Briefing: Najat Maalla M'jid, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, on her annual report to the General Assembly.

Okay, we can start. Hello, good afternoon. Thank you for joining us to the briefing by Dr. Najat Maalla Majeed, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children. She will brief you on her annual report to the General Assembly. Ms. Majeed will give short remarks and then we'll take some questions. Please go ahead.

Good morning, everybody, or maybe good afternoon. I am really happy to be here. I will brief you very quickly about the statement and the report I just presented today. Just to let you know that first, it coincide with 20 years of the launch of the Global Study on Violence Against Children. So 20 years ago, you know, this UN Global Study on Violence Against Children was endorsed by the GA. And it was the first time that a study like that was done. It took years of work involving children and youth, involving all key stakeholders in all region. And it was Mr. Sergio Pinero who was leading this. And I had the pleasure at that time as child rights activist in my country to be part of this study. And What was important for me, really, is thinking that this landmark study really highlights two big principles. Violence is always preventable, and violence is never justifiable. And 20 years ago, we were asking ourselves where we are. And this is what it was the purpose of my statement. And to make it short, because I'm not going to read all the statement, but really the key lessons learned, first, You remember that agenda 2030 with some SDGs, 60.2, but not only 16.2, the other are also related directly or indirectly to violence against children, reiterate this commitment. So 20 years later, the world has changed and you know it better than me, many things happen. I am not going to describe all the things, but we are facing, you know, after the pandemic of COVID, we are still facing ongoing, complex, multiple crises, conflicts in all parts of the world, huge displacement of children, almost 45 millions of children displaced. you know, because of conflict, but also because of natural disaster, because of climate crisis. We are seeing also, you know, the poverty affecting one in five children is living currently in extreme poverty and not only in the poor countries, but also in the wealthy countries, despite all the money put in cash transfer, cash benefit and so on. We have also the big issue regarding, you know, the big the global currently, what the current crisis impacting also the prices and the food insecurity. We have discrimination, we have pushback in some country regarding some rights. And if we add to that, the wonderful very, very quick spread of technology, including AI, that offers opportunity, but open huge avenue for exploitation, child sexual exploitation, but also cyber bullying, deep fake, enrollment in criminal activities. The list is long. But since the same time, we learned a lot about, I visited since seven years and four months, almost 70 countries, and when I'm speaking about visiting countries, it's very deep regarding how it works. It's not only shaking hands of, you know, policymakers, but having a better understanding of what is going on. We see that you have many reforms, many legal reforms, many policy reforms. many good things, but in the same time, many difficulties to effectively ensure their implementation and to make services accessible to children and to their caregivers when they are leaving. This is one point. Another point that lessons learned is really it depends on the strong political commitment. When you have not only Ministry of Social Affairs, but when you have at the top level, chief of government, president, prime minister, who take it really as a political commitment, not only as a slogan, what does it mean for me, political commitment, it translating into you know, a package of services, who is doing what and with a dedicated budget. This is very important. Another point that we see as a good experience that we are seeing also more and more children and youth participating, heard, and I'm speaking at country level, not only at regional, at global level, that it's going on. And we are seeing also more and more strengthened, you know, integrated services in all region. But the problem is that it's not put at scale, that we are not going fast. The problem is that our solutions are always lagging behind, you know, the risks. And this is why, 20 years after, is discussing, and we come back to multilateralism, how we can really make children unite us again and make all countries where they're all experiences really share and share in an honest way and authentic way what works and what doesn't work. Because you can have the best paper in the world, but when you arrive visiting, you know, the community or the village and you are seeing that the problem, many children and their family have no access to services. Another point that I learned that the problem is also the lack in many countries, you are hearing lack of coordination. And the problem is not only lack of coordination, the problem is that how we can make sure that child protection and well-being is seen as an investment at political level within the national development plan, even in humanitarian context, to make sure that they are duly taken into account. And we did an investment, and many countries are doing investment case, showing that violence against children in all its forms and their direct and indirect costs, the burden on health, the burden on justice, the burden on social things, is up to 11%. In some countries, it's representing 8% of the budget dedicated to health. And if we translate and we cost the services at local level that need to be delivered by Ministry of Social Affair, by justice, by the education, by health, by police, by labor, but also by the communities, it's really have a huge investment. And the cost of violence is 85 times higher than this package of services at local level. So as it has been today, it might last statement also as special representative because I am leaving at the end of the year. It is also a kind of wake-up call telling, okay, we did it. And currently the GA, because the states who are deciding to make sure that they are not looking away and they are really pushing and mobilizing more and building on the momentum we create because we create a pathfinding global alliance on ending violence against children during the first ministerial conference in Bogota, currently counting 55 countries and more others are coming and it's under Shatta rules when we are discussing what work what doesn't work what are the problem what are common challenges in a very Frank and constructive manner but in the same time sharing their knowledge the lessons learned the challenges but in the same time building bilateral and multilateral cooperation and we saw many things happening South South north-south North uh in triangular so it shows that can make it if we work differently. And the last but not the least, we cannot make it without children. Children and young people are part of the solution. I can just tell you that All my work was informed by children, and correct me if I'm wrong, 75,000 children in bilateral engagement, and also more than 3 million of, you know, reaching through Paul and through, you know, indirectly. So for me, it's really important. And we realize that children are not waiting. Children are already taking action, and we, you know, assess and we collect more than 700 initiative across regions that is in our map to network and also to influence the policymakers, telling that these children has to be on board and not living aside. So I will stop here and please feel free to ask your question.

