High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic extreme poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality, and violence are rising. Tragically, the necessary measures taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have placed many children at greater risk of experiencing child marriage, trafficking, and sexual violence, abuse, and exploitation, especially on-line. As a consequence of COVID 19, children have had unprecedented access to the digital world. This explosion of access has led to a significant increase in online grooming, exploitation, and abuse.

The April 8th World Day initiative’s High- Level Political Forum (HLPF) event seeks to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) and the various ways in which the international community and member states can respond and build a sustainable infrastructure to prevent future abuse and minimize physical and psychological sequelae experienced by survivors. Building upon the April 8th World Day initiative, this HLPF will provide solutions to safeguard children globally both on and offline. The HLPF will also discuss several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 16.2 which aims to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence and torture against children. Most specifically the HLPF will provide solutions to reduce the proportion of young women and men aged 18-29 years who have experienced sexual violence by age 18 by 2030 within the broader decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.