Countries pledge action to protect nearly 1 billion children from violence

The first Global Ministerial Conference on the Elimination of Violence against Children was held in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, on Thursday. At the conference, more than 100 governments made historic commitments to eliminate violence against children, including nine countries that promised to ban corporal punishment, while three-fifths of children in the world still suffer corporal punishment at home. Representatives of various countries will agree on a global declaration at this conference to protect children from all kinds of violence, exploitation and abuse.

The conference was co-organized by the Governments of Colombia and Sweden, the World Health Organization , UNICEF and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Violence against Children, and attracted more than 1,000 delegates from around the world.

At the conference, countries made specific commitments, including a total ban on corporal punishment, strengthening cybersecurity, raising the legal age of marriage, and increasing investment in parenting guidance and child protection. Some countries pledged to improve support services for children who are victims of violence and address bullying, while others said they would increase investment in parenting guidance services, which is considered an extremely effective intervention to reduce the risk of domestic violence.

WHO said it will continue to support countries’ actions by providing technical support, promoting effective prevention and response strategies, and publishing relevant research and data (such as global status reports).

Violence against children is shocking

It is estimated that more than half of the world’s children (approximately 1 billion children) have experienced some form of violence, such as abuse (including corporal punishment, which is the most common), bullying, physical and mental torture, and sexual violence.

Violence against children is often hidden and underreported: WHO estimates that less than half of children who experience violence tell others about their experience and less than 10% receive some form of help.

This kind of violence not only seriously violates children’s basic rights, but also increases their short-term and long-term health risks, and may even lead to some avoidable deaths or serious injuries. According to statistics, on average, a child or adolescent dies from homicide every 13 minutes (about 40,000 cases each year).