Summary document: Growing up on the streets and realising children’s rights: promising practices addressing violence against all children

Summary

This is a two-page summary document following the satellite event to the 1st Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.

The session explored the persistent issue of violence affecting children worldwide, with a specific focus on those living or working in street situations.

Violence is a daily reality for children in street situations, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, which is compounded by societal neglect and a lack of specialised, protective structures. Speakers from diverse sectors and backgrounds, including young street champions themselves, shared their experiences and promising practices.

Speakers highlighted the need for an integrated systems approach, grounded in children’s rights, to ensure that the systems designed to protect all children are appropriate for the most marginalised children, including those in street situations; and emphasised the importance of meaningful participation of children in designing solutions for them to be effective.