In the present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 74/133, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Najat Maalla M’jid, provides an overview of major initiatives and developments that sustain and scale up efforts to safeguard children’s freedom from violence and advance implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She also outlines the immediate and longer-term impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on children’s protection and wellbeing, as well as the role of children as agents of change in building a world free from violence. The report contains key recommendations for accelerating action for implementation of the 2030 Agenda while building back better after the pandemic.
