From Bogota to Manila: Uzbekistan Strengthens Its Commitment to Ending Violence Against Children
National Preparatory Consultations in Tashkent
On 18–19 November 2026, the Government of the Philippines, in partnership with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), will host the Second Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Manila. Building on the commitments made at the first Ministerial Conference in Bogota in 2024, the conference will focus on scaling up evidence-based prevention, strengthening child protection systems and achieving measurable results for children by 2030.
Uzbekistan has demonstrated its commitment to protecting children from all forms of violence through significant legislative and institutional reforms. In May 2025, Uzbekistan announced its National Pledge under the Bogotá Call to Action on Ending Violence Against Children and formally joined the Pathfinding Global Alliance in September 2025, becoming its 46th member country. The National Strategy for the Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence for 2026–2030 provides a framework for translating these commitments into concrete actions and sustainable results for children.
This commitment was further reinforced by the Samarkand Declaration on Investing in Children's Wellbeing, adopted on 22 October 2026. The Declaration calls for integrated and adequately financed child protection systems, stronger support for families, and a continuum of prevention, early intervention and response services.
The declaration also explicitly links its implementation and follow-up to the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Manila, where Uzbekistan will be represented. This conference offers an important opportunity to translate the broader commitments made in Samarkand into concrete, measurable action to prevent and respond to violence against children.
The Conference will highlight three priority areas:
- support for parents and caregivers,
- safe and enabling school environments,
- effective child protection response systems.
It will also address emerging challenges, including technology-facilitated violence, violence in humanitarian and climate-affected contexts, and the links between violence against children and violence against women. The focus will be on reviewing progress, strengthening commitments, and mobilizing sustainable financing for prevention.
Ahead of the Manila Conference, the National Agency for Social Protection under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and UNICEF are conducting a National Preparatory Consultation on 10 November in Tashkent. Bringing together government, civil society and UN representatives, the consultation will review progress, identify remaining challenges and agree on priorities for strengthening the prevention of and response to violence against children. Participants will also define concrete commitments, responsibilities and resource needs to inform Uzbekistan’s contribution to the Manila Conference and sustain action through 2030.