With more than 80 Ministers and 118 governments confirmed, the Ministerial is the biggest moment we have seen to end violence against children on the global political agenda.

Right now, around the world, governments are deciding on their delegation, and as such showcasing the level of political commitment they will give to this agenda in the coming years. The pledges and commitments are being drafted now, with a deadline at the end of October to submit the final pledges. To inform these pledges there are a range of different forms of consultations happening around the world with civil society, children and young people, and survivors of violence.

All eyes will be on Bogota in six weeks, but it is now that the decisions are made that will determine the outcome and success of the Ministerial. It is now we have to be doing all we can to call on world leaders to step up and make big and bold commitments, and not let this historic opportunity pass us by.

This is some of the work we are doing at Together for Girls, and the Brave Movement, to help make sure the Ministerial delivers the significant step forward that is needed to protect 1 billion children.

We are facilitating and supporting the Global Survivor Council for the Ministerial, and in the coming weeks a range of the members are meeting directly with Ministers to discuss what they want to see coming out in national pledges and commitments. This includes the survivor leaders directly lobbying the Government of Nigeria, setting out demands in a letter and follow up meeting, a meeting with with the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland, a discussion with the UK FCDO on their draft commitments and regular engagement across the French government, with a planned mobilization ahead of the conference.

This global moment is creating space for important conversations at a national level that would not be happening with this urgency if it was not for the Ministerial. These are formalized in some countries as a ‘National Preparatory Session’ (NPS) for the conference. For example, in Kenya this week the Brave movement was part of a government led consultation process around their pledges, which included a substantive commitment to child participation. Children spoke up about what they want their government to commit to, with one participant stating clearly “Just make a difference and stop the violence.”

Together for Girls and the Brave Movement, along with 50 allied organizations, called on the U.S. government to substantively engage survivors in all preparatory activities. As such, and in collaboration with the U.S. government interagency coordinating group for the Ministerial Conference, listening sessions with survivor leaders, youth, and advocates are now being organized to ensure that their voices and lived experiences are meaningfully considered in shaping the U.S. government’s national commitments at the Ministerial Conference.

Along with our work at the national level, we have also been engaging at the international level, around the United Nations General Assembly. We welcome the new Pact of the Future and its increased emphasis on child sexual exploitation and abuse which occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology, and we are working closely with partners to push for substantive and bold pledges at the Ministerial to make the internet a safe space for children. More specifics on what we are asking for can be found in the survivor and ally call to action ‘A digital world safe for every child to explore, learn and thrive’. Aligned with this agenda we strongly welcome the Archewell Foundation’s new commitment at CGI to keep children safe online, and the lived experience lens within which they are framing their campaign efforts.

Our Executive Director, and Founder of the Brave Movement spoke across high-level sessions including at the Head of State event ‘Every Child Safe' calling for world leaders to step up now in their efforts to end violence against children, and turn up in Bogota with the biggest and boldest commitments possible.

In support of our advocacy efforts we have also added our support, and survivor leader voices, to the In Our Hands campaign. Members of the Global Survivor Council helped shape the ‘Power to end it is in our Hands’ letter launched recently and are heavily involved in the media campaign pushing out the letter around the world, including interviews in primary newspaper outlets in Brazil, Kenya and Nigeria.

We are doing all we can for 1 billion children. And we will continue to, with partners, survivors and allies. Join us in any way you can to call on the more than 100 governments to seize the next few weeks to show they are committed to keeping all children safe.