The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased vulnerabilities to violence and risks that progress will slow or be eroded due to the socio- economic impact of the pandemic. It is critical that countries come together to reinforce their commitment to end violence against children, place ending violence high on the recovery agenda, and identify ways in which to accelerate action against the backdrop of the ‘new normal’.
WHO and UNICEF jointly organized the virtual 2nd Regional Conference Towards Implementation of INSPIRE Strategies to End Violence Against Children During COVID-19 and Beyond from 1-5 November 2021.
The Regional Conference bought together more than 3000 representatives and experts from governments from more than 25 countries in East Asia and the Pacific, as well as from regional bodies, civil society, academia, UN and donors to:
- Explore the impact of COVID-19 on prevention and response to violence against children;
- Consider the implications of the latest global, regional and country research and developments of what works in implementing the INSPIRE strategies during COVID-19 and beyond;
- Identify adaptations and innovative solutions to tackle violence against children in the face of COVID-19 and global economic downturn;
- Promote and share good and promising practice on sectoral and multi-sectoral action to prevent and respond to violence against children with a focus on health, social welfare and education sectors;
- Promote and share good and promising practice on, among others: strengthening generation of data, research and evidence; enhancing meaningful participation of children and adolescents in the EVAC agenda; effectively addressing the intersections between violence against children and violence against women; ensuring wellbeing and protection of children through Back to School; tackling online sexual exploitation abuse; promoting parenting for violence reduction; and ensuring linkages between mental health and violence against children in prevention and response; and
- Inspire accelerated action to end violence against children and achieve SDG Target 16.2.
