SRSG welcomes the adoption of the ministerial declaration of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

New York, 26 July 2016 - SRSG Santos Pais welcomed the Ministerial Declaration adopted by the 2016 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development which strives for a world of peace, free from fear and violence. "With a strong resolve to ensuring that no one is left behind, the Declaration reaffirms the international community's commitment to advance progress in children’s protection from violence," she highlighted.

The HLPF is the United Nations central platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2016 Forum is the first since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. It included voluntary national reviews by 22 countries, and thematic reviews of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The theme of this year’s HLPF 'ensuring that no one is left behind' is of particular relevance for children who are exposed to violence. Many of these children suffer in silence, loneliness and fear and they are too often left behind in access to appropriate care and support services to overcome their trauma, benefit from recovery and reintegration and develop to their full potential”, said Santos Pais. The voluntary national reviews provide a unique potential and strategic opportunity to highlight good practices, challenges and lessons learned at the national level towards ending violence against children and achieve target 16.2 and the other violence-related SDG targets.

The Declaration also recognizes the important role that regional and subregional forums can have in supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Since the beginning of her mandate, the SRSG has pursued a strategy of building strategic regional partnerships and alliances that has resulted in the establishment of regional policy frameworks to support countries set the national agenda to prevent and address violence against children and monitor progress achieved.

Ministerial declaration can be found here: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/2016/L.24