Every year 1 billion children experience violence globally. That’s 1 in 2 children on the planet.

The first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children taking place on 7-8 November in Bogota, Colombia presents a unique opportunity to deliver a transformative shift on child protection.

Terre des Hommes is participating in the Conference and amplifying children’s voices there. We are calling on States and other stakeholders to:

· step up efforts to end all forms of violence against children both offline and online

· make bold commitments to ensure children’s participation in decision-making processes.

To demonstrate our own commitment, Terre des Hommes put forward a pledge to reinforce collaborative participation and child and youth leadership to end violence against children.

In this pledge, TDHIF commits to facilitate safe, meaningful and collaborative child-led and youth-led advocacy at local, national, regional and global levels, and to support children to claim their rights, with a particular focus on the most marginalised children and those at greater risk of experiencing physical, emotional, or mental harm – including working children and children affected by the environmental degradation. This work will be done with civil society partners and children and young people themselves.

TDHIF will build on the experience of the Dialogue Works Project (2020-2024) and engage, in the next four years, in a selected number of countries in different geographical regions and at global level, to increase space for meaningful child and youth participation in policy making and ensure greater intergenerational and collaborative advocacy to sustainably improve policies and practice for the realisation of children’s rights.

Expected impact:

· Children and young people – including the most marginalized – have more skills, knowledge, ability and resources to claim their rights in a meaningful and safe manner

· Increased inclusive learning, exchange and collaboration within and between children’s groups within/across countries

· Increased space for inclusive and meaningful child and youth participation in policy making processes at local, national and global level

· Adoption of policies informed by inclusive and meaningful child and youth participation that protect, promote and fulfil their rights efficiently and in a sustainable manner