Thank you so much. Abdelhamid, please go ahead.

Thank you for the briefing. My name is Abdelhamid Sayam from the Arabic daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi. First, I want to clarify the mandate. Where does your mandate end and the mandate of children and armed conflict start? Do you overlap or you have separate, completely separate mandate? So because then I'll follow up with my questions.

This mandate was created after this global study on violence against children, because violence against children occur in many place outside also the armed conflict. And it occurs in home, it occurs in communities, it occur in sports, within scout, in church, currently online, at school, in many place, and in institution. And this was really to follow the recommendations that were made at this stage. The mandate of children in armed conflicts is a mandate that is following the six grave violation, that you know better than me, regarding and listing some countries, working with them to have a kind of plan of reintegration or prevention. Her mandate is listing and present to the security concern. My mandate is not blaming, is not shaming, is not ranking, it's a bridge builder. to support states, to move forward, to criticize also when it's needed. But what is important is to make sure that it's seen as how we can follow the recommendation made, but also following the Agenda 2030 and following also the recommendation of the UN study on children deprived of liberty that include children, you know, in detention, but also migrant in detention, children in institution, the administration of justice. It's overlapping and working together because children in armed conflict, you have a continuum. You have children who were already vulnerable before and were victims of violence. And you know, when conflicts arrive, it's exacerbating. During the conflict, you have some forms of violence that are not grave violation. And here you have all the physical, you have the mental violence, you have the sexual abuse, you have child marriage that become as a coping mechanism. You have trafficking that is also under my mandate. So many things are really exacerbated. And you have the post-conflict. And in the post-conflict, you have always. So this is a continuum. So we work together regarding this continuum. But there are two mandates that are distinct with two distinct resolution.

My question Madam Maja I hope I mentioned your last name correctly in 2024 and 2025 the largest number of children killed in those two years and as you know many of them killed in Gaza is the largest it's a killing field of children so where does the report include or touch on what happened to the children in Gaza?

You know, regarding Gaza, but not only Gaza, but Gaza particularly, because I was working with these children even before, and I am in touch with children from Palestine and from Gaza. And yes, in my report, and mainly regarding the report I made on displaced children, because there were many of them displaced, you know, and they were really highly mentioned in my social media, even it's not under my mandate, it's not, we cannot, you know, stay silent and telling the number of children who are, you know, uh, uh, their childhood is stolen, the children, you know, their mental health, their issue, that all the problems that they're living. It's unacceptable. And I just want to let you know that I act as also SRG CAC interim during last year, during the GA, and all my work was stop the war. So, and I had many problem regarding accountability because the problem is also the issue of double standards that are really, we are seeing and how we can really make also all the perpetrator. Could they? even they are from their state members really to be accountable. So for me, it's not a difference not to tell a child, you know, you are not under my mandate and I am not going this. This for me is unacceptable as well as what is going in South Sudan, as well as what is going on in many places. So I think the big issue here, yes, six grave violation is for listing and it's important for listing the country, hoping that they will be accountable on it. But in the same time, they are facing so many things and we are belonging to the system. So we are in the one UN. So when it's not acceptable and I cannot stay silent. So maybe I overcome my frontier, but I did it.

