1st Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children

1st Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children

November 7-8, 2024 | Bogotá, Colombia

Violence is a reality for half of the world's children; one billion suffer physical, emotional and sexual abuse every year. Experiencing violence is not only a violation of children's rights, it also increases their risk of mental illness, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and social problems such as criminal activity and substance abuse.

Violence does more than harm individual children; it undermines the fabric of our society. It makes it harder for them to build happy, healthy lives and costs the global economy billions of dollars annually.

To address this global tragedy, the governments of Colombia and Sweden, in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, and the Special Representative on Violence against Children, will host the First Ministerial Conference to End Violence against Children in Bogotá, Colombia, from 7 to 8 November 2024.

The conference should also help ensure a step-change in support for proven prevention solutions and reset collective ambitions to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goal of all children and adolescents living free from violence.

Possible outcomes will include:

Revitalizing country commitments to end violence against children (building on existing efforts through INSPIRE and Pathfinding).
Announcing a new or renewed country-led collective initiative to end violence against children.
Launching the first child- and youth-led movement dedicated to preventing violence against children.
Adopting an intergovernmental negotiated Political Declaration.
Organizing additional inclusive meetings on pressing issues related to ending violence against children.