The ISPCAN Rise Up Policy Forum is a global initiative to catalyse progress in advancing child protection through a public health and system strengthening approach.1 It brings together governments, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to build on momentum, develop domestic capacity, and translate into action the country pledges made at the Global Ministerial Conferences on Ending Violence Against Children by sharing knowledge, integrating research with practical policy responses, driving innovation, and advancing bold evidence-based solutions to prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect more effectively across diverse regions and systems.
The Policy Forum serves as a community of practice, where countries can engage in ongoing learning, cross-sector collaboration, and the co-creation of child protection strategies. It supports system strengthening by aligning efforts with global frameworks such as INSPIRE, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Sustainable Development Goals, and providing actionable solutions grounded in local data and realities. Discussions also focus on how to improve the accountability and sustainability of national child protection systems.
The first international Rise Up Policy Forum took place at ISPCAN’s International Congress in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2025 attended by 55 government representatives, and the second one will be in Melbourne, Australia in August of 2026.
An African Rise Up Policy Forum + Huddle
The first regional Rise Up Policy Forum + Huddle will take place in Africa, from 24-26 June 2026 in Kampala, Uganda. The Forum + Huddle will explore the contexts, strengths, challenges and solutions specific to the African region, convening African child protection expertise, promoting strong national child protection systems, and creating a regional dialogue aimed at transforming child protection into a more data-informed, collaborative, and preventive system.
Critically, the Policy Forum will bring together government policymakers and technical experts to share their experiences and most effective strategies, challenges and learning, along with leading CSOs, academics, practitioners and survivors, in order to foster a community of learning and practice that catalyses progress in child protection across the continent.
The ISPCAN Huddle takes a step-by-step 360-degree deep dive into a local case of child abuse from an African country. By placing the child at the centre and exploring missed opportunities, the Huddle fosters learning, builds best practice and re-frames the case within a public health and multi-disciplinary lens.
The Huddle will take place on the 24 June, followed by the Rise Up Policy Forum on 25 - 26 June.