Global commitments on safe and enabling schools

At the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children held in Bogota in 2024, countries committed to implementing three Breakthrough Strategies to accelerate global action to end violence against children. One of these—Safe and Enabling Schools—focuses specifically on transforming education systems so that schools are safe, inclusive, and empowering environments for every child. More than 45 countries pledged to take action to ensure safe and enabling schools.

The second Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children is planned for November 2026 and will be hosted by the Philippines. Building on the momentum from the first conference, this event will bring together governments, UN agencies, youth representatives, and civil society to advance implementation of the Bogotá pledges, spotlighting school-based interventions strengthened legal frameworks and focus on accountability mechanisms. 

Co-convened by WHO, UNICEF and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SR-SG) on Violence Against Children, the Second Ministerial Conference will catalyze national action and show measurable progress towards ending violence against children, including in educational settings.

A year of progress

Since the first Ministerial Conference, concrete progress has being made to turn commitments into real change for children.  To mark the one-year anniversary of the conference WHO, UNICEF and the Office of the SR-SG on Violence Against Children co-hosted a global anniversary event. Among the many high-level speakers, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and Ministers of Education from Sierra Leone and Zambia shared powerful reflections on their progress towards ensuring safe and enabling schools for every child.   

The three Ministerial champions highlighted how those pledges are translating into concrete action – from strengthening whole-school approaches and teacher training, to improving reporting and response mechanisms for children at risk. Each Minister underscored the shared conviction that safety is foundational to learning, well-being and inclusion. Their messages also serve as a reminder that progress is possible when governments, partners and communities work together with urgency and clarity of purpose.  

In 2025, regional meetings were co-convened by UNICEF, WHO and SR-SG on Violence Against Children to sustain momentum in implementation of the Violence Against Children pledges.  Governments shared progress in implementing their commitments at forums convened in South Asia (with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), Eastern and Central Europe, Africa (with Africa Child Policy Forum), and in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

In East Asia Pacific, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continues to implement the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence against Children (2016–2025).