In September 2020, the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children (GI) will close, and the End Violence Partnership will take forward its work as the global advocacy lead for the comprehensive prohibition of corporal punishment.
Established in 2001, GI has worked around the world to end corporal punishment, advocating for full and comprehensive law reform to prohibit all forms of violent discipline, raising awareness of the issue, monitoring legislation and law reform and catalysing action. GI has also been an active member of the End Violence Partnership’s Civil Society Forum.
The End Violence Partnership is a public-private partnership and fund launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2016 to accelerate progress to end all forms of violence against children. The End Violence Partnership includes more than 450 partners, including governments, civil society organisations, UN agencies, private corporations and research institutions. The Partnership is a global platform for evidence-based advocacy, action and investments to end all violence against children.
As the End Violence Partnership takes up the baton of GI’s advocacy work, the vision to protect all children from violent discipline remains as strong as ever, as will the level of investment in the global policy, legal and advocacy work required to realise this vision. The End Violence Partnership will maintain and develop GI’s website as an important platform and resource for everyone working to end corporal punishment.
“In 1989, only four countries had prohibited corporal punishment against children,” said Anne Crowley, Chair of the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children. “As we hand over the reins to the End Violence Partnership, 60 countries have issued bans of their own and many more have the potential to follow suit. With ten years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the goal to eradicate violence against children, the trustees of GI welcome the End Violence Partnership’s commitment to this issue and to continuing our work.”
The End Violence Partnership includes 30 Pathfinding governments that have made a formal, public commitment to comprehensive action to end all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment. This network of committed governments and the wider global network of partners uniquely positions the Partnership to continue to advocate for and support the prohibition of violent discipline at the national level.
The End Violence Partnership will build on the great work of the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children in advocating for and supporting an end to all violent discipline of children – at home, at school and in other institutions.
This work will complement the Partnership’s work to keep children everywhere safe from violence at home, at school, online and within their community. GI’s multi-lingual website, with resources and data to support and track corporal punishment prohibition, will be an asset for the Partnership and its 450 global partners to use in their collective efforts to achieve SDG 16.2 – zero violence against children by 2030.
“This is an exciting opportunity for everyone who cares about ending all violence against children,” said Dr Howard Taylor, Executive Director of the End Violence Partnership. “The End Violence Partnership will build on the great work of the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children in advocating for and supporting an end to all violent discipline of children – at home, at school and in other institutions.”
From 1 September 2020, enquiries relating to this work can be directed to the End Violence Partnership via secretariat@end-violence.org. Any individual or organisation involved in work to end corporal punishment – and any other form of violence against children – is encouraged to join the End Violence Partnership by applying here.
