Violence Against Children: Inter-Agency Working Group On

Inter-Agency Working Group
on Violence against Children

Agenda for Action
We strongly support the appeal by United Nations Secretary-General
António Guterres on protecting the rights of children and safeguarding
their well-being during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerability of MORE INFORMATION

those children already at risk as growing economic
vulnerability will increase the threat of child labour, child Ensure that age and gender disaggregated data about
marriage, child trafficking, sexual exploitation and increases or reductions in prevalence of different types of
recruitment into criminal groups, and armed groups and violence against children is measured and used to inform
forces. decision-making.
In addition, movement restrictions, loss of income, This should also include medium and longer term health
isolation, overcrowding and high levels of stress and and social consequences related to lockdown policies such
anxiety have added a new group of invisible at-risk children as comprehensive collection, analysis and use of age and
who are at increased risk of experiencing and observing gender disaggregated risk and resilience data related to
physical, psychological and sexual violence and neglect at COVID-19 and what would constitute a measured, effective
home. response that would take into account other risks created
by such response.
There is emerging evidence that violence against children
is increasing in all different forms, from domestic violence Inform children in a child-friendly manner and with age-
and abuse at home to excessive use of force by law appropriate language, on the effects and responses to
enforcement while enforcing lockdown decisions against COVID-19. Listen and learn from children about their
street children. In the words of the UN Secretary General: experience of the current response to COVID-19.
What began as a health crisis risks evolving into a broader Cooperate with and support civil society organizations who
child-rights crisis. have already conducted surveys with children and are
currently planning more consultations with children over
The UN Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence against the world.
Children calls on governments, the international
community, civil society, human rights institutions, the
private sector, workers’ organizations and leaders in every
sector to ensure a child rights and multi-sectoral response
to COVID-19 on three fronts:
PAGE 1 (April 2020)

MORE SOLIDARITY Child participation
Use the protection of the world’s children as common Provide opportunities for children’s views to be heard and
cause that can stoke a greater sense of unity among taken into account in decision-making processes on the
people. Maintain or increase support to developing pandemic, through consultation and dialogue. Children use
countries with a particular focus on social and child digital technology to support each other, exchange views
protection systems with special attention to the most and identify gaps in government responses. Children and
vulnerable children. Support the powerful role that children young people will face a new different reality after the
and adolescents can play in engendering this spirit as crisis and their future seems uncertain, therefore they will
many are already demonstrating throughout the world— have to be part of the solution.
whether through volunteering their help within
communities, or combating stigma, xenophobia and Access to computer and internet
discrimination online.
Increasing the accessibility and affordability of internet
MORE CHILD-RIGHTS AND access to children, especially in places under lockdown in
MULTISECTORAL ACTION order to provide education, work, and public information on
COVID-19 is a substantial part of the response to maintain
children’s learning, support and play. Possible measures
The following points are inter-linked parts of a child rights include financial packages to improve connectivity, data
and multisectoral framework for action for children. All packages and telecommunications subsidies, lending
decisions and activities that concern children should be devices and providing technical support hotlines.
guided by the principle of the best interest of the child in
the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as States’ Online protection
international human rights obligations and
recommendations from international and regional human Messaging on safe and responsible behaviour online and
rights mechanisms. supporting children to develop digital skills and resilience.
This should complement concrete action including
IMMEDIATE reviewing of user-generated content and take-down as well
as reporting of harmful content, hate speech and illegal
Violence against children behaviour. Provide adequate responses to online violence,
including guidance and tools for parents and carers on how
Ensure that essential child protection services are to better protect children online and offline, including how
recognized as life-saving and continue to be provided and to respond to and, if needed, report harmful contacts,
accessible to all children even during lockdowns, conduct and content. Update current safeguarding policies
quarantines and other types of restrictions. Expand of educational institutions to reflect online risks and
financial support and resources for national child helplines potential harms facilitated through online schooling.
and gender based violence services to increase their ability Private sector stakeholders should take appropriate
to respond to survivors and/or witnesses of violence who technical measures – such as parental control tools, age
may be caught in situations of lockdown with their verification, safety-by-design, age-differentiated
abusers. Expand public education and awareness experiences, with password-protected content, block/allow
campaigns on violence against children, including lists, purchase/time controls, opt-out functions, filtering
prevention, such as parenting tips to prevent child and moderating – to prevent underage access and
maltreatment, ways to identify warning signs of potential exposure to inappropriate content or services.
violence at home, how to access services, and how a
neighbour or friend can assist someone experiencing
abuse.
PAGE 2 (April 2020)