So if you don't mind, another question. I mean, according to reports from Palestine, Every child needs some kind of mental and psychological assistance. As one of the reports of Mr. Al-Akbar, that everyone in Gaza needs that, not only children. But what are your recommendations to address this issue of post-conflict trauma?

Just regarding the mental health and the psychosocial support, I am working with Manara, the big network of all the And in the same time, I am working with the Alliance of Humanitarian Action and working also with the consortium who is working with children in Palestine regarding how we can really improve and provide psychosocial support and mental health support. When you have big crisis, because they have no access to many things, when the health sector, when UNRWA, when many organization cannot deliver, it is how we can use all these frontline responder, the communities, the parents, the teacher was still there, and all the volunteer, how we can empower them also to make sure that at least they know how to deal with it, this is very important. Mental health, I am a pediatrician, and mental health was my first report because mental health, not only for children in Gaza, children worldwide, is weak. The mental health is something that is not very duly taken into account because we need to invest in mental well-being, not only investing in treating the things.

Thank you. Okay, Mona, please go ahead.

Thank you very much, Madam Najat, for the briefing. My name is Muna Aoutoul, and I'm with Al-Quds Al-Arabi. We want to ask about your point on food insecurity and how it can increase children's vulnerability to violence. Haiti, in particular, is an example of a crisis that often receives very limited international media coverage. Earlier in the press brief, the daily press briefing by Mr. Dujaric, we learned that more than 6 million people need assistance and 1.45 million have been displaced, which of course include children. Is your office working on some specific mechanisms to ensure that food insecurity does not expose children to further violence, and specifically exploitation by armed groups? This is a big problem in Haiti.

Regarding food insecurity and, you know, due to displacement, but also due to natural disaster and climate crisis, because you have also these issues that make food insecurity, and if you add to that the war, First war in Ukraine and currently what is going on in Iran and surrounding, this is impacting the price of many things and it's impact food security, so it has been clear that we established that it's a big risk for these children to be victims. not only because of the stress, because of the survival, you know, stress of their parents, but to become victims of many forms of exploitation. And what we saw, and I visited many camps, you know, regarding when Syrian children were there and when also Palestinian were there and in other countries, is that child marriage become a coping mechanism, even culturally it was banned before. Child labor and hazardous labor. And another point, enrollment in criminal activities is there because it's a kind of survival mode. And you have another big problem that is appearing is the number of children living and/or working on streets. When you saw what happens in Lebanon before the current war. I was there. And regarding, you know, the problem of inflation, the big political instabilities that made, you know, many, many people not able even to buy something. The number of children who were outside were enrolled, you know, in criminal activity to survive on streets, child labor, and very difficult things, and drop out of school. This is crazy. And regarding Haiti, to be very frank, I was not there because many people are intervening but I think my my opinion my uh own opinion I was following what is going on in Haiti since many years I think sometimes we need to to have a kind of assessment of the history and Haiti has the this poor country my God since do du and even before and it many many countries they have not only the problem of political stability but also the geopolitical interests of various countries. And if you add to that the natural disaster, because they had a lot, it's crazy what is going on. And I think here you have the food insecurity and the gang currently who are taking the lead. And I just want to tell you, I was in some countries when you have children who were enrolled in gang, and I am thinking about El Salvador, about Jamaica, about other. And when you discuss with them what they told you, that this gang, you know, provide them what state is not providing them, because it's about making sure that their family are duly supported economically, but also they provide them with safety. So this become, you know, and it's very difficult. And currently we are seeing that increasing very worldwide, even in European country, because we need to not only fight all the criminal traffickers and criminal people, but also to ask ourselves and policy maker has have to ask ourselves themselves, why is these children and mainly adolescent teenager are enrolled? Because when you are speaking with them, they told you, we lost the sense of belonging. to a community. They lost trust in institutions. And I think the problem is wider than that. And we have just to let you know regarding all this enrollment in criminal activities dedicated within the pathfinding, bringing many countries, not only Latin America, but bringing many countries who have the same problem, how we can move ahead. regarding that and how we can really discuss because how we could have prevented it and what about kind of rehabilitation and recovery because currently what we are seeing is that these children are seen as criminal and arrested. When you was in Brazil and you see the homicide and done by police. So I think we are seeing a kind of normalization of violence that made me having many concern.

