On 6 May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) brought together high-level stakeholders from across the Middle East and North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean regions for a webinar to follow up on the First Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, held in Bogotá in November 2024.
The webinar provided a platform for governments to reaffirm their commitment, showcase national progress and identify areas for technical support to translate pledges into concrete actions.
Highlights included:
presentations on key regional outcomes and pledges;
country-by-country progress updates; and
exchange of existing good practices to foster cross-border collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The webinar was opened by Deputy Regional Director at UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Mr Marc Rubin, and Director of Programme Management at WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Adham Ismail.
Senior government representatives from Algeria, Djibouti, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia shared valuable insights on the steps their countries have taken since the Bogotá conference and outlined priority areas where continued support is needed.
The webinar underlined how, through collective action and sustained partnerships, countries are moving forward to create safer, more supportive environments for all children.
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