Latin America and the Caribbean renew commitment to end violence against children and adolescents at PAHO-UNICEF regional consultation – PAHO/WHO

Washington, DC, October 24, 2025.- Governments, civil society, youth representatives and international partners from across Latin America and the Caribbean renewed their commitment to ending violence against children and adolescents during a high-level regional consultation co-sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and UNICEF.

The region continues to have the highest rates of violence against children and adolescents worldwide. Almost two in three children between the ages of 1 and 14 experience violent discipline at home, and one in five girls experiences sexual violence before turning 18. Interpersonal violence remains one of the leading causes of death among young people. Despite progress and political commitments, efforts to protect children from violence remain insufficient.

During two days of dialogue, held virtually on October 23 and 24, more than 300 participants – including ministers and senior officials from the health, education, justice and child protection sectors, as well as civil society representatives, youth leaders and international partners – met to discuss concrete actions to build safer environments for children and adolescents.

“Every child has the right to grow up free of violence, safe in their homes, schools and communities, and to enjoy a childhood full of opportunities,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO. «The change we want to see in the health system is clear: health services must be in daily contact with communities. When health workers identify people who are at risk early and provide them with quality support, it makes a real difference to survivors of violence, their families and communities. It is a unique opportunity to improve public confidence in the response system and decisively demonstrate that violence is never justified.»

“For millions of children in Latin America and the Caribbean, violence remains in their homes, schools, communities or online, undermining their mental health, fueling cycles of poverty and even perpetuating violence for generations to come,” said Anne-Claire Dufay, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. «The good news is that we know what works to end violence. We need bold investments to ensure that all children are protected: investments in prevention, early detection, quality services, and justice systems that respond with dignity and care. When we protect children from violence, we are not just saving lives: we are shaping the future of the region.»

From evidence to action

The Consultation advanced an evidence-to-action agenda structured around four key areas to prevent and respond to violence:

• Legal and policy frameworks to prevent and respond to violence.
• Parenting programs to break cycles of violence against children and adolescents.
• Safe and conducive learning environments.
• Comprehensive health and protection services to respond to survivors.

Each session presented examples of good practices from Latin American and Caribbean countries, showing concrete solutions that have produced results.

Commitment and next steps

Participants stressed that effective prevention requires whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, with special attention to early childhood, mental health, digital security and social protection systems. Contributions from survivors, youth representatives, artists and international experts underscored the importance of working together to drive real change.

They reaffirmed their determination to consolidate multi-sector alliances and strengthen collaboration between the health, education, social protection and justice sectors, together with civil society, survivor and youth networks, to accelerate progress towards ending violence. Countries also made commitments to strengthen national health and protection systems that are coordinated, data-driven, and responsive to the needs of every child and adolescent.

About the regional consultation

The Regional Ministerial Consultation to End Violence against Children and Adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean was convened by PAHO and UNICEF to exchange experiences, identify effective strategies and strengthen regional cooperation to achieve the commitments made at the World Ministerial Conference to End Violence against Children (Bogotá, 2024) and Sustainable Development Goals 16, which call on all countries to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, including the specific goal (16.2) of ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children.