Thank you so much. Maybe we should go to the screen, Islam, I see you have a question.

Thank you very much, Dr. Majid. Islam from Anadolu Agency. I just would like to ask your methodology when you write the report, how you get the information, how you get the data, and what is the most challenging problem for you to reach the data when you write the report. Thank you.

Okay, so regarding the data, it depends because I am doing a lot of country visits. And, uh, collecting data is not an easy task, to be very frank, because we have more estimates and you have, uh, you need to make sure that the sources you have are official. The other things that you have regarding violence against children, even when you have data that are official and really duly tested, they are not reflecting the truth because you have many children who cannot report, who don't want to report because of stigma, because of fear, because of lack of trust in institution. And what is amazing, you can arrive in one country and start collecting data, but it's amazing also how you assess them. You have some data regarding child helpline, you arrive to police, you have another data, you arrive to justice, you have another data, and you are losing people regarding this. And for me, what is important is not only having data, it's really following the child within all the process and to see where are the gaps and how we can improve them. Another point, you have some countries who have data and don't want to show them because for them, this is showing that we have a big prevalence of violence against children, shaming, and so on. And the discussion we have is really telling them in contrary what is important. When you have data, you have more and more children who are reporting, it means that they trust your system also because many, many things are now hidden. So this is what we have. But the problem today for me is the lack of really information management system in many countries that will allow states, not for me to tell them this is the most, violence is most important here than there, but to make sure that they are measuring the impact of their action. This is very important because to make sure that what they are doing is changing the situation. I hope I respond to your question.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Appreciate.

Thank you.

Abdhahamid, yes, I see you have a mic.

I want to ask about child marriage and where did you see that phenomena is surging, in which countries?

You know, in many countries currently, to be very frank, regarding child marriage, you have many strong laws and allowing children, girls, more girls under 18, but between 16 and 18, it depends on the consent in some countries. And here, it's not very clear, the consent of whom, how this consent is duly informed. So you have a gap regarding that. Another point that currently we have a pushback, not regarding only child marriage, but also FGM in many countries, because you have this big divided, and you know it better than me, that you have the occidental culture and the oriental culture. So it's really currently is a kind of strong opposition, not by a religious leader, it's really politicized, to be very frank, regarding what is going on, how we can really push and come back to our wonderful culture. And I met many countries who are in Africa, in Asia, the Islam groups. And when I am telling them that if in the Quran, there is no FGM, so sorry, and this is clear. But it's really very, very, very difficult really to explain. But in the same time, when you have, I think, If we need to stop all that, child marriage is not only about laws. If you are not allowing access to education for boys and girls of quality, if you are not economically empowering parents, women and parents, it's not going to work. You need to have alternatives. We can have the best law in the world, to be very frank. This is very important. And it depends on the mindset of the judge, because the judge can be trained. And one moment he is really happy, and at the same time, depending on the countries, when sexual relationships are forbidden outside marriage, and they are teenagers, and they have sexual relationships, so this becomes early marriage. consented or not. So I think we need really to be very open-minded to a better understanding on what is going on and not only to rank and to tell this is, but I think it's not only a cultural problem, it's a political and economic problem in my mind.

Thank you so much. No more questions online or in the room. I'd like to thank Dr. Najad. Thank you so much for coming. It's a special SRSG on violence against children. 30, related also to children, we have the Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children. Thank you so much.

Thank you.