Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Forest Whitaker, UN Agency Heads and other dignitaries joined survivors and advocated to end child violence in New York, during the UN General Assembly.

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NEW YORK, September 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Heads of UN Agencies and other dignitaries met with survivors and advocates to end violence against children in New York on Sunday night (September 22). They are in New York at the UN General Assembly, where world leaders are meeting for the 79th session (UNGA 79).

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They met with survivors, public officials and Government leaders from around the world, including Sweden, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Georgia, Canada, Iceland, Brazil and the UK to discuss the urgent issue at a nearby event, organized by the Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. of the World Health Organization and organized by the Everyone Project, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. They heard the testimonies of survivors and the thoughts and commitments of leaders.

This high-level gathering comes days after survivors, advocates and allies issued an open letter (17 September 2024), demanding urgent action from world leaders ahead of the First World Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children, which took place in Colombia. November.

Those who signed the letter include public figures Forest Whitaker, Shudu Musida and Will Poulter, who also attended this special event.

According to the World Health Organization, every year one in two children worldwide – more than one billion – experience violence such as beatings, bullying at school, cyberbullying and sexual abuse. Other important forms of violence include gang violence, child marriage and child labour.

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Evidence shows that effective solutions to end all forms of violence against children include providing support for parents, using school-based interventions, providing child-friendly social and health services, adopting protective laws, and ensuring a safe internet for children. Countries that use these evidence-based strategies can reduce violence against children by 50%.

As event MC Will Poulter, actor and Ambassador for anti-bullying program The Diana Awards, said:
“Violence comes in many forms – physical and psychological – and each leaves a lasting impact on those who experience it. With 1,000,000 children around the world experiencing such violence, the statistics are staggering, but representative real livesand it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that these children are protected.”

View the full letter HERE.

Picture 1 LR: Dr. Daniela Ligiero, CEO of Together For Girls; HE Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex; Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization; Shudu Musida, UNFPA District champion; HRH Queen Mathilde of Belgium; Forest Whitaker, Actor and Activist; HRH Princess Mabel van Oranje; Bryana Mariñas, Survivor; Will Poulter, Actor; Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Public Health at the World Health Organization; Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.

Picture 2 LR: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Pictures accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d077140c-dd98-4abc-b523-dd11ab8aa532

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c186e9a4-fdfd-4095-9550-f58b6cd0e9c6

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