The team of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine is taking part in the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, which is taking place in Bogota, Colombia. The event is a platform for more than 120 ministers of social policy to come together to develop solutions that will ensure real progress in child protection. The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy.

The daily challenges faced by Ukrainian families threaten to place them in difficult living conditions. In such circumstances, children are at risk of becoming victims of neglect or, even worse, domestic violence. The Ukrainian delegation has a clear plan of action and an important mission – to inform the international community of all the difficulties Ukrainian children face as a result of russian aggression and to discuss ways to support and protect their rights.

“The world needs a new standard of child protection, as the current mechanisms are not able to ensure an adequate level of safety. The adoption of the Declaration on the Safety of Children, initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine and presented at the UN General Assembly, is an important step in this direction. This is a plan born out of pain, but aimed at protecting children around the world, and there can be no compromise in its implementation. Together we are working for the safety of every child,” said Oksana Zholnovych.

The Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children is an opportunity to reimagine a world where every child is safe – at home, in schools, in communities and online – and to make commitments that match the scale of the global child protection challenge.

As part of the official visit of the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine to Colombia, a number of bilateral meetings are planned. The first meeting with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Najat Maalla M’jid, has already taken place.

During the productive conversation, the parties discussed the particular challenges faced by Ukraine, including the need to develop social services, support for family-based care and the return of Ukrainian children who have been deported or are temporarily abroad. As a result of the meeting, agreements were reached on joint steps to protect children from violence and combat human trafficking. The Ukrainian side also invited the UN representative to visit Ukraine to further discuss the formats of support and cooperation aimed at ensuring the rights and safety of children affected by the hostilities.

Background

The conference is organised by the Government of Colombia with the support of the Government of Sweden, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children and the World Health Organization. The Ministerial Conference aims to promote policy change, mobilise resources and demonstrate that violence prevention is possible. Ministerial delegations – together with children, youth, survivors and civil society allies – will come together for a shared and bold vision: to end all forms of violence against children.