First Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children

Reflections on the First Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children 

On November 7-8, 2024, the First Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children took place in Bogotá, Colombia.

The event was organized by the governments of Colombia and Sweden in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, and the UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children. 

During the conference, alarming realities faced by millions of children and adolescents worldwide were addressed. According to WHO, one billion children experience physical, emotional, and sexual abuse each year. 

This violence not only constitutes a direct violation of children’s rights but also has profound repercussions on their mental and physical health, increasing the risk of non-communicable and infectious diseases as well as social issues. 

A key aspect of the conference was its alignment with the theme of the upcoming World Congress on Justice With Children, which will focus on preventing and responding to violence affecting children within justice systems. This focus is critical to ensuring that children’s rights are respected throughout judicial processes and that effective measures are implemented to protect them. 

Attendees committed to revitalizing efforts to end violence against children, announcing collective initiatives and launching the first youth-led movement to prevent child violence. 

In a powerful message, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia said, “Hunger, climate collapse, war, exodus—these are even greater violators, abusers, and attackers… leading us toward a massive genocide of humanity that begins with children. And I believe this is what we must stop, transform, and resist.” His words are a call to act on a scale that meets the needs of the world’s children.  

Ann Skelton, Chair of the CRC Committee, emphasized how access to justice for children and accessible pathways for remedies is crucial to protect all children. Her message reminds us that protecting children means giving them a voice in every context.

Among the States' pledges, the Spanish Ministry of Youth and Childhood, official host of the 5th World Congress on Justice With Children (Madrid, 2-4 June 2025), has put forward, within their strategy to eradicate violence against children, the importance of transforming and specializing the justice system to make it child-focused and able to guarantee all children's rights.