SRSG Najat Maalla M’jid concludes Jordan visit with call for unified response to end violence against children

AMMAN — Najat Maalla M'jid, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, concluded her visit to Jordan on Thursday with a renewed call for a unified response from all actors of society to end violence against all children.

During the visit, Najat met children, youth, women and communities who are being empowered to exercise their rights and participate in a violence-free environment for all children, as well as consulting with government, non-governmental organisations, civil society, international agencies and donors, according to a UNICEF statement.

Concluding her mission, Najat highlighted that in 2022, the Government of Jordan will submit its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the High-Level Political Forum and the Amman Voluntary Local Review (VLR) – the first VLR in Arab region. Those voluntary reviews are a critical part of the accountability architecture for the SDGs, the statement said.

“Reporting on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an excellent opportunity to assess progress made in ending violence against children and to move away from silo and unsustainable approaches and implement an integrated system, including child, gender, disability sensitive social and child protection  services, parenting support, access to safe learning, healthcare including mental health, as well as justice. This integrated approach echoes the interdependence of children’s rights and of the SDGs,” read the statement.

“Investing in children’s protection, development and wellbeing cannot wait. Investing in children is essential for building an inclusive, peaceful, just and resilient society that keeps children safe from harm and leaves no one behind,” Najat said.

Mohammad Meqdadi, the secretary general of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) highlighted that there is an urgent need for the endorsement of the proposed Child’s Rights Law.

Meqdadi noted that the proposed law will enable Jordan to fulfill its international legal obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The proposed law will further enable Jordan to address existing legislative gaps that have emerged in the mechanisms of granting the rights to children, he noted.

According to Meqdadi, 40 per cent of families in Jordan believe that there is no needed intervention from civil society organisations when it comes to family matters. 

Anders Pedersen, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan, stressed that all violence against children is preventable, calling for the need to protect children and young people from all harm.

“The government has committed itself to prepare the Voluntary National Review (VNR) for presentation at the High-Level Political Forum in July 2022, which is a key opportunity to identify ways to accelerate the Sustainable Development Agenda and children’s rights while ‘building forward better’,” Pedersen said.

UNICEF Jordan Representative Tanya Chapuisat noted that preventing violence costs less than treating violence.

“The SRSG-VAC’s mission has reinforced the importance of making ending the prevalence of violence against children a whole of government and whole of society priority,” Chapuisat said.

“Investing in the protection of younger generations will allow future generations to flourish, allowing children to grow into healthy and productive adults,” she added.