Safe from Harm: Special Representative partners with Scouts to protect children from violence

New York/Kuala Lumpur 28 July 2021 - Special Representative Najat Maalla M’jid and Ahmad Alhendawi, the Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) established a formal partnership aiming to WOSM to enhance the Safe from Harm policy.

The training program for Members of the Scouts Movement modules on Abuse and Discrimination, Cyber security, Respecting differences, Mental health amongst others.

Since 2019, the SRSG office has partnered with the WOSM on the production of resources and webinars for this program and in the development of messages for children’s rights and protection for members of the Scouts Movement.

“Safe from Harm program is an important initiative taken at a Global Level by a movement that has over 50 million members in all parts of the world. Protecting younger members and helping adults to be prepared to listen to scouts’ concerns, to prevent and address incidents of violence that might occur, is after all nothing more than being a true Scout: mentally awake, and morally straight” highlighted the Special Representative.

In her first visit as Special Representative on Violence against Children, Drt. Maalla M’jid visited the World Scout Jamboree in 2019 where she listened to children’s concerns and views and addressed the importance of the participation of children and adults in the Scouting movement.

This agreement reinforced the commitment of both organizations in the global partnership for the sustainable development goals with the engagement of children and adolescents to end the violence against children by 2030.