditional leaders, survivors, and children.

With over 100 participants in attendance, the meeting showcased powerful political will, regional solidarity, and multisectoral coordination to create an Africa free from violence against children.

This interactive and participative regional meeting also allowed for discussion and sharing:

1. concrete actions undertaken to prevent and respond to violence against children;
2. promising practices;
3. tailored and context-specific solutions; and
4. peer learning.

The Pathfinding Global Alliance was officially launched on November 8, 2024, in Bogotá, Colombia, during the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children. Since then, the Alliance has rapidly expanded to 44 countries, united by a shared mission to end all forms of violence against children by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global child rights standards.

Led politically by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (SRSG-VAC), Najat Maalla M’jid, the Alliance emerged from a participatory global process and now serves as a unique, inclusive platform for Member States and stakeholders to collaborate, share knowledge, and track progress.

Discussions also focused on strengthening Africa’s representation in the Alliance’s structure (mission, components, governance), deepening regional integration with the African Union structures, and building stronger accountability and monitoring frameworks.

During the meeting in Abuja, participants presented their national strategies, highlighted the progress made by their respective countries, discussed innovations adopted, and addressed the challenges they face, as well as areas where support is still needed. They also explored new opportunities for collaboration.

On the second day, Nigeria’s Vice President formally presented the National Plan to End Violence Against Children, detailing an ambitious plan that prioritizes legal reform, service delivery, and awareness-raising, and pledges sustained investment and political commitment.

One of the novelties of the Pathfinding Global Alliance is the Marketplace for Knowledge Sharing. It has been designed to strengthen the exchange of tools, promising practices, and implementation models. This platform will provide real-time access to documented promising practices and strategies, including those of traditional and religious leaders, as well as promising practices at the community and national levels.

Another crucial moment of the Abuja meeting was the launch of the Toolkit on Building the Investment Case for Ending Violence against Children, which has been designed to help governments build economic arguments for scaling action. It provides a clear step-by-step guide for assessing the costs of violence against children and the benefits of investing in violence prevention. It helps states and other stakeholders evaluate the costs of inaction and implement integrated responses.

Representatives from regional and global networks, such as the African Child Policy Forum and the Brave Movement, as well as national and local CSOs5, emphasized the importance of including CSOs in designing, implementing, and monitoring the national road maps. Survivor networks, in turn, advocated for more engagement in the decision-making process to ensure that support services and justice are trauma-informed.

The meeting strongly reaffirmed the value of including civil society organizations and children in governance structures.

The session also restated the Alliance’s principle of systematic engagement of children and triggered renewed calls to institutionalize child participation in policymaking across Africa.

Participating children highlighted the urgent need for effective implementation of policies to protect children from violence. They called for more action and less talk in addressing these issues.

The meeting concluded with a shared determination to transform momentum into measurable results.

ENDS

*Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Kenia, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.