Mental health Child Labour / Trafficking
Provide practical support to parents and caregivers, Provide targeted economic assistance, including cash
including how to talk about the pandemic with children, transfers, to low-income communities to help poor and
how to manage their own mental health and the mental other vulnerable families meet their basic needs without
health of their children, and tools to help support their resorting to child labour or child marriage. Strengthen
children’s learning. Strengthen trainings for health, interministerial coordination, as well as within relevant
education and social service workers on the impacts that SDGs multi-stakeholder partnerships, such as Alliance 8.7,
COVID-19 may have on child well-being, including skills and redouble efforts to prevent, identify, mitigate and
development support in talking to children about anxiety remediate child labour, paying particular attention to
and insecurity. increased risk of child trafficking.
Alternative care Children in humanitarian settings

Ensure that essential child protection services such as Provide access to appropriate emotional, financial, and
alternative care continue to be provided and accessible to material resources for caregivers and /or child-headed
all children even during lockdowns, quarantines and other households that are particularly vulnerable and/or have
types of restrictions. Provide targeted support to interim been directly affected by the disease. Train health actors
care centres and families, including child-headed and educators on child protection risks and identify
households and foster families, to emotionally support alternative psychosocial support mechanisms and
children and engage in appropriate self-care. avoid educational activities. Elicit input and support from
institutionalizing children without caregivers, giving priority community members (including traditional and religious
to family-based care, including extended family (kinship) leaders) on the design and implementation of effective,
care. child-friendly messaging and communication strategies to
promote child protection, risk prevention, and overall
Case management awareness of appropriate referral procedures. Establish
safe options for unaccompanied children and alternative
Establish mechanisms to ensure that communities facing arrangements for children with families who are hosted in
restrictions on movement have continued access to child- overcrowded reception facilities.
friendly, holistic care for children experiencing violence,
Children and armed conflict
including case management. Provide training and support
to case workers and existing child helplines on COVID-19, Adhere to the UN Secretary General's call for global
including basic facts and myths, impact of child protection ceasefire. Facilitate open access for humanitarian
and supported services. Identify risk mitigation measures personnel so that we can reach children and families with
for caseworkers and alternative methods for follow-up if essential services, including food, healthcare, protection,
home visits become impossible. water and sanitation and refrain from impeding the delivery
of relief supplies, or prevent people in need from obtaining
Children in detention services. Ensure border and movement restrictions are
implemented in ways that ensure that children and families
Release children in all forms of detention whenever
fleeing conflict and persecution can seek asylum and
possible and reduce the number of children deprived of
internally displaced children and families can move to safer
their liberty during the COVID-19 emergency to reduce
areas in their own country.
vulnerabilities to infection due to crowding, confinement
and limited access to health and hygiene. Prevent arrest or Social cohesion
detention of children for violating directives relating to
Take action against racism and xenophobia that may raise
COVID-19, end immigration detention for children and their
against certain groups who are perceived to be linked to
families, and ensure that any child who was arrested or
the COVID-19. For example, this could include evidence-
detained is immediately returned to his or her family.
based information sharing on the nature of the virus and
its spread or the monitoring of hate speech and related
activities.
PAGE 3 (April 2020)

Mid and longterm
Transitions
CALL TO ACTION
Prioritize the restoration of child services as lockdown
measures wind down. Prioritize continuity of child-centred
services, like schooling, nutrition programmes, maternal A global crisis calls for a global
and newborn care, immunization services, sexual and
reproductive health services, HIV treatment, mental health response. Solidarity, multi-stakeholder
and psychosocial and core protection services. cooperation and multilateralism are
needed now more than ever.
Conduct outreach and re-enrollment drives to ensure that
no child is left without education and protection. Ensure
social dialogue with governments and employers’ and This calls for strong mobilization of
workers’ representatives results in strong, consensus-
driven policy responses that serve those who most need governments, bilateral/multilateral
them. donors, civil society and private sector
to:
Identify the most vulnerable children and support their
families with targeted economic assistance, including cash safeguard social protection, health,
transfers, support to food and nutrition, and access to education and protection of
jobs/income-generating activities.
children services;
Fiscal policies and budgets ensure children are duly protected
and have the possibility to thrive
Reformulate social priorities and develop a strategic plan
for the future of public services, in particular social and
and reach their full potential, when
child protection services. Reduce inequalities in order to re- this crisis will be over;
establish sustainability in the public finances and
achieve the Goals and Targets of
sustainability and to establish a resilience in readiness for
any further national or global crisis. the Sustainable Development
Agenda.
We, all together, must ensure children are included

in all COVID-19 response and recovery decisions, so
that no child is left behind.
PAGE 4 (April 2020)

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Inter-Agency Working Group

on Violence against Children

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerability of MORE INFORMATION

PAGE 1 (April 2020)

PAGE 2 (April 2020)

Alternative care Children in humanitarian settings

PAGE 3 (April 2020)

We, all together, must ensure children are included

PAGE 4 (April 2020)

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