IJM attends first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children
November 2024
From 7-8th November, high-level government officials from over 100 countries, including the UK, will join forces for an historic event: the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children in Colombia.
Officials hope to collectively sign the Bogotá Declaration, which will set the course for governments as they implement strategies to end violence against children.
This conference is an unprecedented opportunity for IJM to advocate for better care and access to justice for children on a global scale.
IJM's key commitments include:
1. Actively target the explosion of online violence against children;
2. Enable access to justice for children;
3. Prioritise creating child-centered, trauma-informed justice systems; and
4. Include survivors of violence in shaping policy and solutions.
Alongside attending the formal conference, representatives from IJM, including survivor leader Vanessa Bautista (pictured below), will be hosting and participating in two satellite events. These events are focused on survivor-led efforts to combat sexual violence and safeguarding children from online abuse.
Vanessa, a founding member of the Global Survivor Network's Leadership Council and an Advocacy Lead at IJM, was only eight years old when she experienced sexual violence herself. She emphasised the need for action:
‘Protecting children from violence is urgent. Up to one billion children aged two to 17 have experienced violence in the last year.
‘This Ministerial Conference is the first time global leaders have come together in this way to make commitments to ending violence against children – and it could be a gamechanger in helping children like me.’
Learn more about how IJM helps stop violence against children and women: