The ChildFund Alliance EU Office co-organized the debate: “Mobilising partnerships and investment to end violence against children: A multistakeholder approach in fragile and conflict-affected contexts” on 8 June 2017, during the European Development Days in Brussels. Our partners in organizing the event were World Vision, Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, World Health Organization (WHO), Unicef and the European External Action Service.

Speakers included Mercedes Garcia Perez, Head of Unit for Human Rights at the European External Action Service; Etienne Krug, Director, Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention at WHO and Co-chair, Executive Committee, Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children; Lydia Najjemba Wasulaic, from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in Uganda; and Mary, young delegate, World Vision South Sudan.

Laurence Uwera, Programme Director at ChildFund Guinea, presented on ChildFund’s work to tackle female genital mutilation (FGM). Guinea has an extremely high rate of FGM, which is largely unrecognized as an issue in the country. To tackle this, ChildFund works with local community and religious leaders to change the norms and values of society. This includes promoting the value of girls, celebrating when families abandon the practice and promoting a greater awareness of the law. Government support for village committees and child protection school clubs gives added impetus to behavioural changes.

The debate provided an opportunity to create engagement opportunities with the EU on the implementation of the EU Guidelines on Children Rights and the role of the EU in the implementation of Inspire package.