Madam President,

The EU thanks the Special Representative on Violence against Children for her report and presentation to the Council.

We express strong support for her plea to put children and their rights at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and welcome her efforts to amplify the voices of children in this context.

The EU underscores the relevance of this report, which highlights the impact of violence on children’s mental health. There is increasing evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental disorders. We agree with the Special Representative that identifying risk and protective factors for violence against children provides the foundation for effective prevention. In this context, we would invite Dr. M'jid to elaborate on possible gendered dimensions of risk and protective factors.

The EU also supports the Special Representative in her call to ensure a human rights-based approach to ending all forms of violence against children and promoting their mental health. We will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders and partners to ensure that the 2030 Agenda is implemented. The EU is also a stark advocate of universal health coverage and strongly supports the integration of mental health services with other strategies in the fields of health and violence prevention.

Thank you.